Operating Staff Council

Minutes of Monthly Meeting

May 2, 2001

 

Council members present: Ginette Couture, District 13; Karin G. Coe, District 8; Mark Ernst, District 5; Sharon Gordon, (chair) District 6; Flora Joyal, District 7; Belinda Camire, District 15; Shirley Norton, District 14; Debbie Anderson, (recorder) District 9

 

Absent:  Cathy Ebert, District 16 (excused), Dick Swasey, (vice-chair) member-at-large

 

Ex-Officios:      Jen Vento, Campus Journal

                        Holly Wellstead, Human Resources representative

                        Gregg Sanborn, President’s Office

 

Guests: Carol Powers, Project Fresh

                        Sharon Demers, Human Resources

 

April minutes approved

 

Discussion items:

 

·        Sharon informed the council that 3 members have left the council: Lois Morris, District 11,

Lt. Paul Dean, member-at-large, and John Bolton, District 1.  Lois left due to an injury and John

and Paul left due to time constraints at work.  This leaves 10 members currently serving on the council.  Sharon will ask Gregg for advice on ways to increase membership and also a campus mailing will be sent out to all operating staff to try and increase membership.

 

·        Pay Bump for Administrative Support Operating Staff

The council was visited by Sharon Demers, Human Resource Director and Carol Powers, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Finance and Administration and Project FRESH representative, regarding the University’s transition to a new payroll software system.  Currently administrative support operating staff are paid on the 10th day of work.  This doesn’t allow HR to accurately make any adjustments to sick time, earned time or hourly changes.  In order to integrate the Project FRESH system by 2002, Administrative Support Operating staff need to begin the change this July.  This change in pay periods means that all Operating Staff and hourly staff will be paid on the same dates.  The issue for Operating staff is the potential of going three weeks without a paycheck.  As an option and to ease the burden, Operating staff will receive a 1 week check on July 6 which will consist of the 2% across the board in a one-time lump sum to make up for the one-week gap in July.  This 2% ATB is an option that will avoid a three-week break in payment to staff.  Taxes and retirement will be taken out of this 2% lump sum.  On July 13, Operating staff will receive their regular check, with the remaining 1% across the board distributed throughout the year.  Sharon Demers and Carol Powers will have meetings for staff who will be affected.  Information about the changes and the dates of the informational meetings will be mailed to staff within the next 2 weeks.

 

·        Holly Wellstead, Human Resource representative

A reminder that May is the time that all operating staff can convert earned time to sick

time.  There is a form you need to fill out which is available on the HR web site. The form

needs to be turned in by May 31.

Holly attended the Operating staff recognition ceremony and commented on what a great

event it was and the number of staff being recognized. Also, awards for staff who weren’t able to attend are being held at HR. If you know of anyone who didn’t pick up their award, please contact HR.

 

·        Jen Vento, Campus Journal – Jen is looking for story ideas, or a feature on someone you

know.  Please contact her if you have an idea for a story.

 

·        Operating Staff vacancy posters

Council members were charged last month with creating flyers/poster to advertise openings on the council.  Sharon thought everyone was very creative and the posters could be placed throughout the campus and the flyer could be sent out as a campus mailing to all operating staff.

 

·        Salary issues- Dick Swasey

Dick was not able to attend the meeting to discuss some ideas he had concerning salaries.  Sharon suggested that we table this item until next month’s meeting.

 

·        Guest speakers- Sharon would like to invite guest speakers to the council meetings. Possible

Speakers could be the student body president, the chair of the faculty senate and USNH Chancellor Stephen Reno.  These guests possibly have common issues that also affect OS and this would open up the lines of communication.  Also have joint meetings with the PAT staff.

Gregg mentioned the PAT council will be meeting in the afternoon and he could relay our interest in getting the two councils together for a meeting.

 

Committee reports:

 

·        Compensation & Benefits: Committee met to go over the Donor Sick leave pool issue.  At

last month’s meeting, the committee put together a list of questions regarding the sick leave pool.  These questions will be forwarded to the committee that will be formed by HR with representatives from the OS council and the PAT council.  Ginette suggested we email this list of suggested questions to all of our constituents for feedback.  Flora is unable to continue as our representative to this committee and Ginette volunteered to take her place. 

 

Another item: Jury Duty has finally passed and will take effect on July 1.

 

Sharon mentioned that Sue Bennett, PAT Benefits & Compensation chair is looking for an OS volunteer to work with the PAT council on a draft for prior service credit for hourly employees who later switch to a status position.  The meeting is schedule for May 16 if anyone wishes to help work on the draft letter.

 

·        Communications: Flora reporting- The committee did not meet this month. Continuing to

work on the OS web site. Flora will work with an IT person from CIS to transfer the information to the web.

 

Meeting was unanimously adjourned.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Debbie Anderson

 

Next meeting:  June 6