Concerning Salary Increases for State of North Carolina Employees
RESOLUTION OF THE EMPLOYEE FORUM
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
March 1, 2006
WHEREAS, the Mission of the Employee Forum is to address constructively the concerns of Employees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including the representation of staff concerns to University officials, State Legislators, and the citizenry of North Carolina; and
WHEREAS The Employee Forum is aware that by statute the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina is responsible for providing a budget request for EPA salary increases and that the Governor of North Carolina is responsible for requesting SPA salary increases and that for the first time in the systems history the President has included in his budget request a call for salary increases across the board; and
WHEREAS all persons in paid employment have the right to regular, fair market based increases in compensation to offset cost of living expenses and where pay increases over the past six years have not kept pace with inflation; and
|
Year |
CPI-U* |
COLA+ |
Difference |
Compounded |
|
2000 |
3.4% |
2.2% |
-1.2% |
-1.2% |
|
2001 |
1.6% |
1.9% |
0.3% |
-0.9% |
|
2002 |
2.4% |
0.0% |
-2.4% |
-3.3% |
|
2003 |
1.9% |
0.0% |
-1.9% |
-5.2% |
|
2004 |
2.0% |
2.5% |
0.5% |
-4.7% |
|
2005 |
3.8% |
2.0% |
-1.8% |
-6.5% |
* Consumer Price Index Urban; + Legislative Increase; Source: NC Justice Center
WHEREAS employee benefits are no longer attractive or sufficiently competitive to recruit and retain quality state employees, and
WHEREAS, University employees have lost, on average, 6.8% in buying power over the last six years
WHEREAS, with the understanding that inadequate pay raises affect all employees, these effects are felt most by the lowest paid employees; and
WHEREAS The Employee Forum also is aware that the Board and UNC General Administration are supportive of the salary needs of the System’s SPA employees; and the Forum is appreciative of this support and the continuing efforts of these bodies to be involved actively in improving the salaries and benefits of all employees of the University of North Carolina; and therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Employee Forum of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill strongly urges that the Governor and the Legislature increase salaries at the state level by $3,500 or 5%, whichever is greater, across all categories to help bring the employees of this University and of this State into line with the cost of living. All raises would begin at the start of the fiscal year 2006–2007; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Employee Forum of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill strongly recommends that the Chancellor and his Administration convey and support publicly the concepts of this resolution in dealings with the University System Office of General Administration and the North Carolina State Legislature.
Signed on Behalf of the Delegates of the Employee Forum,
Ernie Patterson, Chair
Ref: BTC reports Vol. 11, No 11. December 2005. “The final Budget Agreement: Some gains but tough time remain.” By Amna Cameron and Elaine Mejia. http://www.ncjustice.org/media/library/543_btcrpt12012005finalbudget.pdf
Ref: “Report on annual turnover,” UNC Office of Human Resources, 2005.
Ref: “Working Hard Is Still Not Enough” by Sorien Schmidt and Elizabeth Jordan North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center. http://www.unc.edu/srp/srp2003/workinghard.html