Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) called on GW to increase its employees’ salaries and benefits at a Kogan Plaza rally Friday afternoon.
The event, organized by the Progressive Student Union and Students for Peace and Justice, came several days after nine GW students and two Georgetown students were arrested for staging a Marvin Center sit-in to protest the University’s employment policies.
Standing in front of signs reading “GW students support GW workers,” Kennedy told the 100 students and union activists that their campaign was similar to one he has been waging on Capitol Hill for more than 30 years.
“I commend students because you are on the frontlines of social justice and social fairness in this country,” said Kennedy, who in recent months has supported a raise of the minimum wage.
Kennedy called on the University to provide higher pay for Aramark workers, custodial employees and adjunct professors. He also urged the U.S. Senate to raise the national minimum wage to $7 an hour and criticized the Bush administration’s education policy.
Sophomore Timothy Kaldas, who helped organized the event, said he felt the rally was a success.
“The turnout was more than I expected, especially considering the weather,” said Kaldas, referring to a light drizzle that continued to fall through Friday night. “It just shows that the students really care about the issue.”
At the rally, demonstrators also demanded that GW drop charges against the arrested students and join the Worker Rights Consortium, an oversight group that ensures companies aren’t violating labor laws.
The Student Association Senate also urged the University to drop criminal charges against the students in a resolution passed at its Tuesday meeting.
SA President Kris Hart said he was reluctant to sign the resolution because he said the students violated University policy.
“Right now with the facts I have, I’m skeptical of asking the University to drop the charges,” he said.
Hart added that he would meet with the arrested students, GW administrative officials and Metropolitan Police officials early in the week to finalize his decision.
University officials said they didn’t have the authority to drop unlawful entry charges against nine GW students who set up tents in the Marvin Center Great Hall Monday afternoon.
“The decision to drop the current charges is not in the University’s hands,” said Robert Chernak, senior vice president for Student and Academic Support Services. “That decision is made by the Metropolitan Police.” Chernak added that GW might ask a District court to be lenient in dealing with the demonstrators, who will be officially charged at an April 21 hearing.
Responding to students’ claims that GW workers often need to take up a second job to compensate for low wages and substandard healthcare, Chernak said most employees are paid through unions or companies, and that GW has no control over their salaries.
“It’s not the policy of the University to interfere with another company’s relations with its employees,” Chernak said.
While GW is not part of the Worker Rights Consortium, it has formed its own group to monitor companies’ adherence to labor laws, Chernak noted.
Chernak said the University was unlikely to change its policies in light of Friday’s rally.
“It was an amazing boost for student morale and workers’ morale,” said senior Allie Robbins, who was one of nine students arrested Monday.
After refusing to obey an order to vacate, Robbins and eight other students were arrested by MPD at about 1:45 p.m. Monday for unlawful entry of the Marvin Center, administration officials said.
While the Marvin Center is a public venue, refusing to vacate any piece of University-owned property constitutes unlawful entry, according to the Student Code of Conduct.
GW students detained in Monday’s sit-in also received letters of warning from Student Judicial Services, Media Relations Specialist Matt Lindsay said.
Robbins said they were taken to MPD’s 2nd District headquarters and were kept in holding cells until about 8 p.m. Monday night.
