The Salary Administration Program (SAP) provides policies for determining appropriate compensation for all PSU employees. The SAP Committee helps members understand this system and provides guidance for members who wish to pursue a review of their salary or position classification (i.e., salary grade).
SAP Position Classification or Equity Review procedure.
PSU SAP Frequent Questions and Answers
What is the best way to communicate with SAP?
Please reach out to the SAP Committee by emailing PSU.SAP@external.umass.edu.
How can I support SAP? Is there a role I can play?
SAP’s responsibilities are expanding! There is so much for members to help with. Things that may take 5-10 minutes per month up to a couple of hours per month. You can directly work with other members or you can support in the back ground.
The primary role for the PSU SAP Committee is to support members through the Equity and Position Reclassification processes. This work involves supplying data and forms and answering questions. Once HR has processed a review, members have the option to appeal that decision. We need people to examine HRs justification and look for weaknesses or mistakes to build the case for appeal. For a Reclass, we also need people on the Leveling Team to generate the Union’s SAP Score.
New opportunities center on ensuring that PSU is not losing positions to management. This will involve checking postings as well as emailing people whose jobs have changed.
If you’re interested in joining, or simply learning more, please email Beth Pellettieri (SAP Chair) at bpellettieri@umass.edu.
Who is on the SAP Committee?
The SAP Committee includes the following UMass Amherst Employees. All SAP members are volunteers and work full-time at UMass. Members include: Beth Pellettieri (Chair), Amanda Major (Vice Chair), Meghan Flanagan, Charlie Herbert, AJ Juno, AJ LeBlanc, Jo Martone, Robert McDowell, and Pamela Stawasz.
Who sets the salaries that people make?
Salaries are based on a multitude of factors including all relevant experience, salaries for similar positions on campus with the same experience, and market data.
How do we have position releveled to provide career ladder opportunity?
Generally, career ladders are for PSU member who work in an area where there is room for growth and job development. Re-leveling is for positions that have a significant change in their duties or responsibilities. If you are in a job that lends itself to a career ladder, there may already be position descriptions for the next level up for your career. Ask your supervisor whether there are, and if so, what you need to do to be promoted.
What is the equity/and or reclassification review process like?
It’s important to remember that both of these actions are member driven.
SAP can advise on how to submit an equity or reclassification. We do not have a seat at the initial review.
Once there is a finding and if you are not happy with the result, you can reach out to SAP. Please review the attached sheet as there are some tight timelines for appeals.
Can I be in the room at the table with HR when my case is being discussed?
No, these meetings are now a subcommittee of labor relations and only committee members can attend.
If no, can I have a meeting with the SAP member who is representing me?
Yes, absolutely we are happy to meet with you.
What kind of support does SAP need to make that happen?
If you received a denial or an offer you are not happy with the result, we can meet to go over your concerns and we can bring them up in our monthly meeting with HR/Total Compensation.
What is compression?
Salary compression is an issue that happens when newly-hired employees with less experience earn salaries that are close to what current employees with more experience make. This doesn’t just mean UMass experience, but overall related experience. This typically happens when market conditions change so that new employees are being hired at higher rates than annual base rate increases for existing employees have increased.
How are members supposed to know how make compared to others?
SAP has access to salary data that we can pull for you and others in the same job code as you. If you’d like us to pull data for you, please email the email address listed above and a steward will be in touch.
Keeps hearing from management that “we can’t give you more money because of the union” meanwhile UMass money is being used to recruit for advancement with higher salaries and signing bonuses – is that true?
When “management” tells employees that they cannot increase salaries “because of the union,” this usually refers to the need to keep internal equity among PSU members in the same level/ job code. So, even if a department has the money and wants to pay an employee more, they cannot if the higher salary would create an equity issue with other members. Equity is a significant focus of the PSU CBA/ SAP appendix, and a significant factor that has to be considered when determining salaries.
Sometimes management uses that phrase just because they don’t know how else to say no. If you hear that, it is always okay to find out from a SAP Committee member whether it is a fact of contract restrictions, or just that they do not want to have to address equity issues.
When should I file an appeal?
If you receive a denial or an offer you don’t agree with, the first step is to reach out to SAP. We will need you to sign and send us the appeal form. We will then inform HR/Total Compensation that you are appealing the finding. An appeal to your findings has a very tight timeline, so please reach out immediately.
