When I first heard that Chatham Student Government (CSG) members raised the issue of class board members being unpaid this semester, I scoffed. We’re in a financial deficit; surely there are better uses for our money than paying more student organization members?
Luckily, I thought about it for more than 30 seconds.
CSG members’ responsibilities go beyond that of the typical student organization. While most student organizations aim to foster a community within and between members, CSG has the unique goal of connecting students with the administration.
Last semester, they held a town hall where students were able to question and challenge members of the administration on everything from the Chatham Faculty United’s unionization effort to the honors program scholarship ending.
Simply put, they held the administration accountable during the reorganization. But not only that, they did a service to the administration by allowing students the opportunity to communicate their frustrations, fears and hopes.
Some could argue that CSG needs to do more to make significant change or hold the University accountable, sure, but how are full-time students supposed to be challenging an institution when they aren’t even making enough to buy groceries?
In fact, paying students would allow a wider swath of students to be able to commit their time to CSG, opening the roles up to passionate students who hold back from applying because they aren’t able to commit their time to a job that does not pay.
The resolution was introduced by Class of 2025 Representative Anna Betar and cosigned by Executive President Morgan Rapsky ‘26 and Class of 2026 President Jonah Schiffengens-Smith.
And it’s far from unheard of for members of student government to be paid. Several members of CSG are already paid.
The executive president makes $500 a semester; the executive vice president makes $450 a semester; the vice presidents of communications, finances and diversity & inclusion each make $400 a semester; and all class presidents make $350 a semester. No one else is paid.
Class boards have a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and two class representatives. That means a total of 20 CSG members go uncompensated for their work.
For those wondering why they should be paid, let me turn that question around: why shouldn’t they?
Should they not be paid for serving as an outlet for students to communicate with the administration? Should they not be paid for organizing committees to better students’ food, safety and academic rights? Should they not be paid for holding weekly open office hours so students can speak directly with a CSG member?
Should they not be paid for their labor?
Is that truly the conclusion we as their peers have come to? That the value of their labor in a capitalist society is not enough to merit a paycheck when we know that the University has been more than happy to pay for lawyers to challenge the faculty’s right to collective bargaining?
I can’t accept that. It goes against every value I hold, and I promise you that if you think about it for more than 30 seconds, it should go against every value you hold. CSG members need our support if they’re going to convince the administration to fairly compensate their labor.
That knee-jerk reaction I had only sets us all back. There is no reason we should be fighting for each other to have less rights and less value. CSG members being paid is a small step toward respect for the labor being done for Chatham. It’s a win for CSG, student workers, staff and faculty.
And frankly, if we as a University can only function on free labor, we should not function. Free labor is stolen labor, simple as that.
