Pitt must follow in Fight for 15 footsteps

Over the last week, the Fight for 15 movement has made significant strides in what politicians, economists and everyday people thought was impossible four years ago when the campaign began.

Let’s hope that Pitt students soon get it feel its effects.

On March 28, the state of California announced it would raise the minimum wage to 15 dollars over the next five years, becoming the first state in the nation to do so.

Last week, New York University and Columbia University granted student workers  a $15 minimum wage in an effort to reduce the burden on families and students. “We also appreciate that the special experience of attending college or graduate school in New York carries with it higher living costs than those borne by students at institutions not located in major cities,” Columbia Provost John Coatsworth said in an email to students March 28.

Columbia University and New York University are using different consulting processes to make the wage increase feasible for each school, showing that the wage raise is feasible, it just takes a some planning — like most good ideas.

More locally, UPMC finally made the decision to raise the minimum wage to $15 for most of its employees.

Despite the continuous pushback from Congress to pass a new federal minimum wage, states, companies and universities are taking matters into their own hands by standing together to give workers a living wage.

As one of the largest employers in the city and a UPMC-affiliate, it is time for Pitt to follow in these colleges and UPMC’s footsteps and give student workers a $15 minimum wage.

Pitt is considered a nonprofit — despite making billions in profit through investments, endowments and assets — so it should look at what would best serve the public, not what would best serve its financial interests.

Increasing work study wage would also ensure more low-income students can afford college.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the percentage of students from low-income families enrolling in higher education immediately after graduating from high school has declined since 2008, from 56 percent of graduates to just 46 percent. Low-income students saw the largest decrease in enrollment out of all income groups, a sign that affordability is becoming a major deciding factor in college enrollment.

As a student worker myself, I work two jobs as a columnist for The Pitt News and a Jumpstart Corps member — a national organization that mentors low-income preschool children and teaches them literacy and language skills to help prepare them for kindergarten — in order to help pay for my living expenses.

The University does not allow students to work more than one job through the Federal Work Study program, which is why I was forced to seek out other work when I reached my Work Study limit through my job at Jumpstart. A student also cannot work more than 21 hours per week, even if their federal award, which the federal government provides, requires more.

If Pitt makes the decision to raise wages of their students, this would give students a way to receive their full award, as some jobs do not let students work the full 20 hours per week.

If I had more financial security, I would be more than eager to pay off the student debt I owe, but right now that is not financially feasible with the low wages I receive.

Fight for 15 was so sensationalized because there are so many students who face the same struggle to balance finances in college. We rely on part-time jobs — some of us on one, some of us on two or more. We rely on the school to set the wage that we will depend on to reduce the overwhelming burden of financial insecurity.

But a part-time job should add to the college experience, not overshadow it with the hours needed to pay for it.

Student debt has enormous consequences that are detrimental for the future of our economy. When students cannot pay off the crippling debt they owe during or after college, it will delay them from investing in buying a house, a car, vacations or any major milestone that fuels the economy. The social implications of these setbacks are equally as harmful, such as delaying marriage and having kids later.

Many students at Pitt have expressed their grievances with the school’s low wages by participating in marches and protests such as the Fight for 15 or, in Lauren Klingman’s case, the March to Take Back Our University.

Klingman, a junior studying social work, is part of the student-led campaign that began with the March to Take Back Our University in February. As a student worker, she works at the Hillman Library and at Ali Baba to help pay for her expenses. The jobs she works do little to put a dent in the $80,000 of debt she will owe.

“Students cannot get by on minimum wage with all of the expenses we have — including rent, student loans, utilities, food and books,” Klingman told The Pitt News.

A movement like the Fight for 15 cannot go unanswered when thousands of students from low-income households depend on Work Study to get through college.

We attend college to study and attain a degree, and that’s grueling enough on its own. Working multiple jobs in college is a reality for many, but doing it for $7.25 an hour shouldn’t be.

Kirsten Wong primarily writes on social justice issues and education for The Pitt News.

Write to her at kew101@pitt.edu