Following on the news that University of Arkansas employees will get no merit raises or service awards this year, the UA Administration has also announced that workers will have to pay more for health care and dental care benefits. Health insurance costs to workers and their families will go up by 5% and dental insurance costs will be increased by 3%.
The increases in the amount that employees must pay for health and dental insurance means that workers will have to choose between giving up benefits or taking home smaller paychecks for their families. Classified employees have had their wages frozen for next year, and faculty will not get merit raises for the second straight year.
Chancellor David Gearhart will get an additional $225,000 annually in deferred compensation from "private" funds through the UA Foundation. There was no consideration of deferred compensation for workers who have had their salary frozen and health insurance rates increased.
2 comments:
Technically, the UofA will pick up the higher cost of health premiums. And classified employees will receive the other half of the pay plan--so their paychecks will get a little bigger, depending on their position. Dental insurance costs for most will average about a dollar or fifty cents more a year. It's still not a great situation, but it's a little better than you make it out.
As a current...and long-time...college student. I must say that it is a shame that more of our tuition and fees doesn't go to the workers. I mean, geeze, we pay enough. Universities are like every other big business. They take in as much as they can and waste it from the top down.
I mean, I like a nice looking campus. But I can do without new statues, fountains and the like.
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