The Dining Service staff members work tirelessly to provide top-notch service to the college. They are an integral part of every student’s experience at Dickinson College. The members of Dining Services make $9.05 an hour, which is $1.45 less than student supervisors (Blue Shirts). The current living wage for one adult in Cumberland County is $10.95 an hour for a single adult, almost $2.00 an hour more than they are currently making. The average salary for a food prep/serving job in Cumberland County is $19,770, which boils down to $9.50 an hour, meaning Dickinson College isn’t even meeting the standards of Cumberland County. Dining Services hires very few full time staff members: most staff members are part time but find themselves working over-time most weeks so the Dining Service locations on campus are not understaffed. Most members work full time hours, but are not considered full time staff members so they are not eligible for any benefits the college provides to its full time staff. Most Dining Service Workers are providing for their families. $9.00 an hour isn’t enough for one person to survive off of, let alone an entire family. Many of the staff members have to visit Project SHARE, a program that requires an income $200 less a month than it takes to qualify for the SNAP program. An institution that values itself on community and equality should do at least the bare minimum for their staff members. The staff members are as much a part of the community as the professors and students and deserve to be treated as such.

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