Steps announced on workers' issues
Princeton NJ -- In response to issues raised by the Workers' Rights Organizing Committee (WROC), University officials have advanced two measures concerning casual workers and wage levels.
"We are announcing two steps that begin to address issues that have been raised with respect to casual workers and the wage levels of our lower- paid staff," said Richard Spies, vice president for finance and administration, in a prepared statement.
First, the University will seek to move a significant number of casual workers to benefits-eligible term appointments or regular staff positions. Second, administrators have asked the Priorities Committee to re-examine the University's compensation program, including the wage levels of lower-paid staff members, and to make at least initial recommendations by the end of April.
Casual workers
"Casual workers play an important role by filling in for permanent employees who are off for disability or other leaves, or by working for relatively short time periods on one-time projects or during periods of unusual needs," Spies said. "As we have investigated the current situation, however, we have found that in recent years we have hired more casual workers than we believe is appropriate.
"This increase has occurred in part because of the opening of the Frist Campus Center and in part because of a dramatic decline in student employment," he continued. "We have found that many casual workers are working full-time schedules, and some have worked here for a number of years."
He said the administration believes that any staff member hired to work for a semester (five months) or longer with a duty-time of 50 percent or more should be hired either for a specified term or, when appropriate, as a regular employee on continuing appointment.
"Adhering to this policy would have the effect of converting a significant number of current casual workers to positions that use the regular salary scale and provide full benefits," he said. "While taking this step would not eliminate the need for casual workers, it would limit the use of casual workers to appropriate circumstances. In Dining Services, for example, we believe that following such a policy would reduce the number of full-time casual workers in the residential colleges and Frist from its current level of 35 to much less than 10."
He said the next step in working to achieve this goal is to discuss the measure with the unions, since many casual workers are included in the collective bargaining units.
"In this context," Spies said, "we also would propose that the wage rates of casual workers should be increased to a level closer to the wage rates of regular employees. Our hope is to begin these discussions with the unions as soon as possible."
Wage levels
The Priorities Committee has been charged to look at the entire University compensation program, including the wage levels for employees on the bi-weekly A and bi-weekly B payrolls.
"Although the University carefully reviews its compensation program each year, we believe that, in light of recent discussions, there should be a thorough re-examination of this program at this time, including the wage levels of the University's lower-paid staffs," Spies said. "This review should consider our compensation program in the context of the University's overall budget (which needs to remain in balance), the relevant markets (including our competitiveness in attracting and retaining staff), and the ability of our workers to meet their basic needs."
He noted that the Priorities Committee is the group to which the administration traditionally looks for guidance on matters related to the University's budget and priorities, including recommendations on the size of each year's salary pool and its distribution among different categories of faculty and staff.
The Priorities Committee is composed of six faculty members, four undergraduates, two graduate students, one member of another group represented on the Council of the Princeton University Community, and three members of the administration ex officio, including the provost who chairs the committee.
Other issues
The WROC is a group of students, faculty, staff and other members of the Princeton community who have raised a number of issues about the University's treatment of its low-wage workers.
Spies said that the administration's earlier response to the list of issues identified by the WROC can be found at www.princeton.edu/pr/reports/ WROC/WROCdraft.htm. He also noted that:
· Princeton has no plans to extend its "current very limited use" of outsourcing of custodial services.
· Some issues, such as those related to performance review and shift differentials for unionized staff members, are most appropriately addressed in the collective bargaining process. Spies said, "We do recognize our obligation to be sure that performance reviews are conducted in a fair and appropriate manner; to provide necessary training; and to correct problems when they occur."
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