Students marched from the Memorial Tower through the Quad to the inside of the Union on Tuesday afternoon carrying garbage bags and chanting, “Living wages now,” as part of the Student Equality Commission’s campaign to raise Facility Services wages.
They held signs that said, “Honest wages for honest workers,” and, “Will work 4 living wages,” and passed out fliers, stickers and buttons to onlooking students.
The SEC’s Living Wages campaign members made an aggressive statement Tuesday as students shouted their demands in the middle of the Quad and inside the Union, demanding higher wages for custodial and food service workers.
The members dropped 12 trash bags on the ground in the Quad.
“This is from seven classrooms in Coates Hall,” said Samori Camara, African-American studies graduate student and leader of the campaign. “I picked up trash for 45 minutes, and I’m tired, and my back hurts, and I’m only 23.”
He said members collected the trash to show students how much waste is produced on an average day in a single building and how students take the work custodial workers do for granted.
The Living Wages campaign was created to try to bring higher wages to custodial and food service workers who receive salaries below $18,500 – the poverty level for a family of four.
Camara said there are “too many Facility Services workers that are forced to work two jobs because they are not being paid enough by LSU.”
Camara said the SEC was demanding a minimum wage for facility service workers of $8.50 per hour with benefits.
Currently, entry-level University custodial workers earn wages between $6 and $6.24 and which cap at $9.75 per hour as set by the Department of State Civil Service, said Dave Hurlbert, director of compensation and employment for Human Resource Management.
The students left the Quad and marched to the grand staircase of the Union, shouting their demands. Administrators left their offices and watched from the balcony, while some students shouted their disapproval at the demonstrators.
Other students viewed the call for pay raises as a short-term solution.
“I understand the LSU community may be able to do it, but in terms of a broader social approach, it would not work to raise pay because economics dictate that prices and goods would go up and keep them at or below the poverty line,” said Jeremy Crider, biological sciences senior. “It’s not that I’m jaded toward them in any way. I just don’t think our system can support them.”
But SEC members said they are confident that most students support the effort.
Camara said the petition the SEC started three weeks ago has more than 1,000 signatures.
Camara said that after spring break the SEC will present the petition to University officials and march to Chancellor Sean O’Keefe’s office if necessary.
Paul Favaloro, Facility Services director, said nobody from the SEC has tried to contact his office, and he said the group should talk to Human Resource Management.
Favaloro said he agrees with the campaign, and the actions of the students “give more momentum for us to use.”
Camara said he asked O’Keefe about the issue at this past week’s Chat with the Chancellor, and O’Keefe told him that the Legislature is currently considering raises for University professors and support staff, which would include Facility Services workers.
But Camara said he thinks O’Keefe lied because The Daily Reveille reported Tuesday that the pay raises would only affect faculty members, which excludes custodial and food service workers.
O’Keefe said Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s budget proposal for the next legislative session includes a $2 million civil service wage increase for LSU alone.
Custodians would be included in this proposal, but food service workers, who are employed by Chartwells, would be excluded because they are under a contract.
“It is in the governor’s budget, and we want to work with the Legislature to expand the coverage to see that the broadest number of people benefit,” O’Keefe said.
O’Keefe said he supports the Living Wages campaign.
“I think they’re pressing for an important social cause that advances opportunities for better compensation rates,” O’Keefe said.
Some Facility Services workers said they were surprised and pleased that students have chosen to focus on their cause.
Edna Young, a custodial worker who makes $7 per hour, said that “never in a million years” would she expect students to care about Facility Services wages.
Mary Smart, custodial supervisor, said she is thankful students are representing the interest of service workers, but custodians will be unable to join in the protests in order to preserve their jobs.
“I appreciate it,” Smart said. “If it don’t help us, then maybe it will help the ones that come after.”
 
Contact Rebekah Allen at [email protected]