USC Employees Protest Low Wages

 USC students and workers protested across campus on Thursday night asking the university to raise wages for USC employees. Protestors were asking to raise wages to at least $15 for each worker.

"It's important so that the administration knows that students care about this issue," said Morgan Mamon, a sophomore at USC and a participant in Thursday's protests. 

USC Hospitality employees have been working without a contract for several months. The protestors say that workers have been negotiating with USC since May, but that they still are not satisfied with the university's offers. According to their union, the average wage for these workers is just under twenty-thousand dollars per year.

Thursday's protests come just one day after a video of a food worker confronting President Nikias was posted to YouTube. The video features USC Hospitality worker Abby Lopez asking President Max L. Nikias to consider raising her hourly wage from $11 to $15. 

The video has already received more that three-thousand views in just under 24 hours. USC responded to our request for comment with an email, saying their wages are competitive with other places and they offer many employee benefits.

"We are offering a very fair proposal with new enhancements for these employees and we are confident that we will reach agreement," said USC spokesperson Thomas Sayles.

But many of the workers are not so sure.

"I'm very disappointed in SC," said Anthony Finley, a USC Hospitality worker who has been with the university since 2008. "I mean, USC, with its prestige, should be ashamed of the way it pays."

In the past year, low wage workers in Los Angeles and across the nation have held multiple protests demanding higher pay. Even if USC and the union reach a contract, the issue is not likely to go away soon.