When we think of the labor movement on college campuses, undergraduates rarely feature as workers.

That undergraduates are stalwart allies in the struggles of other campus workers — facilities workers, graduate workers, contingent faculty — is widely understood, as is undergraduate activism around national and international labor struggles. That undergraduates themselves, however, are an exploited group of workers in need of protections might strike some as an extravagant claim.

Yet between skyrocketing tuition and plummeting higher education funding, employment income is increasingly essential for undergraduates. Nationally, four out of five college students work part-time to help cover their tuition and other expenses. The Federal Work-Study program, various student employment programs, or other off-campus jobs and paid internships are key for supporting students’ educations, livelihoods, and sometimes their families.