Some pay raises approved; others still pending

Faculty and academic staff should see pay raises for this fiscal year by the beginning of April, university officials say.

The Department of Employment Relations is still negotiating with a number of unions related to pay increases for most state classified employees. Lawmakers have urged DER to submit recommendations on all outstanding contracts as soon as possible.

State lawmakers last week approved the long-awaited pay plan for UW System faculty and academic staff that provides 5.2 percent average raises for both years of the 1999-2001 biennium.

The 1999-2000 pay raise will take effect with the March payroll to be paid April 1. Retroactive pay from July 1999 to February 2000 will be paid on April 1 with a separate check. The 2000-2001 salary increase will begin July 1.

The Joint Committee on Employment Relations unanimously approved the faculty/staff pay plan. The committee authorized the Board of Regents to institute the pay raises, which were recommended by Department of Employment Relations Secretary Peter Fox and supported by Gov. Tommy Thompson.

As always, a combination of state tax revenue and tuition will finance the raises. Of the 5.2 percent salary increase in the first year of the biennium, 2 percent will be covered by state revenue and 3.2 percent by tuition. In the second year, tax monies will pay for 2.5 percent and tuition will fund 2.7 percent of the raises.

JCOER also approved the UW System executive pay plan. The Board of Regents is authorized to adjust executive salaries.