UNC student employees call for higher pay, goal of $15 per hour

UNC student employees are making renewed calls for increased wages, with some citing an inability to support themselves on the current pay scale.

Tj Edwards, a UNC senior and chair of the Carolina Union Board of Directors, created an ad hoc committee called Student Conditions at the beginning of the academic year that advocates for higher student wages. 

According to an email statement from UNC Media Relations, Student Union student employee wages vary from $9.50 to $11 an hour depending on their role. Edwards said they are looking to increase wages by $2, but wants to eventually see a $15 minimum wage for all student employees. 

Edwards said that a “significant population” of student employees at the Union have to work more than one job to support themselves, and that an increase in wages could help students and reduce the need for second jobs. 

“Changing our pay to $15 an hour would certainly allow us to better support ourselves to feel more comfortable, and letting this be our only position allows us to be more successful in our classes,” they said. 

Edwards said that their decision for the $15 baseline for student employees was inspired by Fight for $15, an organization and movement which advocates for "underpaid workers everywhere". 

The current minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 and was last changed in 2009 from $6.55. 

Edwards said that this state wage is "nowhere near livable" and that it is “completely unacceptable" that state legislation has refused to improve the NC minimum wage.

In March, N.C. Sens. Joyce Waddell (D-Mecklenburg) and Rachel Hunt (D-Mecklenburg) filed Senate Bill 440, which would increase the North Carolina minimum wage to $15 an hour. After passing the first reading, S.B. 440 was referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate, where it has stalled.  

Edwards said the Student Conditions Committee is currently working to collect information about pay and conditions across the different organizations on campus that employ students and compare that data to other universities in the UNC System and other universities nationwide. 

“I am certainly worried UNC is lagging behind other schools,” they said. 

Edwards said they hope to garner support for higher student wages from the Undergraduate Student Government and other student organizations and clubs. 

They also said that they plas for USG and other student organizations to release a statement of support for student campus workers by the end of the academic year. Edwards added that this statement of support could help “take over the narrative” and show that a wage increase is a “change that our students are willing to pay for.” 

In an email statement, Student Body President Christopher Everett shared his support for increasing student employee wages. 

“I’ve sat in various meetings and have had conversations with Tj Edwards, the Chair of the Carolina Union Board of Directors, about these proposals and am dedicated to ensuring that our university no longer fails to adequately pay our student employees,” Everett said in the email. 

In order for many of the organizations that employ students on campus — like Campus Recreation and the Carolina Union — to increase wages, they must request an increase in the student activity fee. 

The student activity fees are a part of every student’s tuition at UNC and are used to fund programs and services on campus. Currently, the student fees make up $394 of a student’s tuition. 

Edwards is advocating for an increase in student activity fees and is in the process of bringing this request to the UNC Board of Trustees to be voted on. 

Before the BOT votes on the request, it must first pass through the Student Fee Audit Committee, the Student Fee Advisory Subcommittee and then be approved by University administration. 

Edwards said that Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amy Johnson have been receptive to increasing student wages and that they think Student Conditions will be able to raise wages for student employees within the Carolina Union in the next fiscal year. 

“It’s scary knowing it's going to cost more to pay for our education, but fee increases at our university are good and necessary in order to support our most underserved communities,” Edwards said. 

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed Tj Edwards' position. The error has since been corrected. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for this error. 

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