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Larry B. Dendy
Members of Staff Council want to express frustration over what they consider inequities in pay scales, but say they want to do it in a positive way.
In their last two meetings, council members have set aside three versions of a proposed resolution that criticized the perceived gap in percentage wage increases between some senior administrators and staff members.
At their Sept. 2 meeting, council members directed their Classification and Pay Committee to draw up another version of the resolution that offers “constructive solutions” to the problem.
The first resolutions focused on the difference between the individual salary-increase percentages received by university President Michael F. Adams and University System Chancellor Stephen Portch and the average raise percentage of all staff members. The resolutions said senior administrators shouldn’t get higher percentage raises than staff.
The resolutions were also critical of a two-month delay in the start of raises this year. The General Assembly imposed the delay to fund a new program that allows employees to count unused sick leave toward retirement benefits.
Many council members felt the resolutions were too negative in tone and questioned their effectiveness.
Debate among council members concerned changing the focus of the resolution from specific percentage increases to the need to update the university system’s pay-and-classification system, which has been in  place since 1977.
“President Adams understands that staff members feel we aren’t treated fairly in salaries, and he knows we’re not attacking him personally,” said Annette Hatton, a member of the council. “We need to give him a proposal that has details about inequities and specific recommendations for improving salaries.”
Hatton presented documents on pay ranges for administrative and non-administrative classified positions and on differences in pay levels for faculty and non-faculty. The council directed the Classification and Pay Committee to use the information to prepare a new document that will address the broader issues of classification and salary ranges and not specific percentage raises.
In other action, council President Stephanie Watson announced that work is proceeding on a permanent staff council office in Hardman Hall. The office will have some furniture and a telephone, but needs a computer and a copy machine, Watson said.
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