University system employees launch campaign for better funding, pay

____ UHSEU members have joined TSEU members from the academic universities to launch the “No More Peanuts” campaign to push for a return to statewide pay raises for university system employees and for increased state funding for state universities, health science centers and medical centers.

____ In 2005 and 2007 the Texas Legislature left university system employees out of the statewide pay raises for agency employees, and many health science center and medical employees have received minimal, if any, pay raises over the past two years. The pay raises passed in 2005 and 2007 for state agency employees total 11%, with a minimum of $3000 per year. Employee health care and pensions have been squeezed by declining state funding: and while funding for our health plans and pension was improved in 2007, it does not offset the cuts made in 2003 and 2005.
____ State funding for universities, compared to their overall budgets, has fallen sharply. At UT, President William Powers has reported that state funding has fallen from 44% of the budget in 1985 to 16% in 2007. At the health-related institutions, state funding has fallen from about 44% of the budgets in 2002 to 30% in 2008.
____ Declining state funding has forced university health-related institutions to depend increasingly on patient and student fees. Average tuition and fees in Texas’ state universities have increased by 49% since 2002, and university education is moving out of reach for many Texans. Patient fees climbed from 47% of the total budgets of the health institutions in 2002 to 63% in 2006.

What to do now!

1. Join UHSEU if you’re not already a member. Only a large and growing organization will have the political power to win better funding. Ask a co-worker to join with you.

2. Get your co-workers to sign a “No more peanuts” post card to their state legislators, and ask them to join the union, too. Get information & supplies from your UHSEU committee member or nearest office.

Found in the Sept 2007 issue of: