The following testimony was given by clerical workers to the Board of Regents on June 14, 2010.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY MAY 11, 2010

Press Conference
Monday June 14, 2010
11am
Outside McNamara Alumni Center
(200 Oak St SE, Minneapolis)

Flyer PDF

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP MANDATORY FURLOUGHS

JUNE 10
CALL-IN DAY

FLOOD PRESIDENT BRUININKS WITH CALLS AND EMAILS TO DEMAND HE STOP MANDATORY FURLOUGHS AND IMPLEMENT OTHER VIABLE OPTIONS, such as voluntary furloughs, sliding-scale pay cuts and cutting the salaries and number of administrators making more than $200,000.

JUNE 14

PACK THE REGENTS' PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND ATTEND THE PRESS CONFERENCE BEFORE THE HEARING.

It's time to be a visible presence to tell the Board of Regents NO to forced furloughs and balancing the budget on the backs of staff, students, and faculty.

LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE!

Over the past months there has been much discussion about how to cut costs at the U. Many of us have heard a lot of rumors and misinformation about furloughs versus voluntary leaves of absences. We would like to take a minute of your time to provide the most up-to-date information.
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AFSCME Voluntary Furlough Survey Report

Kurt Errickson

Field Representative

AFSCME Council 5

One option for addressing the budget challenges facing the University is that of voluntary furloughs. While the subjects of mandatory furloughs and pay cuts have been actively pursued by the administration, little serious attention appears to have been dedicated to the possibility of saving revenue through the voluntary unpaid absences from work.

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Oppose Forced Furloughs

When AFSCME uncovered the administration's plan to unilaterally impose ten forced furlough days on every U employee, we stood up together to oppose this plan. Grad students, undergrads, staff, faculty and concerned citizens formed a coalition and fought hard against forced furloughs because we know that they place an unfair burden on the lowest paid staff who are already struggling to get by. We also know that includes new professors who start their teaching career with massive student debt.

We're proud that the efforts of Our Chop from the Top coalition forced the U administration to back down from its 10 day furlough plan. Our work is not done, however. President Bruininks's current plan is for a temporary pay cut of 1.15%, with a slightly higher cut for senior administrators. For unionized staff, the administration intends the cut to be taken in the form of 3 mandatory furlough days in December. This plan places an unfair burden on the lowest paid staff who are already struggling to get by, while over 250 administrators continue to earn more than $200,000. We know that for many of our co-workers, even one day without pay can create extreme economic hardship. That is why we continue to oppose forced furloughs.

We understand that some of our members believe that taking furloughs will prevent our co-workers from being laid off. The harsh reality, though, is that layoffs are taking place. Dozens of our members have already been laid off. Some of these layoffs have occurred in departments that have then hired senior administrators with six figure salaries. We believe that the best way of protecting jobs is through deeper scrutiny of expenditures and an open budgetary process that involves the entire University community. We believe that reductions can be made that protect our jobs and preserve the mission of the University.

Support the faculty call for sliding scale pay reductions

On Thursday, March 25, the faculty senate will vote on the administration's proposal for 1.15% salary reductions for faculty. This proposal addresses the faculty component of the administration's plan that includes 3 days of forced furloughs for union-represented workers. Members of Faculty for the Renewal of Public Education (FRPE) will be presenting a counter-proposal that calls for sliding scale pay reductions, rather than forced furloughs or flat-rate salary reductions. FRPE's proposal is based on a decision made by the University Board of Regents in 1932. That year, during a similar economic crisis, the Regents imposed a salary cut on a sliding scale, reducing all salaries above a certain threshold and imposing no reduction on salaries below a certain threshold.

According to a May 1932 news release by the University News Service,"The regents put into effect a slash of 20% on that part of any salary over $3600; of 15% on that part between $2400 and $3600; of 10% on that part between $1100 and $2400, but left without reduction salaries and wages up to and including the figure$1200 [sic] a year."

As FRPE states, "In 1932 the Regents demonstrated a strong commitment to equity and to protecting the most vulnerable staff at the University. The same principles should inform decisions today. The imposition of a sliding scale, down to zero for salaries below a certain threshold, would readily achieve or exceed savings projected to be achieved through the small reduction of faculty salaries currently proposed. In the Resolution on Salary Reductions we offer several examples for how this can be done. If our proposal is accepted, there would be no need to reduce salaries of the University's lowest paid workers or to make deeper cuts to academic units."

Chop from the Top

If the U is serious about saving that $13M they must eliminate recurring costs. If they don't eliminate recurring costs the U will be in the same position next year and we will again hear talk of unnecessary forced furloughs. Forced furloughs are not the answer because they do not eliminate recurring costs. The way for the U to realize permanent savings is to eliminate the overpaid administrators and CHOP FROM THE TOP.

If the 254 administrators making over $200,000 took a five percent pay cut, the U would save over $3M. If those making over $300,000 took an additional 5% decrease and those making over $400,000 took an additional 5%, another $800,000 could be saved. That's a total of over $4M. And it puts no one in financial crisis.

The U central administration should also be required to drastically scale back the number of vice presidents, associate vice presidents, assistant vice presidents, assistant to the associate vice president and other top administrators. If the U reduced by 10% the top administrative positions they could save another $7M plus. That's a total savings of over $11M in recurring savings.

Support voluntary leave rather than forced furloughs

AFSCME has also raised to the University Administration another alternative to forced furloughs. There are models in other public institutions (Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis, for example) in which voluntary furlough/leave programs met the savings goals. If the administration implemented FRPE's sliding scale salary reductions for higher paid faculty and staff, and allowed lower paid staff to choose whether or not to take leave days, those who could afford to take days off without pay could and will do so, while those who are most vulnerable will not be forced into financial crisis.

Press Conference and Informational Picket:

U of M AFSCME sent the letter below to faculty senators yesterday afternoon. We urge you to contact faculty senators from your department and encourage them to vote in favor of the FRPE (Faculty for the Renewal of Public Education) resolutions for sliding scale pay reductions (with no cuts for the lowest paid workers at the U) and transparency in the budget process. We also encourage you to come to a press conference and informational picket in support of the resolutions on Thursday, March 25 at 1:45 in front of the law school. The faculty senate will be meeting from 2:30 - 5:00, and it's important that they have our support when they stand up to the administration.

As we struggle to come up with solutions to the University's financial problems it becomes evident that solutions reveal themselves when we stand together and fight together because alone we won't stand a chance. We won't stand a chance to make a living wage, we won't stand a chance to have affordable health care and we won't stand a chance to retain our dignity in the work place. That's why undergrads, graduate students, staff, faculty and concerned citizens are standing together and fighting together. Because when we stand together and we fight together-we win.

The University administration wants to force all staff to take unpaid furlough days, and hopes to save $13 million. Forced furloughs place an unfair burden on the lowest paid staff and faculty who are already struggling to get by, while over 250 administrators who earn more than $200,000 push the U’s budget problems onto the backs of staff and students.

Click here to read the rest and to send your message to the regents!

Rally and March for Education Rights:
No Layoffs, No Furloughs, No Tuition Hikes
Thursday, March 4
Noon
Northrup Plaza

 At the University of Minnesota over 250 administrators earn more than $200,000 in salaries with the Administration pushes its budget problems onto the backs of staff and students. Skyrocketing tuition and staff layoffs abound – and now we hear about possible furloughs.

NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION! Join students, staff, and faculty around the US to demand that higher education be funded – it’s a right and not a privilege! It’s time for those who can afford it to take the cuts!

Rally and march organized by: Chop from the Top Coalition and Save Our School Campaign Coalition, AFSCME 3800, AFSCME 3937, Graduate Student Workers United, Students for a Democratic Society, Faculty for the Renewal of Public Education, Labor Scholars, and the Black Student Union

Endorsed by: St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, MN Coalition for a People’s Bailout

Please print out the attached flyer and post in your workplace. Bring your coworkers,
friends and
family.

******************

Senior administrators at the U of M want to balance the budget on the backs of staff and students. Some of their plans include:

— Furloughs
President Bruininks told senior administrators that he intends to make staff take 10 furlough days (unpaid days off) over the next year.

This is equivalent to a 4% pay cut for hourly staff at the university and we can’t afford it. Pay and holidays are negotiated with the unions on campus, and cannot be unilaterally dictated.

— Layoffs
Layoffs are already taking place at the U. Hundreds of frontline staff have been laid off since the hiring pause began, while over 250 administrators continue to make more than $200,000 per year.

Layoffs mean that there are fewer staff to do the important work of helping students navigate the university system from admissions to graduation. The work is still there, and has increased as admissions have gone up. The remaining staff are forced to work harder and are working through breaks and lunches. This is not legal, nor sustainable and ultimately students will suffer as services and support decrease.

— Attacks on benefits
University administrators are discussing ways to cut our hard-earned benefits. Their ideas include cutting the tuition benefit for graduate teaching and research assistants.

— Making education unaffordable
Between 2000-2007, undergraduate tuition went up over 68%. The administration wants to pit students against staff by telling us it’s either tuition increases or layoffs. This is a false choice.

As the university faces increasing budget cuts they are putting the
burden on the backs of the lowest paid staff and students rather than those that
can afford it – the administrators, of whom over 250 earn more than $200,000 each
year.

Join us as we rally to tell the administration that we’ve had enough,
it’s time for the University’s priorities to change – CHOP FROM THE TOP! No
furloughs, no more layoffs of frontline staff and no tuition hikes!

Legislative Session Opening Day Rally

State Capitol Steps

February 4 - 12:00 noon
Free chartered bus for U workers leaving from Morrill Hall at 11:15 a.m. sharp
and returning to the U by 1:30 p.m.

Join us to demand a real solution to the economic crisis

February 4 is the opening day of the Minnesota legislative session. Once again, this year looks to be a very difficult session for working people, and this includes U workers. With another
multi-billion dollar deficit projected, Governor Pawlenty and many legislators are talking
about deep cuts to higher education (including the U budget), cuts to all kinds of social services that serve working and poor people, and cuts to state agencies in general. State aid to cities and counties is also on the chopping block, which will affect even more programs as well as translating into job cuts for city and county workers. Cuts like these will only make the
economic situation worse. We need to speak out against such cuts.

AFSCME Local 3800 is part of a coalition called the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout, which brings together various unions and organizations representing working and poor
people in Minnesota. The coalition is organizing a rally on the steps of the capitol on February 4, the opening day of the legislative session. We are rallying to tell legislators that cuts to public services and furloughs and layoffs of public sector workers are not the answer to the economic crisis. We will tell Governor Pawlenty and Minnesota's politicians
to not balance the budget on our backs, but instead raise taxes on those who can afford it: the wealthiest 10% and corporations. We will be asking legislators to support a package of bills that truly address the economic crisis. Here is what we will be fighting for in 2010: an extension of unemployment insurance, a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions of renters from
foreclosed buildings, job creation programs, a moratorium on layoffs of state workers (including the U), and more.

Local 3800 has chartered a bus so that a group of us can go together to the rally from the U. We
will be leaving from Morrill Hall at 11:15 a.m. sharp to head to the Capitol. Then our bus will leave the Capitol at 1:00 p.m. to be back at the U around 1:30 p.m. Our union will pay your salary for 'lost time' away from work so you can attend the rally. Please contact us to let us know you are interested or for more information. It will be first-come first-served for the bus seats.

Rally in Support of Twin Cities Janitors (SEIU Local 26)
Saturday, January 30th
11am-1pm
312 Central Ave,
2nd Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Janitors in the Twin Cities, members of SEIU Local 26, have been attempting to bargain a contract for the last month and a half to win good, green jobs. Janitors clean the buildings of some of the biggest companies in the US:
·         Wells Fargo, which made $3 billion dollars last year
·         US Bank, which made $1.8 billion dollars last year
·         Target, which made $2 billion dollars in 2008

But instead of bargaining in good faith, the janitors’ employers have chosen to retaliate against janitors who are speaking up at their job sites.

This Saturday, janitors in SEIU Local 26 will vote to authorize a strike. This is a historic moment, as janitors take a stand not just for their rights and good jobs, but also to create and leave behind a healthier environment for our children.  AFSCME 3800 will be joining our sisters and brothers throughout the labor movement this Saturday, January
30th, as janitors show they are ready to fight against unfair labor practices and for Good Jobs and a Green Future.

click here for flyer to print out and post

Tell President Bruininks:

Don't Balance the Budget on the

Backs of
Staff and Students

Rally: Thursday
Jan 21

Noon

In Front of Morrill Hall

President Bruininks
and senior administrators want to balance the budget on the backs of staff and
students.  Some of their plans include:

—   Furloughs

President Bruininks told senior administrators that he
intends to make staff take 10 furlough days (unpaid days off) over the
next year.

This is a pay cut for hourly staff at the university and we
can’t afford it. Pay and holidays are negotiated with the unions on campus, and
cannot be unilaterally dictated.

—   Layoffs

Layoffs are already taking place at the U. Hundreds of
frontline staff have been laid off since the hiring pause began, while over 250
administrators continue to make more than $200,000 per year.

Layoffs mean that there are fewer staff to do the important
work of helping students navigate the university system from admissions to
graduation. The work is still there, and has increased as admissions have gone
up. The remaining staff are forced to work harder and are working through
breaks and lunches. This is not legal, nor sustainable and ultimately students
will suffer as services and support decrease.

—   Attacks
on benefits

University administrators are discussing ways to cut our
hard-earned benefits. Their ideas include cutting pensions and cutting the
tuition benefit for graduate teaching and research assistants.

—   Making
education unaffordable

Between 2000-2007, undergraduate tuition went up over 68%.
The administration wants to pit students against staff by telling us it’s
either tuition increases or layoffs. This is a false choice.

As the university
faces increasing budget cuts they are putting the burden on the backs of the
lowest paid staff and students rather than those that can afford it – the
administrators, of whom over 250 earn more than $200,000 each year.

Join us as we rally the first week of the new semester to
tell the administration that we’ve had enough, and it’s time for the University’s
priorities to change – CHOP FROM THE TOP! 
No furloughs, no more layoffs of frontline staff, and no tuition hikes!