The issue
Since 2020, over 125 PSU members have been stuck with pending salary and equity reviews. The bottleneck is a critically-understaffed central HR department. When employees do not receive timely reviews, updated job descriptions, and competitive compensation, our already understaffed departments risk losing talented team members to other workplaces. As a result, campus morale decreases. To address these issues of underpay and understaffing, we need to organize and put pressure on the administration collectively.
- Only 14 percent of affected PSU members believe they are receiving a fair wage.
- Only 13 percent of affected PSU members believe their department is adequately staffed.
As a result of members’ efforts, central HR has signed an agreement with us to:
- Review all pending cases through an expedited process, approving all cases where there is agreement;
- Meet on July 6th to discuss any cases where there is disagreement (i.e. cases that management does not want to approve)
Our goals
- The HR queue is empty and all reviews are approved on July 6th.
- Central HR sends out regular updates to SAP leadership about the status of the queue and an explanation of any adverse decisions.
- A commitment to staff central HR appropriately moving forward so that this backlog does not build up again.
Goals don’t achieve themselves – take action now!
To turn this agreement into actual approvals, we need pressure from YOU.
- Update your email signature now to reflect solidarity with fellow PSU members and the amount of time your reviews have been pending if applicable. Use this template. For Outlook instructions, click here.
- Download and apply this Zoom background to show your support and raise awareness. Click here to learn how to change your Zoom background.
- Get more involved by attending an organizing meeting. Held Wednesday afternoons – contact Melissa King, PSU’s Organizing Committee Chair: melissak@umass.edu
- Please download this document, write your comments into the fillable PDF, save, and send to Jonah Vorspan-Stein at jvorspan@umass.edu. We will deliver the postcards when (and only when) we have reached a critical mass of 150+.
Selected testimonials
“I’m running up credit card bills just to take care of the necessities. And I’ve found that when I’m focusing on surviving instead of living, a lot of things take a back seat.”
“As a clinician of color, it’s difficult trying to help increase diversity in our clinic without competitive wages being offered by UMass. It’s difficult for me to hear that diversity is valued by UMass without seeing that followed by action in some of these tangible ways.”
“I’m a single parent. My rent has gone up over 6% since January when I started, and food and gas prices are through the roof. The meager cost of living raises we have received ensure that my economic power is even lower than I was expecting. I can’t save to buy a house of my own because I am now struggling financially. I have a Master’s degree and 20 years of experience. I cannot believe the salary scale at this institution is such that I can’t afford a home of my own in this area.”
“This issue matters to me because I feel demoralized and frustrated by my case in an untraceable limbo Central HR queue. Especially when I am dedicated and loyal and have full support of my internal HR and my supervisor. I do not to mention the huge financial burden and compromise in these unstable times. Salaries are not keeping up with the current market and UMass Central HR needs to take action to resolve the situation, as well as put policy in place for a fair review and equity process.”
“This long wait has led to low morale, difficulty paying my bills, and a sense that employees are not being valued. It is upsetting to see that after working at UMass for seven years, three of those in my current position, I am the lowest paid college [title removed].”
“Not only has this delay directly affected me, but it affects the Office of Annual Giving and campus at large. It is no secret that the university is losing quality employees due to better wages and opportunities elsewhere. I am personally frustrated at how long my reviews have taken. It makes me feel not valued as a UMass employee and alum.”
“This issue matters to me because it’s crucial to our University’s mission to tap into the revolutionary spirit that runs through our veins. Every member of our University community contributes to this spirit—and to the success of our students. Encouraging each other and our students to “do better, reach further, and achieve greater in our pursuit of excellence” requires that we support each other, and these salary reviews/reclassifications are a crucial part of the process.”
“None of us want to leave – we enjoy working at UMass Amherst, and we love our coworkers. But each day it becomes more difficult to stay in positions where we are very clearly underpaid compared to our fellow UMass employees as well as our broader field in general. It becomes more difficult to ignore the many other universities advertising higher paid, remote positions with much higher salaries.”
Questions? Contact us.
About the campaign:
- Melissa King, PSU’s Organizing Committee Chair: melissak@umass.edu
- Jonah Vorspan-Stein, PSU Organizer and Office Manager, jvorspan@umass.edu
About your individual salary review case:
- Jenn Pease, PSU’s Salary Administration Program: jpease@admin.umass.edu
- Kathy Rhines, PSU Organizer: karhines@uhs.umass.edu
