Daily ^ Trojan
University of Southern California
Volume LXVII, Number 108 Los Angeles, California Wednesday, April 16, 1975
2 candidates for PAC answer election charges
BY BRUCE CARR
A Row member and a commuter student responded Tuesday to charges made by three commuter students about their roles in the upcoming President’s Advisory- Council (PAC) elections.
The students charged the Row with a “blatant power grab” for the 12 open seats on the PAC. and also charged that the fraternities were trying to take all of the seats by running candidates on all three slates (dorm residents, Row residents, and commuters).
The official charges against Jerry Papazian. a Row candidate, and Mike Abell, a commuter candidate, stated that the two violated a section ofthe Election Code that states that any candidate who is a member of a campus medium staff must not actively participate in that medium during the campaign.
Craig Coleman, a Row candidate, brought a similar charge against Papazian.
Papazian is co-editor of the IFC Row Report and Abell is sports editor of the Row Run.
Papazian. a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, said that in the April issue of the Report an endorsement of several Row candidates appeared.
But. Papazian said. “We (the staff) did not endorse anyone. It (the endorsement) was an editorial...from one specific fraternity member.”
He said that in the issue of the Report preceding the issue in question, “we invited editorials," and the staff received that one.
The April issue had “not been distributed to the Row" at the time of the complaint. Papazian said, claiming that no “Greek takeover” was attempted by the newsletter.
Papazian declined comment on charges brought bv Coleman.
Coleman, a junior in anthropology and East Asian studies and an advocate of the “Economic Survival Plan," commented on his charges.
“I just want to make sure everyone plays by the rules, because I am,” Coleman said.
Mike Abell, a junior in public relations and the sports editor of the Row Run, also answered charges that he violated the same section of the Election Code.
Abell had a byline and his name in the staff box of an issue ofthe Row Run which was distributed during the campaign period.
Abell cited the decision made by the Row Judicial last December when they ruled that the Row Run was not a university publication or a campus newspaper.
“All funds were cut off from the Row Run; therefore, it became a private enterprise,” Abell said.
Abell also emphasized that the April issue ofthe Row Run in no way dealt with the PAC elections.
He said that the issue which contained his name was intended to be distributed earlier, but a printing delay caused distribution to be about two weeks late.
Papazian, a sophomore in public relations, replied to the charge of a “blatant power grab” by the Row.
“The only ‘blatant power grab’ I knowofis based on the ‘Economic Survival Plan’ slate...” he said.
He then cited election statement in Tuesday’s Daily Trojan from several students from all three slates advocating the “Economic Survival Plan,” who repeatedly stressed the main points ofthe plan in their statements. He claimed that this was just what the Row members were accused of.
Papazian and Abell will appear before a hearing by the Student Elections Commission this morning.
Staff salaries 9-12% lower here; fund expected to ease inequities
BY STEVEN HAWKINS
Staff Writer
Staff salaries at the university average approximately 9°7c to 12% less than salaries for comparable work outside the university. according to studies by the Office of Personnel.
But John J. Schneider, director of personnel, expects a $100,000 staff salary inequity fund to “close the gap” and bring the university nearer to the average.
A recently approved increase of 10% in the faculty-staff compensation pool with an additional 2°/c increase possible through internal savings, will also help the university draw nearer the averages, Schneider said in an interview Monday.
An analysis of salaries at the university compared with salaries at other private universities, California public universities and local commercial employers shows the university paying nonexempt employees approximately 12% less than the outside average. Schneider said.
Exempt employees at the university are paid approximately 9% less than the average for employees elsewhere, he said.
Exempt employees are those who are not covered by the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standard Act.
A classification and salary program has been initiated by the Office of Personnel to assist in distributing money from the $100,000 inequity fund, Schneider said
The program encompasses several points, he said: including:
•All positions covered by the salary program should be evaluated under a position
evaluation scheme to determine their relative importance to each other.
•All positions should define what is required of employees, to assist in training, recruiting and performance evaluation.
•Salary rates or scales should be established for all positions.
•Uniform practices should be
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JOHN H. SCHNEIDER
established for pay policies, including hiring rates' adjustments, transfers, promotions and merit increases.
Under the salary plan, staff positions have been described and placed into one of 11 salary grades. Each grade maintains both maximum and minimum salary levels for employees within it.
Salaries which fall below the established minimums will be adjusted through the inequity fund. The raises will take effect July 1, when the new budget and new fiscal year both begin.
Schneider expects the inequity fund to “take care of the worst cases.” He said between
300 and 400 staff members will be affected. Not every inequity will be solved through the $100,000 inequity fund, he said.
“We’re going to have more equity problems than we have money. We knew this from the beginning,” Schneider said. “We’ll start with the lowest grades and work our way up.”
Each staff member whose salary is adjusted through the inequity fund should also receive departmental raises for next year, including both across-the-board and merit, he said.
Fringe benefits, including tuition remission, increase the total compensation from the university and bring it closer to compensation levels outside the university, Schneider said.
W’hen asked about the recent dispute between the university and the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department over female faculty members’ wages, Schneider said he wasn't involved with the problem and couldn't comment.
The division said last month that the university discriminated against 19 women in the School of Education and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences by not paying them salaries comparable to those of their male colleagues doing similar work.
The university, which could be forced to pay more than $70,000 in wages to the women, is preparing a response for the Wage and Hour Division.
Schneider said the $100,000 inequity fund was clearly marked for staff salary inequities and would not be used in settling the faculty wage dispute.
EXOTIC DANCES—These are only part of the activities planned for International Week. Demonstrations of martial arts will be held at noon today in front of Tommy Trojan, and the International Student Association will present an evening of international songs and entertainment at 8 p.m. in Bovard Auditorium. Admission is free.
Staff women to seek individual pay review
BY ARNOLD BOATNER
The Staff Women’s Caucus plans to present a formal proposal calling for individual Salary reviews for staff members to President John R. Hubbard next month.
The salary review proposal was informally presented to John H. Schneider, director of personnel, earlier this semester, said Ann Morey, spokeswoman for the caucus.
Morey said individual salary reviews would assure that staff employees receive wages that are commensurate with their individual ability and performance.
Morey, a senior research associate in academic administration and research, said that the caucus, which meets monthly, has an area coordinator in almost every major building on campus. The coordinators act as a communications link between the caucus and staff women in their area.
Uniform salaries
One of the four committees which make up the caucus has recommended uniform salaries for jobs that entail the same duties. The Office of Personnel is now in the process of distributing and collecting forms to be completed by all staff persons that will classify jobs by the duties that are performed and set a salary scale for those jobs, Morey said.
She said that individual reviews are necessary because many female staff members fear that they may only be brought up to the minimum salary for their jobs regardless of their past job performance.
She added that a lot ofthe staff positions would be classified as supervisors and coordinators instead of administrative assistants if they were held by men. She said that this is an area that needs to be explored.
Personnel policies
Another committee is concerned with personnel policies and procedures. It has two major areas ofemphasis. The first area is an employee handbook. At the present time, the university has a supervisors’ manual but no manual that outlines employee rules and rgulations, Morey said.
In the past, handbooks for employees were put out by the various departments. Morey said that Schneider has completed a rough draft of an employee manual. She said that the Office of Personnel and the administ-
ration have been very cooperative with the caucus.
The second major area of emphasis is the revision of university policies, particularly those relating to grievances. At present, employees must file a!l grievances with their supervisors. even if the grievances are against the supervisors.
There is no impartial committee hearing for the grievance and there is no appeal board. Morey said. The committee plans to make a formal request in May for the university to adopt the federal guidelines for universities regarding employees.
Career training
The third caucus committee deals with career training and development. This committee and the Office of Personnel are discussing the possibility of a one-day orientation for all new employees. The orientation would be used to welcome new employees and to familiarize them with the university.
The committee is also interested in urging the university to offer courses that could lead to employee advancements and promotions.
In May, the committee will make a formal proposal to the appropriate committees of the President’s Advisory Council to allow employees to take one course per semester with full tuition remission after one year of employment.
At the present time, staff members receive 50 percent tuition remission when they take an audit class, Morey said.
Affirmative action
The fourth committee is concerned with defining the role of affirmative action representatives. It is interested in insuring that affirmative action guidelines have been met in the hiring of new personnel.
The committee will be working with affirmative action representatives and appropriate university committees.
The caucus will sponsor self-assertion training workshops all this semester. Morey said the workshops will help women learn to be assertive without offending anyone.
It is also sponsoring sensitivity-training workshops to raise the level of women’s consciousness.
Morey said the caucus has been pleased with the cooperation of the administrators who have been spoken to.