Cal Student Workers Still Paid Less, Feel Betrayed

Last school year, student employees formed SWAG and struggled for 7 months before finally being informed that they would receive pay equal to that of their coworkers. “I felt like we had finally won something,“ said another Foothill employee and SWAG member Rachel Padnick, “We were told that we would be paid equally to other part time/limited employees. I just feel like we were lied to again. I feel betrayed by the University that I invest money in every year.”

Also, Cal student workers are still demanding that they receive back pay for the last two semesters, since the time the wage difference began. They worked 11 months with a pay rate over $2/hr less than their coworkers (including high school and community college students) simply because of their status as Cal students and they feel that they should be compensated for this gross act of discrimination.

Gregg Sparkman, a SWAG member and worker at Crossroads Dining Commons had this to say about the ongoing struggle: “The Human Resources Department has a responsibility to provide indiscriminate, rational and ethical wages to meet the needs of student workers. So far they have failed on all three points.”

“It really is a betrayal,” said Bunner, “ they have enough money to pay President Dynes $405,000 in leave, but they won’t give their own students 68 more cents per hour. Where are their priorities?”

Cal student workers represented by Student Worker Action Group continue to make these demands and will continue to fight until they are met:

We demand acknowledgement of our equal responsibilities!! This includes:

• 1.Equal pay to Food Service Workers.
  
• 2.Retroactive from August 2006 (the time the wage difference began).
  
• 3.Twice monthly paychecks.
  
• 4.All of the above reflected by the September 8, 2007 paycheck.

Student Worker Action Group (SWAG) is an organization formed by UC Berkeley student food services workers. It is currently expanding into the libraries and other on-campus job sites as well. One of its goals at this time is to bring attention the fact that Cal students working for Cal Dining are paid less than their coworkers, and to call for pay equity at UC Berkeley.

STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR SOMETHING: "EQUAL PAY TODAY!"