By Vic Cox

Effective this month, salaries will increase 3.5 percent across the board for qualified, nonunionized UCSB staff members, reported Cynthia Cronk, director of Human Resources. In addition, pay scale ranges will increase 5 percent for people holding open-range titles in the manager and senior professional, and in the professional and support staff categories.

This raise will be reflected in employees’ Nov. 1 paycheck, so long as they have satisfactory performance evaluations.

The 3.5 percent across-the-board increase is for nonrepresented employees who receive satisfactory or above performance ratings (a level 3 to level 1 rating, with 1 being the highest). They also must have been appointed to career or limited appointment positions on or before April 1, 2005, and are past probation in career positions on Oct. 1, 2005, Cronk explained in a memo to administrators.

Range increases do not automatically result in a paycheck increase for each employee, she said in the Sept. 23 memo. To benefit from a range increase an employee must be below, or at the minimum of, the salary range after the merit increase is implemented.

“We know that the repeated budget cuts of the last several years have created many challenges,” said Cronk of employees who have endured a four-year dry spell, adding, “We thank you for your continued dedication, service, and contributions to the University.”

Salary adjustments for unionized employees will result from collective bargaining. Wage increases in 2005-06 for CX, RX, and TX categories are currently under negotiation.

Questions regarding the 2005-2006 salary plan may be directed to analyst Coni Edick, (coni.edick@hr.ucsb.edu) or manager Carol Houchens (carol.houchens@hr.ucsb.edu).

In the meantime, the UC Regents Finance Committee on Sept. 22 recommended that the board identify and allocate funding to raise all UC employees’ compensation over a 10-year period to “market comparability.”

Basing its recommendations on an analysis by Mercer Consulting—a recognized expert in employee compensation and benefits—the panel noted that UC “salaries are below comparable market salaries by an average of 15 percent,” as of last July. Some categories of employee compensation lagged the market by 10 percent while others reached 20 percent.

“We are facing a massive challenge to maintain quality and pay competitive salaries throughout the University, from service employees to faculty to senior leadership,” said Regent Judith Hopkinson.

The committee, whose proposals will be acted on in November, also called for augmenting salaries with private funding for 42 senior leadership positions. In addition, the panel urged a new, more clearly defined policy for senior leaders’ compensation. Details are online at <www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/aar/sepc.pdf>.