LETTER: Two-week pay periods needed

To the editor:

I just had a wonderful experience. I had finally gotten paid on Monday (my once a month check) and I was ready to lay down a deposit and the first month’s rent for a great house I discovered in the area of the Island. I called up the managers and even though they had agreed to wait until I got paid and could get the money to them, they rented it out from underneath me.

So, I’m now left without many options for housing, as I had been on a search for a house of that nature and size for nearly a month before I stumbled upon it through a tip from a friend. I understand that the managers like money, and that they needed to get it rented out – they probably base a bit of their income off of that place. Nonetheless, I had wanted desperately to rent it from mid-March. And now, because I had to wait to get paid, I have to go on another search (hopefully I’ll find something better, but you can never be sure.)

I just wanted to comment not only on the pain that USU can cause their hourly employees by paying just once a month, but the false starts of, “Oh, yeah, the 2 week pay periods will start in January.” But it doesn’t, so we get confused and then they come out again and say, “Yeah, wasn’t ready, I guess we can do it in a couple of months, though.” Now I hear that maybe we’ll get it done next fall?

Are they all just rumors that will never be true? Because those rumors go to the guy I work for, and I trust that what my boss tells me is true. I just can’t get over the fact that every time I do manage to get paid, all of my money is needed elsewhere – not because of debt, but because I’m starving and you need money to survive in this world. I have to spend a little more than half of my money every time I get paid, and just to stay ahead, I try not to spend anything in between those times. But with the random things that cost money – it’s just not possible.

USU needs to get the act together, perhaps have a campus-wide announcement of when the two week periods will be started and then stick to their word. I’m sick of being poor when by all rights I shouldn’t be off that bad.

Brittany Furniss