Legislature Approves 2012 FY Budget, Includes First Pay Raise in Four Years

United Campus Workers (UCW), Tennessee's higher education union of staff and faculty, welcomes news of the budget passed by the General Assembly late Saturday night. The budget includes $45 million in higher education capital improvement and delayed maintenance funding and a 1.6% pay raise, the first salary adjustment for the vast majority of higher-education employees in four years. Additionally the inclusion of $3 million in state money to draw $60 million in federal extended unemployment benefits is much needed for Tennessee working families struggling with job loss during this recession. Read rundown of budget from AP here.

UCW President Tom Anderson said, "After four years with no raise, anything is an improvement, but for many hard-working employees in higher ed 1.6% is barely $10 a paycheck. UT and TBR can do far better by adding to that pool and by distributing it as a fair, flat dollar-increase. That way everyone gets the same money and the people who have been harder hit by the recession get the help they need."

UCW will continue to press UT and TBR administrations to allocate the new funding as an equal-dollar raise rather than a percentage, or at the very least to set a minimum "floor" for the raise. According to UCW Knoxville Chapter Vice President Janet Miles, distributing the raise equally across all employees rather than as a percentage will have at least two positive effects: it will do more to raise lower-paid employees up to a living wage, and it will have greater economic benefit to local communities as workers spend the money locally for housing, rent, and other necessary purchases.

Union spokespersons say that they will continue to educate and build support for other priorities among legislators before the beginning of the next session. Some of these campaigns, Miles said, include more due process rights for higher-education employees. "State employees have a specific and consistent policy and process for addressing workplace grievances," she said. "Higher-education employees have nothing like that. The University of Tennessee has a very vague policy, with two different, overlapping processes, and no specific procedures. TBR schools do have a grievance policy, but it is very limited. We would also like to see the University of Tennessee follow TBR's current policy regarding layoffs: Chancellor Morgan has affirmed a policy statement issued last year that TBR will give affected employees 90 days' notice of layoffs. Further, we would like to see laid-off employees offered recall rights as the economy improves and positions are restored."

UCW Chapter Vice President for MTSU Rick Kurtz said that he is pleased to hear about the funding for maintenance and capital improvements. "Issues of funding remain key. There are a number of building projects at the top of the building commission's list, including the MTSU Science Building. These are more than much needed capital improvements; these projects mean real job creation in many communities across Tennessee. We will be discussing with local building trades, area legislators, and the Governor's office the importance of finalizing bond issues to fund these projects.

UCW-Communications Workers of America Local 3865 is Tennessee's higher-education union, made up of and run by nearly 1500 higher-education staff and faculty at our state's public universities and community colleges.