Student workers play important
role in local market
CSU grad Megan Gannon takes a call at the CSU Bookstore. Photo by Brandon Petitto.By Brandon Petitto
When Steve Adams, manager of Elements- Bistro on Euclid Avenue, began the hiring process three months ago before the restaurant’s opening, he had Cleveland State students in mind.
“We are affiliated with Cleveland State, so for us it made sense to use Cleveland State students,” Adams said. “It’s a perfect way for students to earn some money to supplement their incomes, and it helps us out, too. Also, it’s a perfect way for students who live on campus and don’t own cars to work.”
CSU students constitute a major work force in local businesses. At four local establishments alone -- Elements -Bistro on Euclid, CSU Bookstore, Peabody’s Concert Club and Café Ah-Roma -- about 37 out of 94 workers are CSU students.
Students’ contribution to the economy is significant, according to Dr. Ziona Austrian, director of CSU’s Center for Economic Development.
“Students are looking for work, and local businesses need help, so it’s a win-win-situation for both,” Austrian said.
It’s extremely important for the revitalization of Cleveland to have students working and shopping in the area, according to Austrian.
Jacquelyn Leone, a freshman majoring in Early Childhood Development at CSU, said she likes working at Elements- Bistro on Euclid Avenue because of its proximity to campus.
“If I couldn’t find a job close to campus, I probably wouldn’t be able to work,” Leone said. “I live on campus, and I don’t have a car. So, this saves me a lot of time traveling back and forth.
“Plus, this job doesn’t interfere with school. My boss is very understanding and open about scheduling. When I applied, he looked at my availability and worked around it.”
Students also work on campus and perform various jobs for CSU. As of March 14, 2008, CSU paid 808 student workers, according to the CSU Payroll Department.
In addition, hiring student workers is a good way to advertise, according to Adams.
“The student workers interact with other students, so it’s a way of getting the word out,” Adams said.
Keith McCann, director for the CSU Bookstore, said student availability is not always practical because most CSU students do not live on campus.
“Cleveland State presents a challenge,” McCann said. “When I talk to my counterparts at other colleges that have high residential populations or are not in urban settings, they say their availability of student workers is significantly higher. Most CSU students don’t live downtown, so finding students who want to work around here can be difficult. If you live a couple miles away, and you can either walk or ride a bike to work, then you will be more willing to pop in and work three to four hours or whenever you’re needed.
“When it comes to our busy seasons, if I can’t find enough students to work who don’t have the right amount of hours available, I end up having to call temporary agencies to find people that can work eight hours at a time during the first days of classes. I’d rather hire students, but if they are not available, it’s kind of hard.”
In addition, wages and tips vary from establishment to establishment. Some establishments pay more than minimum wage and offer the chance to collect tips, and some pay minimum wage and offer no chance to collect tips.
For Peabody’s Concert Club, pay is mainly based on talent and experience.
“For security, pay is based on the level you perform at,” said Chris Zitterbart, owner and talent buyer for Peabody’s Concert Club. “As for bar-tending, it’s based on tips. As far as working in the booking office, it is based on opportunities. If you bring a ton of people out to an event, and the event does well, then you’re going to get bonus dollars. If you don’t do that well, then there won’t be bonus dollars. Each area of employment here has a different risk, so each has a different reward.”
