Hogan: UI has 3 percent pool for raises
UPDATED 1:25 p.m.
URBANA — President Michael Hogan said Wednesday that cost-cutting has produced a 3 percent pool for merit raises for University of Illinois employees at all three campuses.
Repeating much of what he told The News-Gazette last week, Hogan wrote in a mass email that, “I’ve stated all year that one of my top priorities has been to avoid furlough days and strive to find enough cost savings to restore merit-based compensation programs.”
“I’m pleased to announce that our cost-savings measures and careful planning on all our campuses has helped us in this regard. We’ve been able to identify funding to enable the first campus salary program for our faculty and academic professionals in nearly three years,” he continued.
The 3 percent pool with be used for merit-based compensation adjustments, including university administration.
“This modest allocation is well-deserved for our hardworking employees who have faced salary freezes for consecutive years, as well as effective compensation losses in FY 2010 as a result of furlough days,” Hogan wrote.
He said many union members will benefit.
“Many of our collective bargaining units have contractual language that provides for pay adjustments based on the campus wage program, if the campus wage program is greater than previously negotiated pay adjustments for the same period. I will, of course, honor those agreements,” Hogan wrote.
The university will be explore similar arrangements for other contractual employees.
Here is the text of the email:
Date: Wed 6 Jul 11:42:23 CDT 2011
From: "President Michael Hogan" <presmike@uillinois.edu>
Subject: Recognition of good work
To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff <everybody@illinois.edu>
Dear Colleagues,
We've faced many challenges in recent years and I deeply appreciate how
hard you've all been working throughout these difficult times. I've
stated all year that one of my top priorities has been to avoid furlough
days and strive to find enough cost savings to restore merit-based
compensation programs.
I'm pleased to announce that our cost-savings measures and careful
planning on all our campuses has helped us in this regard. We've been
able to identify funding to enable the first campus salary program for
our faculty and academic professionals in nearly three years. This
program authorizes the chancellors on each campus to use 3.0% of the
salary pool for merit-based compensation adjustments. The same program
will be implemented for the University Administration. This modest
allocation is well-deserved for our hardworking employees who have faced
salary freezes for consecutive years, as well as effective compensation
losses in FY 2010 as a result of furlough days.
Many of our collective bargaining units have contractual language that
provides for pay adjustments based on the campus wage program, if the
campus wage program is greater than previously negotiated pay adjustments
for the same period. I will, of course, honor those agreements. For any
negotiated groups that do not have such considerations in their
contracts, the University will be willing to explore similar arrangements
for this time period.
I couldn't be more proud of our great University, which is made possible
by our outstanding faculty and staff, who have worked hard to continue to
make this university the best it can be. We still have challenges ahead,
but I know that by working together, continuing to streamline our
administration and cut costs, we will continue to become stronger than
ever.
Once more, I thank you for your commitment to the University and your
ongoing support for our efforts to streamline operations and save costs,
while also improving our programs.
Sincerely,
Mike
Michael J. Hogan
President
University of Illinois
This mailing approved by:
The Office of the President
Good to know our friend Mike is able to eek out a $19,000 raise for himself as well as hefty four and five figure bumps for the rest of the administratively top heavy cronies on campus. The rest of us will muddle through on crumbs from the cake. After taxes my pending > $.50 raise won't even cover annual campus parking fees!
I believe it will be evenly distributed. There was a day when "Merit based" meant just that. An individual employee demonstrated hard work that exceeded that of others that he/she worked with in a unit. Sadly that day is over. Now, "Merit based" means all employees that are not covered under a collective bargaining agreement. However, he did say union members would be included if their contractual raise would be lower than the "Merit based" raise. The state had the majority of it's "Merit based" employees reluctantly join the union that they bad mouthed for years so they could get a raise. They had not received a raise for a long time. It was all pointless though since Gov. Quinn reneged on the contract the state signed with the union. Hope you all get a raise. I know that you need it. I mean that sincerely. Don't spend it though until you have it in the bank. The State of Illinois cannot be trusted. They even "borrow" money donated to charities on tax returns now.
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