Hilltop Views (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 7, 2016 Page: 2 of 16
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21 NEWS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER?, 2016 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
Minimum wage increase for benefit-eligbile employees, not students
V
a
Student government closes semester, legislation to be revisited in spring
By ANDREA GUZMAN
@dreuhmarie
By JACOB ROGERS
@jacob_rogers01
The Student Government
Association closed out the
semester with resolutions to
expand bookstore merchan-
dise and build a track.
Sen. Jack Leon authored
S.R. 8, living wage prod-
ucts in university bookstore,
which proposes to begin a
discussion with the managers
of the university bookstore to
add products from Alta Gra-
cia, "the only apparel com-
heart into their work should
get paid more.”
However, when warranted,
some students are paid more
than the pay schedule says.
But each circumstance is dif-
LORNA PROBASCO/HILLTOP VIEWS
The Student Government convened for their last meeting of the semester Dec. 1.
■
■
SABRINA ROWER/HILLTOP VIEWS
Wages were last raised for students on campus in 2009.
ferent, Rudnicki said.
"There are some student
jobs that require additional
skill level that are subject to
additional wage,” she said.
talk about a
we talk about
are certified
"Currently, the suppliers
of the university bookstore’s
clothing items — be it sweat-
shirts, t-shirts, backpacks —
do not purchase their prod-
ucts with factories that pay
their workers a decent wage,”
Leon said. "As a social justice
university, it is our mission
to recognize the problems of
our world and work to ad-
dress them.”
Senators voted in favor of
the resolution with the excep-
tion of Sen. Oliver Guerra,
who abstained. The resolu-
tion will face a final passage
vote in the spring. Store
manager Tim Jackson did not
immediately respond to re-
quests for a comment.
Another piece of legislation
that was voted through first
passage was S.R. 5, authored
by Sen. Victoria Mayorga,
which pushes to build a track.
If the resolution moves
through final passage, then
SGA would move to propose
to the university to fund the
track, through a method such
as incorporating the idea into
the master plan, which has
through fair trade, that they
pay their workers a wage that
goes above just scraping by,”
Leon said. "They also provide
health care, child care, edu-
cation for children, all these
amazing things that devel-
oping nations need to grow
and become a better place for
citizens.”
Concerns were addressed
about whether the book-
store has enough space to ac-
commodate a section in the
bookstore for Alta Gracia
products, as well as the qual-
ity and cost of their products.
The bill about administra-
tive procedure regulations
seeks to document various
committees within the as-
sociation and their goals. "I
think the intent (of the bill)
is admirable because it speaks
to our ability to keep records
of what was going on in the
student government asso-
ciation in the past,” said Vice
President Carlos Martinez.
Though senators are typi-
cally given 10 minutes to have
pieces of legislation proposed
to them due to time con-
straints, additional minutes
were requested. When put it
up for vote, the bill was ap-
proved through first passage.
Legislation that could po-
tentially bring a farmers mar-
ket to campus in the spring
semester was voted through
final passage during the
meeting as well.
Interest in a farmers market
was gauged through a survey
that had about 200 partici-
pants, 98.8 percent of which
said they would go to a farm-
ers market on campus.
^7 J
ing to school.”
Aguilera said she works
about 8 hours a week, be-
cause there aren’t enough
hours to go around. Students
that work for the university
are allowed to work up to
20 hours a week during the
school year and 40 hours
when school is out.
Freshman Priscilla Garcia
makes $8 an hour working
as an operation specialist
at the Information Desk in
Ragsdale. She said students
should get paid more, espe-
cially those in a supervisor
role.
"It’s just pretty sad,” Gar-
cia said. "Those putting their
pany in the developing world
that is independently certi-
fied in paying a living wage,”
according to the company’s
website.
Leon’s resolution proposes
to keep the use of merchan-
dise from companies such as
Nike, Jansport and Under
Armour but have the option
available to students to buy
apparel from factories that
pay their workers a "living
wage.”
"When we
living wage,
factories that
not yet been presented to the
university.
Mayorga said that the cross
country and track team uses
the track at Travis High
School, but that the track
is equipped for high school,
rather than the collegiate ath-
letes.
"[The track] is a lot of mon-
ey, but it is for the growth of
the school,” Mayorga said.
Senators discussed possible
locations of the track, such as
around the soccer field and
behind the university apart-
ments before unanimously
voting the resolution through
first passage.
Parliamentarian Zwiesineyi
Chindori-Chininga ad-
dressed internal workings of
SGA with two bills that, if
approved, would create the
position of an election com-
missioner and address ad-
ministrative procedure regu-
lations.
As of now, the parlia-
mentarian has the duties of
elections commissioner. If
passed, the bill would create
a new position in SGA.
$8.75 for seniors. The last in-
crease was in 2009.
Assistant Vice President of
Human Resources Rosemary
Rudnicki says the university
is committed to staying above
the minimum wage, which is
currently $7.25 an hour in
Texas.
"The main reason stu-
dents are here is for their
educational experience,” said
Rosemary Rudnicki, assis-
tant vice president of human
resources. "Student employ-
ment is here as we provide
an opportunity for students
to receive training and have a
more holistic experience as an
individual.”
At the fall semester State of
the Campus address, St. Ed-
ward’s University President
George E. Martin announced
a three percent increase for
benefit-eligible employees,
proclaiming "nobody is paid
less than $15 an hour on the
St. Edward’s campus.”
However, students wages
were not a part of the in-
crease.
Currently, all first-year stu-
dents, determined by credit
hours, are paid $8 an hour.
The pay will then increase
25 cents a year, stopping at
Rudnicki said wages are
looked at annually, calling
current rates competitive.
Sophomore Princesleah
Aguilera makes $7.25 an
hour working as a cashier at
the bookstore on campus, a
job she started in August.
The bookstore is run
through a third-party con-
tractor and can determine
its own pay rates. Other con-
tractors include Jo’s Coffee
and Bon Appetit.
"We depend on these jobs a
lot, and I don’t think we get
paid enough,” Aguliera said
referring to low-wage jobs in
general. "I wish we got paid a
little more because we are go-
'• j
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Hilltop Views (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 7, 2016, newspaper, December 7, 2016; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1590734/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting St. Edward’s University.