Opinion

The value of a dollar

UMaine's unfair wage practices

By Donna Buckley

Posted on Nov. 20, 2003, at 12:00 a.m.

Everyone needs to feel valued and appreciated for what they do. It may not be all about wages but also about being respected and valued. Without students, there would be no University of Maine and without faculty, there would be no classes. I wonder if people realize what would be missing without the support of the knowledgeable staff on the front lines.

Back in the ’70s and ’80s, UMaine used to be “the” place to work as far as benefits and wages were concerned. My entire family was covered with health insurance – how times have changed.

Authorities in the University of Maine system have a history in the last two decades of treating their support personnel with disrespect which is evident in their wages and benefits. This leaves approximately 1,100 employees who feel they are not valued or appreciated.

As a long-time hourly paid employee, I have typically seen faculty contracts settled quickly and without conflict from the University of Maine system. Classified employees have repeatedly waited one or more years, without a contract or new wages. I have also seen the percentages for wages negotiated between the unions differ. Even when both contracts have the same percentage increases though, faculty members have a considerably larger increase because of their salaries. According to the report Personal Economies: Living on the Edge with Nothing Left to Give, “The average wages for clerical, laboratory and technical staff employed by the university fall well below the state per capita average – 11 percent in 2000 – and were $7,000 below the national average.” With benefits, we are expected to absorb the same increases as faculty when it is so painfully clear that we are underpaid and are barely making ends meet from the last premium increases. Employees in the private sector tend to pay higher premiums. However, our wages are significantly lower than the private sector.

One might wonder if all of this is because we do not have masters or a Ph.D. Experience on the job is sorely underrated in this system. Not only are we doing our jobs exceptionally well, but also we give the students and public the answers they need. We provide solutions to their problems, without the run-around or “passing the buck.”

What does it show our students about the university’s fair wage practices when support personnel hold two or three jobs to make ends meet? One might think it shows that hierarchy is alive and well in the University of Maine system and that respecting diversity is only for selected groups.

Ask students who they go to when they are having trouble registering for a class. They will probably tell you there is someone sitting patiently – during lunch hour – who is more than willing to help figure out what best suits their needs, whether it takes five or 50 minutes. Ask students who trained them and who entered their time into PeopleSoft so they could get paid. Ask the senior citizen who helped them to get a parking permit and directions to the building they needed to go to.

Often when students come to UMaine, they are working their first job or are away from home for the first time. We teach them new skills. We lend a friendly ear and offer words of encouragement. We reach out to our students and the public, and we would not have it any other way. Putting a dollar amount on this type of customer service is nearly impossible, yet so crucial to the environment of any college system.

Is it because we are mostly women? Do the words “secretary” and “administrative assistant” mean that UMaine does not pay us well and does not recognize our contributions because we do not deserve it? It’s hard to believe that this mentality still exists in the 21st century. Does the University of Maine want a system that creates resentment, low morale, low productivity and increased turnover?

It is all pretty simple. It is about being treated fairly. We want wage increases and benefits equitable to other employees and we do not want to wait one or two years beyond contract expiration to get it. We do not want what is left over. Our role in this system is equally important, and it is about time the system realizes this and does something to correct it.

Donna Buckley is a sophomore and has been employed at UMaine for 21 years.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2003, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.