Physics professor gets a math lesson as Univ. of Calif. system raises minimum wage to $15 an hour

Greg P. | 2:09 PM on July 22, 2015

University of California President Janet Napolitano announced today that the minimum wage of thousands of workers on UC campuses across the state will be raised to $15 an hour over the next three years. Good news?

Apparently, yes … but there’s a “but.” University of California, Irvine physics professor Asantha R. Cooray is sad because he won’t be able to afford as many research assistants after the wage increase goes through:

Napolitano raises University of California minimum hourly wage to $15. It's a good thing but I cannot pay $15 to my undergrad researchers!

— A R Cooray (@acooray) July 22, 2015

I now pay six undergrads/year starting at $9-$10/hour with raises maxing out around $13 as seniors. At $15 it'll be 3-4 students.

— A R Cooray (@acooray) July 22, 2015

Hey, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction … or something like that. What did he think would happen when the minimum wage was raised?

If only someone could have seen that coming. https://t.co/8ifzKJyBOj

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) July 22, 2015

A good reminder that the real minimum wage is always ZERO https://t.co/lr54cJQ8jE

— Mike Scott (@osomike) July 22, 2015

@phillipscmu The UC system is mandating a $15 minimum wage. Clearly, artificially raising the MW destroys jobs. https://t.co/RbjDMT6Asz

— Nick Marinello (@nickmarinello) July 22, 2015

https://twitter.com/HokieMBA00/status/623899506803806208

Important consideration too often overlooked! @GMShivers @knelligan12 @ProfessorF @Iribrise @Smallnobody https://t.co/AIFB48aR4N

— $tuart K. Hayashi?? (@legendre007) July 22, 2015