Student workers lose hours since COVID-19 pandemic

Olga+Castanada+during+her+shift+at+Peets+Coffee+in+the+library+on+March+12%2C+2020.+%28Jacquelyn+Moreno%29

Jacquelyn Moreno

Olga Castanada during her shift at Peet’s Coffee in the library on March 12, 2020. (Jacquelyn Moreno)

Jacquelyn Moreno

On-campus workers are suffering from slashed hours and job uncertainty since the cancellation of face-to-face classes.

Olga Castaneda, a fifth-year business major works at Peet’s Coffee and describes the campus as a ghost town since the announcement of class cancelations.

“There were only a few students studying, faculty, and staff that came through the library building, but other than that it was an empty campus,” Castaneda said. 

“Most of our staff’s hours were cut. Luckily, I’m full-time here so my hours weren’t as affected. They were affected slightly cause we are cutting the store hours,” Castaneda said. “We’re open the same and we’re just closing a little more earlier.” 

The hours aren’t the only difference in regular protocol at Pete’s Coffee. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the company has imposed more strict sanitation regulations.

“One of the major ones was no personal cups. We can’t mugs, just for safety reasons. Also we’ve taken measures to wash hands every 30 minutes,” Castaneda said.

“On a continual basis, the University has been sanitizing all public spaces including classrooms, restrooms, entryways and dining halls,” said SF State President Lynn Mahoney in a campus-wide email.

In the Cesar Chaávez Student Center, Cafe 101 no longer needs the stanchion pillars to control their endless lines. 

Jaquie Perez, a criminal justice major in her third year, is working at Cafe 101 and has endured cut hours for herself and co-workers.

“I recently just found out we’re closing next week. I have two jobs outside but this is kind of my main job that I get my most hours out of so it’s going to effect me a lot,” Perez said. “I can’t really do anything about it.”

The campus notified students, staff, and faculty that the campus remains open for operations including residence halls, the library, and offices pertaining to people on campus.  

All food vendors are closed on campus for the time remaining.

At Nizario’s, the pizza spot had tricking customers asking for either ordered pizza or their own personal slices. 

Solei Martinez is an employee at Nizario’s and has seen her hours shift ever since the coronavirus suspended classes. Martinez also works as a babysitter and does jobs on Taskrabbit to

Solei Martinez serving a pizza to a customer at Nizarrio’s on March 12, 2020. (Jacquelyn Moreno)

stay afloat.  

“It’s been a little hard especially since I work on campus. Since classes got canceled we don’t get a lot of business and all of our hours got seriously cut,” Martinez said. “And I don’t think we’re gonna be open next week either. So now it’s just now I have to find something else.”

President Mahoney said the campus is closed but only certain offices and food providers who provide to-go orders will be open.