Issue date: 9/25/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Robert Mullen Union member Karen York protests for increased wages outside the Morris University Center Monday.

With SIUE celebrating its 50th Anniversary in the Stratton Quadrangle Monday afternoon, members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2887, a union of SIUE clerical and kindred workers, could be heard voicing their desire for a new contract.

The union has been in negotiations since April, a month before the workers' contract expired in May.

"We have been in six negotiation sessions, two of which were held with a federal mediator," Union President Cindy Korte said. "It hasn't been a fair negotiation, so we are trying to get some public support and do some more talking and try to get this out."

SIUE Director of Public Affairs Greg Conroy declined to comment on the situation, citing the university policy prohibiting him from talking about contracts during negotiations.

The workers demonstrated for a 50 cent minimum pay increase, something that Connie Wayman, an executive board member for the union, does not see as a problem.

"To ask for 50 cents an hour more across the board for 300 people would be like adding one more employee," Wayman said. "That adds up to about $80 a month more per employee."

"You see some administrators getting a $3,000 per month increase," Union Secretary Gay Cummins said. "That is a lot of money and it is in a different court line but still the secretaries are in every office and we help every student."

A union flier stated Chancellor Vandegrift received a 19.5 percent pay increase and Assistant Provost Susan Thomas received a 28 percent increase since negotiations began. These pay raises went into effect the same day as the new minimum wage increase in Illinois.

"The student workers got $1 across the board," Karen York, secretary for academic accounting, said. "We can't even get half of that in our salary."

"I love my job, we do it for the students because we love them," York said. "But, I may see no other choice if this doesn't change in the near future."

Under the union's proposal, members working at the East St. Louis campus would receive the same raise the rest of the members are asking for, something the group said the university is opposed to.

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