Salary increases: Big difference in lives of many
By Chelsea Hudson
Skiff Staff

A difference was recently made in the lives of many in the TCU community. A difference many students may not pay attention to, but one that makes a big difference in the lives of those we interact with on campus on a daily basis.

Staff wages were increased from $7.25 to $8 an hour. Sometime ago, there was an article in The TCU Daily Skiff that reported how our TCU staff was underpaid.

It is refreshing to hear a true story with a happy ending for a change. The story of how staff wages were increased begins with a man.

His name is Robert Seal, but he prefers to be called “Bob.” He’s the university librarian.
He is one of the tallest men I have ever met and he also has one of the biggest hearts. It is a rare and a precious moment when you meet someone who genuinely cares for all people. That is Bob.

His eyes glowed with pride when he first showed it to me. It was one letter that would make a tremendous impact. In this letter, a proposal to raise staff salaries was made to TCU by the Staff Assembly under Bob Seal’s remarkable leadership.

The Student Government Association then chose to work in favor of this cause by writing a letter affirming this great cause.

Raising wages is no easy task. Very often, such requests are difficult to satisfy. Yet, we must never forget that anything is possible.

Upon hearing the announcement that the wages were raised, my heart skipped a beat.
My friend Ray, who works on the grounds at TCU, also was overjoyed.

Ray spoke to me last semester about whether there was anything that could be done to increase staff wages.

Ray talked about how many of our TCU staff are straggling just above the poverty line, not to mention that several of them have to work several jobs just to survive.

We’re used to always hearing that parking and food are the real issues on this campus. Yet, maybe we are really missing the big picture.

A person’s well being is far greater than any new parking garage or hamburger will ever be.

Everyone should have the opportunity to see Ray’s eyes when he was handed the letter affirming the Staff Assembly’s research to raise TCU’s staff salaries.

He held the letter very carefully and started to walk out of the door. Before he left he said, “I am going to frame this. Thank you.”

Sometimes a difference is made and we get to be a part of it. The day TCU decided to raise staff salaries was a good day.

Chelsea Hudson is a junior political science major from Plano.
She can be contacted at (c.n.hudson@student.tcu.edu).

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002