Student workers react to Ohio’s minimum wage increase

Ohio’s minimal wage is about to extend to $10.10 per hour for non-tipped workers and $5.05 per hour for tipped workers Jan. 1, 2023, in alignment with Ohio’s Structure and inflation charges.

The 80-cent improve marks probably the most vital hike in Ohio’s minimal wage in over 15 years, providing monetary benefits for staff throughout the state. Amongst these impacted, Ohio State pupil staff react to the rise, hoping a better pay may help alleviate the monetary stress related to the rise within the price of attendance and housing. 

“I imagine pupil staff ought to obtain a better pay,” Nora Dimitrov, a first-year in finance who works on the Recreation and Bodily Exercise Middle, stated. “Everybody I’ve met by way of work may be very hardworking and targeted on their objectives, they all the time do attempt onerous to go above and past throughout work.”

Ohio’s present minimal wage is $9.30 per hour for non-tipped workers and $4.65 per hour for tipped workers, and in a earlier Lantern article, college spokesperson Chris Booker stated the Ohio State employs about 15,000 college students. The college elevated its minimal wage to $9.30 Dec. 19, 2021, to match the state’s improve and took impact Jan. 1, Booker stated. 

Many pupil staff — together with these employed in eating corridor providers — have advocated for elevated wages, asking for a $15 minimal wage throughout the 2022 spring semester. Pupil workers, together with different pupil organizations, have protested on campus for a rise. 

Dimitrov stated the minimal wage improve will profit all pupil staff on campus within the coming yr.

“Hire, tuition and the price of basic dwelling — particularly round campus — continues to rise, and the pay hasn’t modified in so lengthy,” Dimitrov stated.

Dimitrov stated her work hours are sometimes difficult to steadiness with lessons. She stated she ceaselessly returns to her residence round 1 a.m. after work, and her opening shifts start as early as 5 a.m. 

“I do know lots of my coworkers who’ve needed to choose up one other job simply to cowl their month-to-month price of hire on prime of making an attempt to steadiness their schoolwork,” Dimitrov stated. “The rise will certainly assist take some burden off college students.” 

Yemesrach Oljira, a first-year in political science and an workplace assistant in Smith-Steeb Corridor, stated she took up a number of jobs to assist her dad and mom pay for tuition.

Oljira, who works a second job at Chipotle, stated she works at the very least 30 hours per week on prime of her schoolwork however neither job gives her sufficient revenue to cowl Ohio State’s price of attendance. She stated the present and new minimal wage charges are nonetheless not sufficient for struggling college students. 

“I believe college students deserve extra pay as a result of they’re doing this work on prime of dealing with schoolwork,” Oljira stated. “These are people who find themselves going to a school that’s $30,000 a yr, and add extra on prime of that for those who’re an out-of-state pupil.” 

In response to a current examine by Georgetown College, about 70 p.c of school college students maintain a part- or full-time job.

Catherine Wu, a second-year in information analytics and worker at Berry Café, stated some pupil positions in eating providers just lately noticed a wage improve within the final yr, which has helped. Eating Providers introduced a $12 minimal wage in April for all of its undergraduate pupil workers.

“Right here at Berry, there was just lately a rise for about $2, and now I’m making $12 an hour,” Wu stated. “It was applied close to the tip of final yr, and I believe that’s actually helped me in paying for quite a lot of objects.” 

Wu stated she thinks the upcoming minimal wage change will help college students throughout the college who pay for hire, groceries and tuition. 

“I believe it might actually assist [student workers] and take an enormous burden off their chest,” Wu stated. “It could be simpler to undergo school and never have to fret as a lot about not having the ability to repay fundamental facilities.” 

Booker stated in an electronic mail the college “presents aggressive pay and advantages to retain and assist our pupil workers.”

“We worth their contributions to our campus life and land grant mission,” Booker stated.