A 45-cent increase in minimum wage was implemented across the nation yesterday, including at NIU.

During every academic year, about 5,000 students work at student-employment jobs. Student employees on minimum wage working 43 hours per pay period every two weeks now will receive $182.75, an increase of $19.35 over the $163.40 doled out before Monday.

However, those that already receive $4.25 or above will receive the same paychecks as before.

“Everyone earning under $4.25 will now receive that amount” and those above that mark will stay the same, said Solveig Holmes, coordinator of Student Employment.

Each department that hires student employees will have to use its own judgement when looking at the implication of the increase, Holmes said.

Holmes added that NIU doesn’t have to pay minimum wage as a state school, but does so out of its own choice.

Peggy Sullivan, director of University Libraries, said the library budget definitely will be affected for the 280 students employed in the library. “We have vacant positions elsewhere, where we can cover it from April 1 to June 31, but for the Fiscal Year ‘92 we’ll have to reduce those positions and won’t hire as many people,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said she thinks the increase has some negative implications. “Because we have some students who have more responsibility, I feel bad they’ll all be at the same level in the fall,” she said. “From the point of view of the students, it’s wonderful, though.”

Food Service administrator Kay Carson said the increase shouldn’t affect food service employees. “They’re already paid more than minimum wage ($4.40) because we thought they worked hard and we fought to get an increase for them,” she said.

Mitch Kielb, director of the Holmes Student Center bookstore, echoed the feelings of other campus employers. “It will have an impact when we hire new people, but I suspect we’ll stay the same,” he said, anticipating no cutbacks in the store’s budget.

Holmes believes the increase overall will force various departments to re-evaluate their strategies next fall. “It might tighten up their budgets a little and may increase the need for work-study students,” she said.

She also said the increase will throw off the wage scale with everyone starting off at the same salary.

David Conrad, director of personnel, was unavailable for comment.