WHAT IS THE LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN? The Le Moyne for a Living Wage campaign is a coalition of students and faculty seeking to raise awareness about the need for a living wage for all workers, those at Le Moyne College and beyond.

WHAT IS A LIVING WAGE? A living wage is neither the legal minimum wage set by the government nor the prevailing industry wage as determined by competition. Both of those standards leave many workers and their families in poverty. Rather, a sustainable living wage is one that respects the dignity of all workers by providing wages high enough to enable workers and their families to live above the poverty level, to meet their basic needs, and to provide opportunity for meaningful participation in the life of the community.

WHAT IS A LIVING WAGE FOR LE MOYNE COLLEGE? A living wage requires a wage and benefits package that takes into account the area-specific cost of living, as well as the basic expenses involved in supporting a family. The Fiscal Policy Institute’s Self-Sufficiency Standards for Onondaga County was used to index this living wage to changes in the cost of living in our area, which is estimated at this time to be $8.96 per hour plus health benefits for a family of four with both parents working full-time.

HOW MANY LE MOYNE EMPLOYEES WOULD BE AFFECTED? For the most part, Le Moyne does an excellent job of paying living wages to its direct employees. Although the support staff salary scale has 3 levels of wages that fall below a living wage, only a few actually are employed at those levels. The case is somewhat different for subcontracted employees who work at Le Moyne College. Current estimates are that there are 27 employees who fall below a living wage (12 in food service and 15 in cleaning).

WOULD THE LIVING WAGE INCLUDE STUDENT WAGES? The focus of the Le Moyne Living Wage campaign is on employees who support themselves and their families through their wages. The impact on student wages is unclear at this time.

WILL ADOPTION OF A LIVING WAGE INCREASE TUITION? There are obviously costs associated with a commitment to the principle of a living wage, although these costs do not appear to be too great. How the college will absorb these costs should be a matter of public discussion and decision-making with no one constituency bearing the entire burden. We do feel, however, that adequately compensating our staff for their efforts should be a priority in the college budget.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PETITION? The purpose of the petition is not adversarial, as if the administration is against a living wage. In truth, the administration appears open to the principle of paying living wages. The purpose of the petition is to raise awareness of the importance of the ethical principle of a living wage and to allow members of the Le Moyne community to demonstrate their support of living wages for all employees at the college. The signed petitions will be presented to the student and faculty senates for their discussion and endorsement at their meetings in November and then passed on to the administration.