YOUNGSTOWN YSU adjusts pay scale

Money to pay the additional cost was set aside.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A recently adopted pay scale that applies to roughly 259 professional and administrative employees at Youngstown State University means many are now paid more "fairly and equitably" than they were two years ago, a YSU administrator says.
"We were trying to look at a global picture on campus that ensured fair and equitable compensation for all employees," said Hugh Chatman, executive director of human resources. " I ... know that's what we ended up with."
The changes mean fatter paychecks for 93 union and nonunion employees at a cost of $200,000 per year.
Chatman stressed these are not raises.
"These were salary adjustments based on recommendations ... to make sure everyone was brought up to the minimum."
The adjustments were made following the recommendations of a study by Buck Consultants of Cleveland that examined wages of comparable employees across states in the region. The study, costing $104,000, was initiated in January 2002 by administrators and the union.
About 13 months later, the study concluded the system was neither adequate nor equitable and that short-term fixes had created more inequities.
Positions affected
Administrative/professional employees hold midlevel, nonsupervisory positions -- such as counselor, academic adviser, librarian, student activities specialist and computer center employee. They represent the lowest-paid employee group on campus, and the former salary structure had not been updated in about 20 years, officials said.
Changes, effective July 1, were made to create a "competitive, market-based" salary system that fixed the salaries of those being paid less than a minimum salary and rewarded some employees who had spent 10 or more years on the job.
Employees were given adjustments retroactive to also cover the period from July 1, 2002, to July 1, 2003, said Mary Jo Repasky, an administrative assistant in human resources.
The changes also included a one-time 2.5 percent salary increase during the 2003 to 2006 union contract. This, Chatman said, will prevent the salaries from again sliding into an unfair range. Before the changes, there was an 85 percent difference between the lowest and highest salary. Now the range is 52.5 percent.
Cost anticipated
Repasky said the cost was not unexpected. When administrators and union members agreed to the study, YSU set aside the $200,000 per year for several years to come, she explained.
Once the study was completed, adjustments were limited to that amount. The new salary scale includes five "families" that place positions into categories, Chatman explained.
Each family has multiple salary levels based on knowledge, skills and abilities. There are built-in increases for longevity, education and exceptional evaluation and service.
The changes came before the 3 percent per year raises in the professional/administrative employees union contract that expires in 2006.
Union salaries range from $21,000 for an entry-level housing coordinator to $85,000 for a database administrator with maximum experience who has been employed by the university for several years.