Letters to the Editor

USG, U-Council to launch worker respect campaign

Many of us were moved and awakened last Tuesday when we listened to the heartfelt testimonies that Princeton workers presented to the Priorities Committee in their joint plea with WROC for higher pay and better treatment. One particularly troubling theme, echoed in all of the workers' speeches, was a feeling that they are undervalued and sometimes disrespected by others in the University community. Janitors, dining hall casuals and librarians alike urged us to think about how we treat "the arms and legs of this institution."

One janitor commented, "sometimes when you all are high up, you forget about the people at the bottom . . . We are struggling." Indeed, it seems clear that many Princeton workers are struggling economically and that the Priorities Committee should work hard to address issues of compensation. However, the problem is not only financial. As students, we can do our part by improving the way we treat Princeton workers.

While none of the workers who spoke last Tuesday raised concerns about their direct interactions with students, many workers pointed to the way in which students treat University grounds and facilities, and how that in turn effects their lives.

One janitor described a number of repulsive tasks that he has had to take on (weekly!), including cleaning feces from showers and draining vomit from sinks. Virtually every weekend blue lights around campus are shattered and countless garbage cans are overturned. Students do not do these things to make more work or to intentionally degrade Princeton workers. These acts are done in drunken or excited frenzies, without the janitors in mind — and this is precisely the problem. When we fail to consider the relationship between the messes we create and the work we have made for others, we are disrespecting Princeton workers, no matter how friendly we are in person.

So let's do something about it. We can build a more respectful relationship with workers by simply keeping them in mind. As a start, the undergraduate members of the U-Council and the USG will begin a Worker Respect and Appreciation Campaign. The plans currently include: establishing a student liaison system between dormitory workers and student residents, organizing activities like campus-wide cleanup days, creating displays of acknowledgement and appreciation in the residential colleges, publicizing workers' grievances on the USG homepage and holding a bi-annual open forum between students and workers. These are just some of our initial thoughts, and we would appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have.

With a new attitude and a little bit of programming, we can change the working environment at Princeton to one based on mutual respect between students and workers. A Worker Respect and Appreciation Campaign will help lay the framework, but its success will ultimately depend on all of us. Adam Dressner '02- U-Council chair-elect Josh Anderson '04- U-Council executive committee-elect Joe Kochan '02- USG president