Bowdoin College in Brunswick has announced plans to increase its minimum starting wage for employees in phases, to $17 an hour in 2022.
In a letter to the Bowdoin community, college President Clayton Rose says that in July, the current minimum of $12.65 would increase $14, then go to $15.50 the following year, and to $17 in 2022.
The school says wages and corresponding benefits would also increase for existing benefits-eligible employees, with the lowest-paying jobs receiving the largest increases.
Rose says the minimum wage increase reflects Bowdoin’s commitment to remaining a leader in wages and benefits in a new reality of record low unemployment and increasing competition for employees.
But Bowdoin has also been under community pressure to increase wages. In May, the student-led Bowdoin Labor Alliance held a protest and started a petition asking the college to establish a living wage for hourly employees, in particular the housekeeping and facilities staff.
