“Today’s action by the Joint Committee on Employment Relations sends a strong signal of support to University of Wisconsin System faculty, staff, and academic leaders, all of whom are working every day to educate our students, reach out to our citizens, and build a strong Wisconsin economy.
“The UW System is most grateful to the members of the Joint Committee on Employment Relations – Senators Lasee, Schultz, Fitzgerald, and Robson, and Representatives Gard, Huebsch, Kaufert, and Kreuser – for approving a 1.25 percent wage adjustment for UW System unclassified academic staff and faculty, and for releasing the delayed salary adjustments from fiscal year 2005-06 for our academic leaders. This will mean that the pay plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006 for nonrepresented classified and unclassified university employees will be comprised of adjustments of 2 percent on July 1, 2006, and an additional 2.25 percent on April 1, 2007. The adjustments will provide much-needed compensation flexibility to help us to recruit and retain quality faculty and staff to serve students and communities.
“This vote offers a marked improvement over the zero and 1 percent pay plan increases of the previous biennium, and will help close the widening gap between median salaries for unclassified UW staff and median salaries at peer institutions. My thanks to the committee, and to Office of State Employment Relations Director Karen Timberlake and her staff, for their assistance and support in keeping Wisconsin competitive.”