UMass faculty lobbies for pay raises

by The Republican Newsroom

Tuesday April 01, 2008, 8:47 PM

By DIANE LEDERMAN
dlederman@repub.com

AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts faculty is using the governor's proclamation of Public Higher Education Week as a springboard to request pay raises and more funding for education.

Members of the Massachusetts Society of Professors have sent Gov. Deval L. Patrick a proclamation modeled after Patrick's declaration of March 31 to April 4 Public Higher Education Week.

In the faculty proclamation, members of the union call on the governor to invest in public higher education, increase financial aid and offer faculty and staff pay increases that are at least at the rate of inflation so that "dedicated higher education workers do not take a pay cut year after year."

The governor's office had not seen a copy of the proclamation, but Cynthia M. Roy, deputy press secretary for Patrick, said, "The governor truly values public higher education," and those who work in public higher education. "The governor has made public education a priority."

In a statement Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Society of Professors wrote, "We have had a lot of eloquent proclamations about the importance of higher education. We would like now to see some of those promises fulfilled. And that starts with respect for public higher education."

With recent cost of living increases that don't keep pace with inflation, staff is effectively taking a pay cut, he said.

Patrick asked all state employee unions to sign a one-year contract instead of the typical three-year term and were told this way they would receive a better contract this year, Page said.

Contract negotiations began in January and the contract expires at the end of June. He said they have not yet seen any contract offers which they expected this week.

Faculty received a 2.5 percent increase last year with a 1 percent raise available to those deemed meritorious, Page said. Previously, the last three contracts bore increases of 3 percent each.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for 2007 was 4.1 percent; 2.5 percent in 2006; and 3.4 percent in 2005.

Page said it's about fairness. "If you hire someone .¤.¤. the dollar value of that pay should not decline."

He said recruitment is also an issue.

UMass has been trying to hire additional faculty during the last several years. He said two excellent recent hires are leaving, one for a private school and one for another state school, "both of which are paying better," he said.

According to numbers from the Office of Institutional Research here, a full professor received an average salary of $112,945 in 2007. An assistant's average salary was $66,797.

Members of the union plan to attend the Friends of Public Higher Education Dinner on Friday in Boston where Patrick will speak.