Raul Herrera/Staff Writer
As the fall semester rolls on, University employees and faculty find themselves receiving a new perk.
An email to all university employees, President Mark B. Rosenberg wrote that contract negotiations between the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union and the University Board of Trustees led to across the board salary increases and bonuses for in-unit employees.
“The increase for the union was a 2.5 percent salary increase or a $2,000 increase, whichever was greater for all the employees that are under the union contract,” said Georgina Gonzalez, events coordinator and AFSCME union member.
“Also there was a 1 percent salary bonus that would be reflected […] in the June 13, 2014 pay statement,” said Gonzalez.
Rosenberg also stated that Florida Legislature provided funds that would support across the board salary increases for all those that are eligible. Thirty-five percent of University employees would also qualify for bonuses. According to the email, negotiations with bargaining agreements for different departments would begin on respective dates.
Joann Cuesta-Gomez, director of Employee and Labor Relations, clarified the legislature’s increase.
“What the state legislature provided was two types of increases. One is called across the board increase which is $1,400 for anyone who makes $40,000 or less, or $1,000 for anyone who makes more than $40,000,” said Cuesta-Gomez. “The other is a bonus that’s [going] to be paid in June 2014 and that is a merit bonus.“
Cuesta-Gomez said that this merit bonus would identify the “top performers” employed at the University.
“Supervisors will be the ones who determine who the high performers are in their respective areas,” said Jaffus Hardrick, vice president for the Division of Human Resources, on the merit bonus.
“We have a process that we have to follow to make sure that these employees are truly deserving the award. And I think that […] the majority of our employees are. We really do have a great workforce here at the University,” said Hardrick.
A subsequent email by Hardrick and Provost Douglas Wartzok said that the Florida legislature’s bonus would be a one time benefit of $600. The bonus provided by the Board of Trustees’ contract with AFSCME is equal to 1 percent of salaries, according to Hardrick and Wartzok.
According to this very same email, President Rosenberg and the Board of Trustees have granted out-of-unit employees – those who are not covered under AFSCME’s bargaining agreement – 1 percent across the board increases, effective Sept. 14, 2013.
University employees like Gonzalez view this as positive.
“It’s a big incentive,” said Gonzalez. “It says a lot about the University.”
Gonzalez later mentioned she and some employees that have spoken to her, are quite happy about the raise and bonuses. She expressed gratitude to the Board of Trustees for coordinating the AFSCME contract renewal with the Florida Legislature’s increase.
Senior Superintendent of Custodial Services Joost Nuninga agreed.
“I’m happy about that, of course,” said Nuninga, when asked about how the out-of-unit increases and benefits would affect him.
Nuninga said his employees should be eligible for those bonuses and that how State bonuses are dispensed depends on their performance evaluations.
“Any time that you reward performance, you’re going to get a better performance,” added Nuninga.
Hardrick indicated his belief that the incentive to work better for the University does not solely depend on bonuses.
“Even if we didn’t give the bonuses, I think people have that desire to always provide quality service. And that’s one of the things we’re really pushing here at the University: service excellence,” said Hardrick, who later clarified that these incentives are what he calls “motivating and maintaining” the University workforce.
“These increases are truly awesome, and I think it just goes to show the level of respect that our Board of Trustees and our President have in our workforce here at the University,” said Hardrick.
-news@fiusm.com
I’m curious as to whether this will include adjunct faculty, given this quote – “According to this very same email, President Rosenberg and the Board of Trustees have granted out-of-unit employees – those who are not covered under AFSCME’s bargaining agreement – 1 percent across the board increases, effective Sept. 14, 2013.”
I’m glad FIU’s hardworking employees are getting this well-deserved raise and recognized as valuable. However, every time the notices go out about these raises as a thank-you for their hard work, it (inadvertently, I’m sure) sends the message that adjuncts, who are shut out from these raises, are not valued here at FIU.