Bob CollinsCollege professors getting big pay raises apparently are the new $100,000 waiter and waitress.
House Speaker Kurt Zellers started a bit of a brouhaha on MPR’s Midday yesterday when he said, “it’s also troubling when families have had a 30- or 40percent pay cut and you see a college professor get a 20- or 30-percent increase in pay.” The assertion is reminiscent of gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer’s invoking the specter of $100,000 waiters and waitresses in a discussion about the state’s minium wage.
Professors who get 30- and 40-percent pay increases? Like who? Some college professors would like to know. We’ve heard from a few in the last 24 hours.
“No Minnesota State Colleges and University faculty represented by the IFO received any pay raises in the last two-year contract,” Margaretta S. Handke of Mankato says. “We were aware of the state budget problems and did not ask for any.”
Diane Fleury-Evans, the director of the radiologic technology program at Century College said Speaker Kurt Zellers “obviously has no idea of what he speaks of.”
I am a MnSCU faculty member and never in my history of teaching have I ever seen a 20 – 30% pay increase,” she said. ” It has been almost four years since I have seen any pay increase, but yet the cost of living keeps on increasing. I am considering leaving the state because of the financial situation. I had hoped to retire here but I am having second thoughts.
“I work hard for my living and believe my job of teaching our younger generation to work in radiology- healthcare, is vital and essential. Someone has to provide quality care of us baby boomers. Does the speaker realize how hard it would be to attract quality faculty to teach here in Minnesota based on the current salary scale?” she said.
Would you ask the Speaker to identify the names of the MNSCU faculty members that have gotten a pay increase and specifically those that were privileged to get a 20 – 30 % increase? Did I get left out? Maybe they could give me a loan so I can live on my paycheck after my soon to be increased health insurance premium has been deducted .
I am appalled that anyone can make such a statement that is SO blatantly false and as a public servant he should have a better idea of what is/has occurring/occurred in higher education.
At the University of Minnesota, “salary floors” for 2011-2012 are unchanged from 2010-2011, according the U’s Web site. The 12-month term has a base of $38,682. Last spring the university ordered a 1.15 percent temporary reduction in pay against all sources that make up their salaries.
Speaker Zellers has not yet responded to a request for clarification of his remarks.
