A plan that would promote hundreds of UW-Madison Limited Term Employees to full time positions over the next six years is heads to Chancellor Wiley's desk in the next couple of weeks.
We suggest that Chancellor Wiley ratify this proposal.
Currently, there are around 500 UW-Madison LTEs, who work just as much and perform similar jobs to full time employees, but without the job security and benefits of their full time counterparts. Basically they are full-time employees, but they are treated like seasonal help.
This is an unacceptable situation, and the University should be commended for trying to remedy it.
The Wisconsin Union has taken the initiative on the proposal, and is trying to implement some of the provisions before it has even been ratified. They have already identified 27 limited term employee positions that can be converted to full time positions in the next three years.
This year alone the Union plans to convert nine of its 150 LTE positions into full time positions.
This proposal does not mean the end of part time employees at the University, but those people who do continue to work part time for the University will receive a pay raise.
On July 1, 2007 the University will bump up the hourly wage of the remaining LTEs to $10.23, which is the City of Madison's benchmark for a living wage.
This board is in no way opposed to a wage increase for LTE employees, many of whom are students. What we advise the University that its money is better spent making sure that those LTE employees who are working full time get the security and benefits of full time employees.
It would be a real shame if money that could be helping full time workers support their families, is diverted so that students swiping ID cards at the SERF can make a c
