Academic Support Professionals are arguing for revisions to their compensation requirements and levels during the ongoing negotiations with the administration and the Eastern chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois.

Jonathan Blitz, UPI/EIU chief negotiator and chemistry professor, believes the current agreement for ASP compensation is unfair.

“It’s unclear to me why (the administration) want(s) to pay people less,” Blitz said.

The administration is hiring master’s degree recipients into bachelor’s positions, but those who are hired cannot advance to the highest pay scale because the position only requires a bachelor’s degree, Blitz said.

Bob Wayland, chief negotiator for the administration, said if an employer advertises bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred, the applicant should expect this.

“If you have two candidates who are equally qualified except one has a bachelor’s and one has a master’s, (the employer) may hire the person with the master’s degree because they have a higher level of education,” Wayland said.

Current language in the 2006-2010 EIU-UPI Unit B Agreement lays out the minimal salary levels for ASPs, depending on their education agreement and completed years of qualifying service.

These levels are only applicable in addition to the one or two years of service as a temporary academic support professional that established the employee’s eligibility for entry into the bargaining Unit B.

However, which position correlates with each level is not specified.

For example, in one level the job may require a bachelor’s degree but will hire a master’s recipient (as indicated in the contract in parenthesis after the stated requirement) at a minimal pay rate of $4,940 per month.

Their highest level of salary achievable will be less than a position that requires a master’s degree and an additional 15 hours at a minimal pay rate of $5,236 per month, despite the same education being earned in both positions, according to the 2006-2010 EIU-UPI Unit B Agreement.

Academic adviser Jeff Duck, who is a member of the EIU/UPI negotiating team, said although this language has been in the contract for an extensive amount of time, it is time for it to be addressed. He also finds the current pay level system discouraging to ASPs.

“If (the university) wants people to be educated, there needs to be compensation for that education,” Duck said.

Although educational advancement is a focus of the university, Wayland said the current terms are appropriate.

“There are a lot of people out there who are unemployed who have PhD’s,” Wayland said. “A future employer is not going to pay them more because they have a PhD. They’re willing to take that job and that’s what it requires.”

Duck said it is the goal for ASPs to have the parenthetical language removed from the salary levels.

“It irritates me that people aren’t getting paid for their degree,” Duck said. “This does not seem fair to (UPI/EIU).”

The terms of the contract in regards to salary rates are ultimately up to the individual, Wayland said.

“That’s generally discussed when the person is being hired, a salary is agreed upon. It’s their prerogative to accept it or not,” Wayland said. “It depends on what they can bring to the job and what the job requires.”

As with a majority of UPI/EIU, furloughs are also a concern for ASPs, Duck said, noting that even one furlough day could take a toll on other academic advisers.

“I’m all for fiscal responsibility,” Duck said. “However, if parents are calling because I couldn’t meet with their son or daughter because of a furlough, I’m the one who is going to have to answer for it.”

Shelley Holmgren can be

reached at 581-7941

or meholmgren@eiu.edu.