The Bay Net Photos by Christopher Rodkey

The typically quiet St. Mary’s College of Maryland campus was alive last Friday when a combined rally of students and college employee chanted protests of “End Poverty Wages; No Justice – No Peace!”

Members of the American Foundation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3980 Union consisting of campus caretakers, maintenance crews, groundskeepers and public safety have been engaged in a continuing struggle with the college’s administration, seeking three main benefits in their contract negations: “Living Wages,” respect, and representation on committees.

 
 

After unsuccessful negotiation attempts beginning in May, the Union sought the student body’s help. With assistance from the college’s chapter of the Global Justice League, the rally began Friday at the Campus Center. Employees testified to their financial hardships as they circulated “We Support the Workers” petitions.

The group of over 100 students and employees walked to the Office of the President, Jane Margaret O’Brien, who was absent. Undeterred, they left a sign “Fair Pay” taped to her office wall. The crowd then made their way to the Human Relations building under the cries of “This is what Democracy looks like! That is what Hypocrisy looks like!”

“The students were amazing,” said one staff member who is an exempt employee but chose to march with the union and students anyway. “They gave me goosebumps, I just had to walk with them.”

According to Housekeeper Brenda Carter, a twelve-year veteran at the college, the salaries paid are simply not adequate. She makes roughly $25,000 a year, equating to slightly over $9 per hour, which she considers to be below “Living Wage.” President O’Brien was given a 12%, or $35,000, raise this year, pushing her salary to $329,930. In addition, eight other administrators’ salaries increased $10,000 to $20,000. Signs posted on the Campus Center claim top administrators received 10-20% pay increases while the lowest paid employees only received about a 2.5% raise.

Chief Financial Officer Tom Botzman, in an address to the Student Government Association Tuesday night, explained that exempt employees, those who receive a set salary, are paid based on the salaries of a pool of similar positions in other colleges; collective bargaining employees, those members of the Union, are paid based on the local scale. However, Botzman notes that college employees receive significantly better benefits than local caretakers and, two years ago, the collective bargaining staff received a better increase than exempt staff.

Botzman broke down the college’s $54 million operating budget into four sources of income. The largest source is student tuition and fees followed by room and board costs. As a public school, St. Mary’s receives a block grant of roughly $15.9 million dollars. This money can be allocated towards financial aid, salaries and operating costs with the exception of construction projects. The school also receives donations and grants.

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