A Year-End Update from DePaul Student Leaders
[Editor’s Note: This end-of-the-year update from the DePaul Living Wage Campaign comes from DePaul students Pamela Barrientos and Alyssa Wieting, both of whom were leaders of the campaign all year and will be returning in the fall.]
As our academic year wrapped up, our final event was a great success. We decided to plan a faculty/staff luncheon, inviting many with whom we had met earlier in the year. At the same time, for some of the faculty/staff this was their introduction to the living wage campaign. The student organizer overseeing and directing the event, Jenna Bergevin (DePaul 2013) ran the luncheon smoothly and efficiently, adding another amazing event to the growing strength of our campaign.
Jenna began with a PowerPoint presentation outlining the progress of the campaign, and the next steps for the future. Included were worker and student testimonies, on their experiences and connection to DePaul and the Living Wage Campaign. The staff/faculty engaged in the presentation by asking questions, brainstorming with us on enthusiastically agreed to start circulating petitions within their departments.
About two weeks before the Faculty Luncheon, around ten of our student committee members were able to attend the Board of Trustees Brunch. This was an important event to attend as the most the involved students on campus are invited to share their concerns, praises, and critiques of DePaul University to the trustees. The brunch had a very inviting atmosphere as each student was assigned to a certain table with about three trustee members at each. Prewritten questions were discussed as we casually ate brunch and talked. Most students began with their praises of the university, and as the event progressed more critiques made their way to the surface. The Living Wage campaign and our concerns of DePaul upholding its Vincentian mission was discussed at almost every table with a very positive response from trustee members. It was obvious that they were interested in the work we were doing and gave many of us their support as they wished us the best in our endeavors.
Finally, a few weeks ago our organizers were blessed to be able to share the joy of officially recognizing Unite Here Local 1 as the official union for Chartwells workers at DePaul. Congratulations to all of the workers. Together we are strong, and ready to take on the challenge recognizing and bringing justice to worker's rights at DePaul.
