Ohio University Senate Demands $15 Minimum Wage on Campus
These students might as well hold a “raise our tuition” rally. What’s the difference?
Maygan Beeler of The Post reports.
Senate’s agenda passes, moving forward
Student Senate passed a multi-pronged resolution Wednesday that calls on Ohio University President Roderick McDavis’ administration to enact several bold policies, such as the establishment of a $15 minimum wage and the elimination of tuition increases.
Though OU administrators and local economists — and even some senate members — have said the proposals were outlandish, senate as a whole stuck by its proposal.
Senate member Will Klatt, the government affairs commissioner, stands by the demands outlined in the resolution, saying that “it’s the status quo that’s unrealistic” — not senate’s ideas.
Also in that resolution, which will serve as policy suggestions to be forwarded to whomever they chose, were provisions that would:
— Ban pay raises for administrators making more than $200,000
— Seek more transparency of OU’s endowment
— Call for the divestment from the use of fossil fuels
The demand to implement a tuition freeze, beginning in the 2015-16 academic year, is from last semester’s Restart campaign. Senate President Megan Marzec and Vice President Caitlyn McDaniel both ran on those promises.
The next step for this resolution will be moving forward with a campaign for those demands, McDaniel said, in order to put pressure on the administration to act on them.
“I think this is the point where we start moving forward on an actual campaign,” she said. “We’re definitely not just going to be sitting around for the next week. For me, at least personally, I’m going to be working really hard to get together like a solid plan.”
Senate also passed a resolution to formally declare its support for F—k Rape Culture, in addition to other measures.
Comments
So very precious, so very naive. In my dreams I’d hire a few of these nincompoops and put them through a reality wringer for a couple of years. I’d treat them as any professional working for me, which could well turn their finely tuned sensibilities to dust. And I would do this without yelling, using vulgar language, making threats, or being abusive.
Raise everybody’s pay by $7.50, but don’t increase tuition? They need to go back to fifth grade. Of course they could just start charging fees for being part of the student senate. Bill the water and electric costs for the dorm rooms. Charge a per class fee for electric and other items currently included in the tuition. Raise parking fees, dorm fees, library fees…
Do Ohio University students take an Economics 101 course? Are they taught that “there is no such thing as a free lunch”? It is amazing that these students, with their ideological emotion based liberal agenda don’t get it that if wage rates go up for staff, student debt is also likely to rise. Simple economics. Student debt is a huge problem, this initiative would make it worse.