Implementation of the pending federal minimum wage law might soon result in salary increases for many of the 5,000 on-campus student employees.

Recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, and pending approval in the Senate and by President George Bush, the law would increase the federal minimum wage to $3.80 per hour by April 1, 1990, and to $4.25 per hour by April 1, 1990.

“Historically, NIU has always followed whatever the federal minimum wage law has dictated,” said Jerry Augsburger, Student Financial Aid director. “We thought there was going to be a federal raise last year, fortunately, the (NIU) administration went ahead with a university minimum wage increase to $3.75 (per hour) anyway,” he said.

If the federal law does go into effect, the university will be required to raise minimum salaries from the current $3.75 per hour to the federally mandated $3.80 by April 1, 1990.

“As we pay student employees more, the money is going to have to come from somewhere. Since most of the on-campus employees who work for $3.75 per hour are working in places that generate revenue, the wage increases will most likely be absorbed directly through costs to the consumer,” said NIU Legal Counsel George Shur.

Because many of NIU’s 5,000 student employees are already paid more than the initial $3.80 per hour minimum wage, it seems the law will have little immediate affect at NIU.

“We don’t know how much of an impact, or how many university employees will be affected by it (a federal minimum wage increase),” Shur said. “Although I think the initial impact will be minimal, we are going to have to do a thorough analysis of how this will affect us,” he said.

Workers at the residence hall food service, the largest on-campus employer, are currently at a minimum wage of $3.90 per hour, which went into effect this fall.

Shur said he feels the wage increase was “a long time coming” and that university employees need to be paid a good salary for their work.

Augsburger also is in favor of raising campus employment wages. “If we don’t pay a fair wage, then we aren’t going to have a good student workforce. If this happens, then the university will have a difficult time operating and carrying out its assignments and services,” he said.