Just about every employee can attest that the average Princeton student is courteous and respectful. There will be, as in any social context, those few that fall short of the mark. I do believe, however, that students need to be aware of employees' lives beyond the confines of the University campus. The cost of housing in central New Jersey has risen anywhere from 8 to 12 percent in the past year alone. Utility costs, fuel prices and in turn, every other cost has risen dramatically.
Employees continually find themselves falling further and further behind financially.
I have personally known employees that have held two full time jobs for as long as they could possibly stand it. Yet the University has steadfastly refused to recognize the rising cost of living in determining salaries. It is not uncommon to hear of administrators receiving raises of 8 to 10 percent when everyone else will get literally 0 to 2.5 or 3 percent. Non-professional library salaries are compared to those at Mercer County College at negotiations. There are many more examples of disparity in compensation.