NEWS BRIEF: Working students at Emory demand $15 minimum wage

Current wage is ‘not sustainable’

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Photo credit: Courtesy Emory Students For Students
Emory Students For Students, Emory University Student Advocates

An advocacy organization at Emory University is demanding an increase in pay for student workers at its campuses. Emory Students for Students issued a letter and a petition signed by 700 undergrads, faculty, staff, alumni and campus organizations, saying the administration must “take concrete steps to enact an increase to a $15 an hour minimum wage for student workers on Atlanta and Oxford campuses.”

The letter argues the current minimum wage is not enough to make a “substantial dent” in the expenses required to attend Emory. Costs include rising tuition, required on-campus housing and a $2,063 meal plan. “I’m paying all my own expenses and bills, and $10 per hour for 15 hours is just not sustainable,” Selma Hassan said. “(It’s) a huge burden on many students who struggle to afford basic necessities that the Emory students from a more privileged background can afford easily.” emorywheel.com