In her work as an apartment building assistant at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Amanda Sehic makes $11.50 an hour - just 20 cents more than the campus's minimum wage.
If it weren't for the extra income generated by her spouse, Sehic said in an interview, she wouldn't make near enough money to live comfortably.
And she's not alone.
Other UTC workers in areas such as housing, maintenance and custodial services are considered underpaid, according to Dr. Ethan Mills, the former chairman of UTC's chapter of the United Campus Workers, a union representing employees on college campuses across the South.
"Pretty much everyone we've talked to on campus is appalled that people make so little for the work they do at UTC," he said. "It just seems like that wage is not keeping up with the cost of living."
In an effort to help those workers it considers underpaid to make ends meet, the United Campus Workers has been pushing for a $15-an-hour minimum wage for UTC employees.
(READ MORE: A dozen years after last minimum wage hike, is $15 new norm?)
The $15 minimum wage is already in place at several other campuses in the state, including the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center.
"We want to make sure that campus workers in Chattanooga are getting the same recognition and compensation," said Edward Brudney, UTC chapter chairman of the United Campus Workers and an assistant professor of history.
The union has been fighting for workers' rights on college campuses for over 20 years, chapter leaders said. During that time, the chapter at UTC has continued to grow in membership. Now with over 100 members, the group recently graduated from a caucus to a chapter, Brudney said.
Though the union has other priorities for the UTC administration, including a salary adjustment plan and equitably distributed state raises, it is focusing on raising the minimum wage to benefit hourly workers it views as underpaid.
The main way the chapter had been campaigning for the increased wages was by circulating a petition that attracted more than 500 signatures. The union does not do formal collective bargaining.
Several union members delivered a banner sporting the signatures to UTC administrators and discussed the issue with them.
"They know we're out there, and they know we're doing this," Mills said.
Recently, UTC Chancellor Steven Angle and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Tyler Forrest announced the university's 2022-23 fiscal year budget, which would increase the campus minimum wage to $13 an hour.
However, that wasn't enough to satisfy the union. Members continued to press administrators to raise the minimum to $15 in the coming months.
(READ MORE: Some UTC students say it's their turn for stimulus checks)
"UTC has made raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for regular employees a major priority for several years now," said Vice Chancellor Forrest. "This latest increase is a step in the right direction, but there's still more work to be done, and UTC remains committed to working toward this goal."
The push for an increase in wages at UT Knoxville began in the fall of 2020 while the union's local chapter was also fighting for hazard pay for essential workers during the pandemic.
According to Mia Romano, vice president of the UT Knoxville chapter of the United Campus Workers, members held rallies and news conferences and circulated petitions throughout the campus during their campaign.
In October 2021, campus administrators announced a raise to $15 an hour.
"Folks thank the union for winning $15 on campus, but it was custodian, facilities and building services workers speaking out and making noise," Romano said. "The union is workers coming together to ask for change."
Though many workers could benefit from increased wages, some are concerned about how the push could affect UTC's hiring process.
"The only thing about making the $15 minimum wage mandatory is it makes it very difficult for people to hire people," Sehic said. "I think in general prices should go up, but I think that is up to the boss. They need to make the decision on how much they can actually pay someone."
Though the wage increase would not affect student workers, the union campaign has attracted interest from staff and students alike.
Luke Wiley, a student worker in the Office of National Scholarships, discovered the union after seeing a poster on campus calling for a living wage. Coming from a family of three generations of union members, Wiley said he was excited to join the United Campus Workers and their fight for the minimum wage increase.
"These higher wages will help workers deal with the rising prices of rent, gas and groceries," Wiley said. "Raising the minimum wage will have immediate, tangible benefits."
Though the current campaign will only affect campus staff, the union aspires to fight for the rights of student workers in the future, Wiley said.
Contributor Alison Lemmons is a communications major at UTC.