2008 Woodie Awards
More support shown for clerical staff
Letter to the editor
Issue date: 10/2/07 Section: Opinion
I am writing in response to Justin Gibson's article in Thursday's edition of the Alestle. I would like to second his opinion in support of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2887.
Without the help and unwavering support of our wonderful clerical staff, countless students would be lost. No matter how large or small the task, there is always a department secretary there to help, even when other faculty members seem oblivious.
As Captain of Cougar Baja, a student engineering team, I have asked our Mechanical Engineering Department Secretary for numerous favors and I have never been left disappointed. The support staff has always been willing to go above and beyond the call of duty, which is a quality often lacking in other facets of the university. I prefer to look at the clerical staff as the grease that keeps the old, weathered wheel turning. In that I mean, if the grease is doing a sufficient or above average job, it often goes unnoticed, while a wheel lacking that grease squeaks, rattles, and shimmies until it drives everyone crazy. Well folks, our clerical staff is the proverbial good grease and it too often goes unnoticed.
The secretaries and clerks of this university deserve to be compensated according to their importance in the daily survival of this institution. According to Gibson, the lowest paid of the clerical staff make only $9.56 per hour. That equates out to under $18,000 per year, which is well below the 2006 Illinois poverty level of $20,000 for a family of four.
Regardless of education or experience, all working Americans deserve to live above the poverty line. The raise of 50 cents per hour per employee for 300 employees adds to only 0.05 percent of the Southern Illinois University system budget. That's only five one-hundredths of one percent! The hard-working men and women of AFSCME Local 2887 deserve this extra compensation.
Please take time to say thank you to your department clerical staff next time you cross paths. The people behind the desks have real families, with real children and real needs. They deserve fair wages for their work, and they ought to have the full support of the entire university community - students, faculty, and staff.
I would like to end this note with a personal thank you to the clerical staff of SIUE. Regardless of contract battles, the students know how valuable you are to the wellbeing of this institution.
So, thank you and good luck AFSCME Local 2887!
Miles Musick
Senior
Mechanical Engineering
Without the help and unwavering support of our wonderful clerical staff, countless students would be lost. No matter how large or small the task, there is always a department secretary there to help, even when other faculty members seem oblivious.
As Captain of Cougar Baja, a student engineering team, I have asked our Mechanical Engineering Department Secretary for numerous favors and I have never been left disappointed. The support staff has always been willing to go above and beyond the call of duty, which is a quality often lacking in other facets of the university. I prefer to look at the clerical staff as the grease that keeps the old, weathered wheel turning. In that I mean, if the grease is doing a sufficient or above average job, it often goes unnoticed, while a wheel lacking that grease squeaks, rattles, and shimmies until it drives everyone crazy. Well folks, our clerical staff is the proverbial good grease and it too often goes unnoticed.
The secretaries and clerks of this university deserve to be compensated according to their importance in the daily survival of this institution. According to Gibson, the lowest paid of the clerical staff make only $9.56 per hour. That equates out to under $18,000 per year, which is well below the 2006 Illinois poverty level of $20,000 for a family of four.
Regardless of education or experience, all working Americans deserve to live above the poverty line. The raise of 50 cents per hour per employee for 300 employees adds to only 0.05 percent of the Southern Illinois University system budget. That's only five one-hundredths of one percent! The hard-working men and women of AFSCME Local 2887 deserve this extra compensation.
Please take time to say thank you to your department clerical staff next time you cross paths. The people behind the desks have real families, with real children and real needs. They deserve fair wages for their work, and they ought to have the full support of the entire university community - students, faculty, and staff.
I would like to end this note with a personal thank you to the clerical staff of SIUE. Regardless of contract battles, the students know how valuable you are to the wellbeing of this institution.
So, thank you and good luck AFSCME Local 2887!
Miles Musick
Senior
Mechanical Engineering
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Andrew Lucker
posted 10/03/07 @ 9:59 AM CST
I agree, 100%. These clerical workers are being expected to work at poverty wages, which is ridiculous. They are the lowest paid university full-time workers in Illinois. (Continued…)
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