Some student workers at NIU are complaining about a wage increase.

Longtime student employees at the Founders Memorial Library say the 45 cent increase in the minimum wage is unfair because new student employees will be paid the same rate as them.

“I think there are two different reactions,” said Daniel Chaney, library clerk chief.

“The first is from the brand new students, who are glad about it. The second is from students who have been here for a year or more, and they are getting paid (the same as) someone who has been here two weeks,” Chaney said.

“It’s as if they’ve just started here,” he said.

“In general, the university should have thought more about it. Student employees are an integral part of the campus,” Chaney said.

“It (the increase) is a slap in the face of the employees who have been here a while,” Chaney said.

There are three classifications of workers in the library: library aides, who make $3.80 per hour; book stackers at $3.90 per hour and student managers who make $4.10 per hour. “It rewards employees that have been here a while,” Chaney said.

Katie Barrettsmith, a physical education major, has been working at the library for three years. She started at $3.35 and now works for $4.15 per hour. She thinks the university should have handled the situation differently.

“They should have just given everyone a 45-cent raise. Everyone should have been equal instead of making others suffer,” she said.

NIU President John La Tourette, however, said the problem with the wage increase is the state is also under pressure to cut spending to colleges. “We just don’t have enough money to make improvements in minimum wage,” he said.

La Tourette added that if NIU doesn’t receive additional funds, they may have to reduce employment.

“Unless we have additional funds, a 12 percent increase (in minimum wage) will mean a 12 percent decline in employment. There may have to be a decision to reduce employment or reallocate funds. I can’t give any more to the library,” he said.

La Tourette also said he was concerned whether the tax surcharge will be made permanent. If the budget Gov. Jim Edgar has recommended falls apart, NIU’s budget will decrease, he said.

“It is a generalized phenomenon for all staff. In order to hire a new person we may have to give that person the same salary as someone who’s been here for two or three years,” La Tourette said.

“My understanding is if they knew we wouldn’t have enough money, they could not have gone through (with the wage increase) because state schools do not have to raise the minimum wage,” said Chaney.