Sandra Wenceslao: The UC should use sales and services revenue to increase worker wages

Seventy percent of University of California workers find it difficult to make ends meet with the wages currently given to them by the UC system, according to a new study from Occidental College. That needs to change.

UC employees are persistently fighting for a pay raise. Various protests by UC employees have called to attention the need for fair wages among workers across all UC campuses. With the kind of living conditions described by the study, food insecurity is 1.5 times higher among UC employees than UC students. Not only that, but it is also five times higher than that reported nation-wide. Because of this, it’s understandable that UC employees are demanding higher wages.

Living expenses are already high in areas like Los Angeles and Berkeley, and they are still rising. A source from FOX 2 says it’s getting harder to scrape a living off the UC system’s current wages, especially with the ever-increasing rent. A wage increase can help calm the worries of those who have troubles with rent or food and ultimately decrease the food security problems faced by 70 percent of UC workers.

Although raising the state minimum wage would have negative consequences for many businesses, increasing it in a smaller-scale micro-economy like the UC can only aid the UC system and economy as a whole. Raising wages for UC workers doesn’t result in job losses for the youth and also provides an economic boost through increased spending, according to an article by Bloomberg. It is a necessary action the UC system must take in order to keep the universities within the system running smoothly.

The main source of money needed to increase employee wages can be supplied through sales and service revenue from UC on-campus and online stores. Popular schools in particular like UC Berkeley and UCLA, where food security is especially bad, would have the most income to offer because of their never-ending popularity among high school students hoping for admission and families and alumni proudly representing the schools. The increased revenue from these schools can contribute immensely to the wage increase the workers are demanding – if they can enjoy the fruits of that extra money.

And some extra money can also bring mental benefits. With a huge dent in their next month’s rent assured with a raise in wages, workers would be likely to have lower stress levels, making them more mentally healthy. The food security that comes with the wage increase can also contribute to the improvement of workers’ health, and as a result they can become more efficient. Therefore, the UC schools would run more smoothly due to improved job performance and lower absenteeism.

It’s easy to see that it’s in the UC’s best interest to increase worker wages. The UC system’s operating budget for the 2015-16 school year is $28.5 billion, which makes the $14 million that wage workers are fighting for seem pale in comparison. In fact, that would constitute only 0.2 percent of the “Other Sales and Services” budget sector, which includes revenue from sales and services offered to students through campus stores and services. The universities can easily redirect the money needed in order to increase employee wages. Proper budgeting on behalf of the UC campuses can result in wage increases while also keeping university events and resources intact.

Some still may fear the costs of such endeavors. After all, increasing tuition would be ludicrous because of the already rising cost of college. Instead, the majority of the revenue made from all sales across all UC campuses should be redirected towards the estimated $14 million a year. In fact, in an article by the LA Times, UC officials confirmed that most of the money needed for a wage increase could come from sales, like parking fees, hospital revenue and bookstore sales, and not from state funding and tuition.

Redirecting a portion of the revenue to UC workers’ wages will leave them with fewer worries about the future. They won’t have to ask what or when their next meal will be. Not only that, but improving their living conditions and health can also help improve their productivity, making this a win-win for both workers and the UC.

UC workers shouldn’t have to live their lives barely getting by. Employees should live a comfortable life where they don’t have to worry about what they’ll feed their families next. They should be treated as more than just run-of-the-mill workers. They should be treated with compassion and fair treatment. And no one wants to see their community struggling to make ends meet.