Protesters, who rallied Monday on the Commons to raise awareness about increasing Tompkins County’s minimum wage, said that if workers are paid a “living wage” of $12.78 an hour, they will be better able to afford basic necessities, support a family, pay rent and accumulate savings.

Although President David Skorton and Vice President of Human Resources Mary Opperman appeared yesterday on Ho Plaza to talk with students directly about diversity, their cause was overshadowed by a different pending cloud: the renegotiation of employee contracts. The administrators were unable to provide concrete answers to students and staff regarding workers’ rights and we hope that Day Hall has answers soon — given that workers’ contracts are due to expire on June 30, just two months away.

As a Cornell Dining worker and a UAW Local 2300 steward, I witness the economic difficulties that Cornell employees endure every day, every year. Local 2300 is the union of Cornell dining, janitorial, maintenance and grounds workers. We clean your dorms, cook your food, keep your classrooms functioning and maintain the quads and sidewalks. We are an integral part of the University, working hard every day to ensure Cornell can operate. Yet many of us don’t earn a living wage and cannot keep ourselves and our families out of poverty.