NEWS
Employee isues put ‘on the table’
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Andriy Pazuniak:
- SSFC wittles Wunk Sheek budget (October 21, 2005)
- Cieslewicz, Judge come out on top in spring election (April 9, 2007)
- Music industry serves campus (March 22, 2007)
- UW to RIAA: No way (March 21, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Chancellor signs new LTE policy (October 4, 2006)
- The TAA holds informational picket at Bascom Hall (March 25, 2004)
- Voters to determine pay (March 28, 2006)
- Bazzell: UW may not honor Living Wage vote (October 25, 2006)
- Wiley, students talk LTE logistics (April 28, 2006)
by Andriy Pazuniak
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Various University of Wisconsin campus representatives met Wednesday morning to address governing policies for university limited-term employees.
In the first such meeting called this semester by UW Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Darrell Bazzell, the LTE Collaborative Group — which includes representatives from major university employee units, the UW chancellor's office, labor unions, and the UW student body — began discussion on compensation and organizational issues concerning LTEs.
According to Mark Guthier, the UW director of unspecified staff, the LTE Collaborative Group will meet once a week through March.
University LTEs are short-term employees hired by UW in various capacities around campus. Currently, LTEs' terms of employment are limited, and they are not eligible for many work benefits available to permanent university employees — such as vacation, paid holiday, sick leave and performance awards.
Guthier, who is a member of the LTE Collaborative Group, said yesterday's meeting was simply meant to put all the issues surrounding LTEs "on the table."
"It's premature to say what direction the committee is going in," Guthier said in a phone interview yesterday.
The Student Labor Action Coalition — which has representatives sitting on the LTE Collaborative Group — has previously raised concern over the level LTEs are paid and the rights available to them.
SLAC representative John Bruning claimed UW is re-hiring LTEs — sometimes for the same position for nine years straight — to avoid having to offer them fulltime employee salaries and benefits.
SLAC has previously attempted to raise LTE salaries to a "livable" wage, to prevent the university from replacing classified staff — unionized workers — with LTEs, who normally receive lower salaries.
"We're trying to get fulltime positions, so [LTEs] can get benefits," Bruning said in a phone interview Wednesday. "Some administrators recognize it's a significant issue and that it needs to be addressed."
Guthier said the LTE Collaborative Group would work to resolve whatever issues it can by the end of March — when next year's university budget is to be determined — but that some issues will take longer to resolve.
"Bazzell indicated some issues the committee would like to address — in the longer term — would take more than six weeks to resolve," Guthier said.
Anonymous (February 19, 2006 @ 5:37pm):
Mark Guthier, the Director of the Memorial Union, and his management cronies have a long stabnding policy of hiring workers as LTE's or limited time workers for numerous jobs that have to be done everyday, the work is not temporary it is permanent, yet Guthier refuses to hire give the workers permanent status.
Guthier and his team of miss managers keep a large number of workers in low pay and no benefits, and lavish the savings on themselves with raises and various perks for themselves.
Not unlike Enron. Students need to know Guthier has hired a PR firm, using students funds, to trick us into voting for higher seg fees.
What a bad joke, tuition is already too high. Why don't the managers cut their pay, and donate the savings to their building program.
Stop ripping off students
