The University of South Carolina is underpaying its workers. With the effects of the pandemic in mind, it is crucial that we see an increase to a $15 minimum wage.
Currently, the minimum wage of 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 workers is an hour. South Carolina doesn't have a state minimum wage law, meaning the federal standard applies to our state's workers. The federal minimum wage has not been changed since 2008, when it was raised from an hour. The university has made no effort to go beyond the state minimum wage for its lowest-paid employees.
According to the , if the minimum wage had been adjusted for inflation, it would be over $22 per hour today. Even an hourly wage of $15 would of a 鈥渓iving wage鈥� 鈥� which is the salary a person needs to cover their basic expenses. With the current minimum wage, a person would only earn approximately $15,000 a year. A $7.25 minimum wage isn't enough for an individual to live off of, let alone a family.
The of South Carolina have started a campaign to raise the minimum wage and protect the rights of the workers at 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒. Despite 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒's workers having to deal with the stress of the pandemic, they still didn鈥檛 receive a minimum wage increase.
The UCW is a campus workers' union that advocates for campus workers' rights and interests and tries to build an environment where workers have more justice.
According to Maclane Hull, a graduate student in the History department and a member of the UCW, the organization鈥檚 strategy for getting the university to increase the minimum wage is to communicate with other workers on campus, try to meet with the president to discuss the topic and try to increase awareness about why the minimum wage should be increased. The group plans on handing out postcards, canvassing and holding meetings for undergraduate students, administration and campus workers in order to gain support and traction for their campaign.
The UCW is also trying to garner support from members of the Graduate Student Association and Faculty Senate members.
The organization is planning to hold protests and start petitions in support of their movement. Kenny Root, a graduate student member in the English department said, "at the last meeting (the organization) mostly talked about tactics and about building power in order to be able to advocate for the demands that we want, so we have to build a membership, we have to build support among the workers."
At other campuses, United Campus Workers have been successful in their movement to increase the minimum wage to $15. At the , the organization persuaded the university to increase the hourly wage to $15 by January 2022 through their effective campaigning. raised its wages to $15 last June and gave a raise to custodians and plant workers who have been maintaining the cleanliness of the campus during the pandemic. Currently, the UCW at is fighting for the minimum wage increase through the use of campaigning and petitions.
It is important our campus workers receive the hourly wages that they deserve. They work tirelessly to keep up the maintenance of this campus, and we should join this cause in order to support the campus workers. Even student workers should not be making below a $15 hourly wage; between balancing work and studies, they shouldn鈥檛 have to overwork themselves just to support themselves.