Nearly 50% of Piedmont students are athletes, and there is no denying that the athletic department plays a significant role in the institution’s attendance and recognition. However, what may not be as well known is that students play a significant role in ensuring the athletic department runs smoothly. After many lengthy union meetings, the athletic communications student workers have finally decided to make a stand.

The $7.25 federal minimum wage was implemented in 2009, and 17 years later, Piedmont students are still making the equivalent of a Big Mac and a small fry, while other institutions have seen their wages increase by multiple dollars.

It is this reasoning that led the student workers to go on strike, not returning to work until their pay had increased or they received free concessions for each shift.

Given how much the school brings in from student-athletes, one might be surprised that the labor force of the Piedmont Lions Industrial Complex is not being compensated appropriately. The reality is, without these diligent, willing student workers, the athletic department would have significantly smaller margins, or worse, would cease to exist.

“We put in a lot of hard work, and the reality is we don’t feel recognized, both monetarily and emotionally,” said an anonymous source.
August Gotter, a sophomore student worker and union organizer who asked that his information not be disclosed, believes the experience is valuable but does not quite outweigh the lack of monetary compensation, and some prospective student workers are dissuaded by the small pay.

In terms of where the Piedmont Athletic Department will go from here, it is not clear, but the bigwigs – or, as union members call, “Big Leo” – have made it clear that the show must go on.

“We feel our environment for our student workers is ample for their growth,” says assistant athletic communications director Eric Edmonson, who just last year was a union member and has since joined the metaphorical “dark side.”

“It is very unfortunate that the students feel this way, but we must continue home events with or without them,” he continues.
It is unclear how the front office will handle it, but one option on the table is having bench personnel from each team run table duties, and maybe they will appreciate the work the student workers put in.

With the strike just a few days old, negotiations are surely on the way. The toll this will take on Piedmont’s world-renowned sports communications department is hazy, but hopefully a resolution is near.