Bryn Mawr has faced dining hall worker shortages all semester. Working in the dining hall is one of the most physically intensive and mentally strenuous jobs on campus, it is no wonder that more and more students choose to avoid working under these conditions for little more than $10 (before taxes). 

The minimum wage for the full time staff is $15/hr (this was recently instated) This is the wage that most of the full time staff work on. The living wage for an individual with no dependents in Montgomery County is $14.47/hr. Thus, many of the staff work second and third jobs to support their families. Even the salaried staff is struggling, reportedly working shifts for Uber and Grubhub- all while the college boasts a billion dollar endowment. 

The student workers in the dining hall are nearly all low-income students on work study. Just like all the underpaid student workers on campus, they are paid $10.40 to $11.55 an hour and arguably do the hardest job. 

If Bryn Mawr College wants to maintain the image of an institution that strives for equity and accountability, then the college must find a way to raise the work study wages and the wages of the full time staff on campus.

If they choose to refuse increasing wages then they should at least make a public statement explaining in full detail exactly why grown adults with families deserve to be working three jobs to put food on their own tables. 

For more on the topic please read this article on the matter that was published in the Bi-Co News last semester:

https://bicollegenews.com/2021/11/16/bryn-mawr-dining-services-needs-an-immediate-overhaul/