Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1978)
An Independent Newspaper Tuesday, January 17, 1978 Vol. 79, No. 80 f ugone Oregon 97403 Students paid below minimum wage By CAROLYN BEAVER Of the Emerald University officials have de cided not to comply with the fed eral minimum wage rate for some students even though the move goes against a previous Univer sity ruling stating the minimum wage should be paid. The policy, issued in August by the University Personnel Office, states "The University will con tinue to comply with the federal minimum wage, and rates below that wage will not be used. As soon as the rates and effective dates are known, student rates paid, which are below the federal minimum wage, will be adjusted to the minimum wage." Jack Steward, University per sonnel director, says although minimum wages will not be com Increase scheduled for April plied with for some students, the office is not breaking the iaw. According to the Fair Labor Standard Act, state universities are required only to pay 85 per cent of the minimum wage to stu dent workers. The University will be paying more than the 85 per cent, but still won’t be in com pliance with their previous policy. Steward says it's not financially possible for personnel to pay stu dents the minimum wage. “As we increase the rate structure, there are still only so many dollars a vailable,” he says. ASUO Pres. Gary Feldman, however, thinks “students de serve the same wages as other employees. There’s no reason they should be paid any differ ently.” Feldman and Emerald Editor Wally Benson met yvith Steward earlier this month to discuss the policy. "We were the last people he talked to, and he was just trying to change our minds rather than discuss the issue," Feldman says. "No official policy change has taken place. Therefore, the Uni versity is still obliged to pay the minimum wage. Students have a legitimate gripe," says Feldman. He’s now considering having the Office of Student Advocacy handle student complaints. Right now there are nine stu dent positions paying less than $2.65, including officer worker, key punch operator trainee, com puter operator trainee, ticket sel ler, laboratory aide, teaching as sistant, utility worker and craft center and print shop assistant. Steward says even though minimum wages won't be paid for these jobs, wages will be fairly close. "We re trying to relate stu dent wages to the civil service counterparts,” he says. The wages will lag behind the minimum until April, when a four percent increase will take effect. A five percent increase, scheduled for Dec. 1, will bring the rate even closer, Steward says. However, the federal minimum wage will rise again next January and will make the student rate again lower than the minimum until the following April. The decision not to comply with the federal rate was jointly made by University Pres. William Boyd and Ray Hawk, vice-president for administration and finance. Boyd says, "Right now we just do not have the money to com ply. We look at money for student jobs as a part of the financial aid resources the University has. There is a balance needed to pro vide funds for a number of stu dents and still pay them a desira ble rate.” On one hand are the federal guidelines and on the other is the amount of money the state gives the University for student jobs, and “the two don’t reconcile,” says Hawk. Hawk mentioned that at a meet ing of state instituions with the State Board of Higher Education Chancellor, most schools agreed to the same action. Leisure, health, careers faire well Photo by Fred ChrMontan One person's mud is another’s pleasure. Bonnie Hawkins, coordinator of the Leisure Faire, demonstrates an alternate form of leisure in front of the EMU. The leisure faire will continue all day today in the EMU. Three display days take place in EMU By LORI FLAGG Of the Emerald If you want to increase your leisure awareness, learn the es sentials of health or weigh the facts about jobs, be in the EMU today through Thursday for a three-day series of fairs. The Leisure faire begins from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Health Faire will be Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday will feature a Career Faire from noon to 3 p.m. Sponsored by the Orientation Office, the three faires are to orient students to services availa ble on campus and in the com munity in these areas. ‘‘Our focus is on orientation for the new student but orientation is an on-going experience,” ex plains Joanie Layton, assistant di rector of orientation and coor dinator of the faires. ‘There are things that happen on campus that students don’t know about.’’ Today’s faire on leisure alterna tives is coordinated by Bonnie Bec-Hawkins. The activities will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 167 EMU. The leisure faire features differ ent ways to use leisure time for more enjoyment. Bec-Hawkins says most stu dents don’t use their full potential in their free time. ‘‘People are real ly searching for new avenues for their leisure time,’’ she explains. “I think we can provide some new ideas to try.” The leisure faire will include ta bles on new games, stained glass and watercolor demonstrations, arts and crafts, hangliding and dancing. In addition to the tables, the faire will include a belly dancing demonstration at 11:30 a.m., folk singers at 1 p.m. Polynesian dan cers at 2 p.m. and a senior citizens kitchen band at 3 p.m. At noon a film on recreation called “Life — Be in It,” will be shown in the Forum Room. The Health Faire will run Wed nesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 167 EMU. Coordinating the faire is Cheryl Fauerso. She says the purpose of the faire is to provide access to community agencies in health areas. Throughout the day demonstra tions and tables will provide infor mation on alcoholism, birth con trol, dental health, mental health and counseling, consumer infor mation and nutrition. Free testing will be provided in vision, body fat levels, lung capa city and blood pressure. At 10:30 a.m. a slide show on accident prevention and outdoor safety will be presented by Mel Jackson of the Eugene Parks and Recreation department. At 11:30 a.m. the Golden Agers, a senior citizens singing group, will per form. At 1 p.m. John Simpson of the Eugene Parks and Recreation department will lecture on hypothermia. Then at 2 p.m. Cap tain Richard Allison of the Eugene Fire Department will light his hand on fire in a demonstration of fire safety. Bike safety will be the topic at 3 p.m. for Mark Bondumt. Throughout the day health related films will be shown in the Forum Room in the EMU. (Continued on Page 3)
