George,

I am not an economist. Maintaining a checkbook is a stretch for me. But I do question why UVA, W & M, and VA Tech would agree to take LESS state money in exchange for freedom from state regulations. For years and years the schools have been crying about money. There has been a plan in place for many years (the pay for personality plan) to give raises to employees yet it is rarely done because they have no money-so they say. Always a big hang up in HR in getting folks more money. Now all of a sudden they WANT to be able to give raises to their employees. They have been able to for years and they haven't. Without state mandated, legislature-mandated raises, I'm afraid regular long time employees will go for years without a raise-just like the medical center has. People serve as civil servants for a few reasons, security, benefits, retirement and GUARANTEED raises. Private sector employees are at the mercy of their employers-just like at the medical center. Faculty at UVA is already given annual raises every year other than the legislature-mandated ones. But when it comes to raises (inband adjustments they are called) for staff none of the schools and departments have any money. So now they want to make it on less money??? Or will they be allowed to dig into their billion-dollar endowment for raises for staff? Better question WILL they? Doubtful. Got buildings to build, faculty to pay, raises for administrators to pay, the funding of useless programs, health care plan to bail out. Plenty of uses for that billion dollars other than raises for classified staff.

Why is everyone so anxious to get out of "state regulations"? Why would not having to adhere to state guidelines save so much money? I thought, perhaps incorrectly, that the state of VA with its billion $ deficit was becoming a lean, money saving machine. Exactly HOW MUCH money would these 3 schools save by not having to abide by state guidelines? I am not sure what "cutting down on bureaucracy and duplication" means. Sounds like an excuse to me so the schools won't be held accountable for their actions. Cronyism at its finest. Scary thought. And I just guess parents are supposed to TRUST the Board of Visitors to only raise tuition modestly. Actually, I was under the impression that UVA was allowed to raise their tuition now after the freeze came off a few years ago.

But by far the most frightening issue in my opinion is the Human Resources department not being held accountable to the state or following state HR guidelines. Completely running amuck. Who exactly-and at what cost- would "create its own, less cumbersome personnel records system"? In 1996 when the nightmare at the hospital began with their "codified autonomy", personnel was the first thing to be changed-immediately. New handbooks with all kinds of bizarre rules and regulations, like "occurrences" and having to fill out a FMLA form for missing one day because of a cold or migraine headache or a sick child. Or forcing employees to run to the doctor (and pay their co-pay of $10-now $15 into UVA's coffers) for a cold and getting a doctor's excuse-so they won't get a dreaded occurrence. After 5 or 6 of these "occurrences" you are fired. Funny thing is, the people at the hospital are doing this and trying to abide by the rules but are STILL getting occurrences, even with a doctor's note. I think it is impossible to call in sick 3 or 4 days beforehand, get a doctor's excuse, and fill out a FMLA form BEFORE you get sick. Could be a huge problem if you have a chronically ill child or parent to take care of. PTO-paid time off, which usually leaves a pregnant employee to take her six week maternity leave off with no pay because there isn't a mechanism in place to save up time OR you can go out on short term disability for a fraction of your salary. I know I couldn't live on 1/3 of my salary. Then of course if the new baby happens to be sickly then you really have a problem because you have no time or again, the vicious circle with the occurrences. Then you get to pick between your child and your job. Totally ridiculous policies, written by one person whose name I won't mention in this forum. I am QUITE sure that she doesn't have to work under these Nazi-like rules. I believe the academic side employees would be up in arms if forced to go by the same rules and policies that the hospital has. I would hope they would be. Below is a quote from a hospital worker. Kind of says it all:

"Just wanted to emphasize the isolation of employees - that codified autonomy takes away any rights being a state employee gives, while still keeping them unable to function like workers for private enterprise. State workers do not have certain rights because they have certain privileges within the system - don't have the right to strike or collective bargain, but also can't be fired right off the bat, and have decent health care, paid leave and other benefits. Codified autonomy keeps the inability to strike or collective bargain, but puts the benefits at risk."

So these state employees will be most likely stripped of a good part of their state worker rights but not QUITE put into private sector. So they won't have the rights of a private sector employee like collective bargaining, striking, NLRB protection AND they will barely have any rights under the state. So tell me again how can UVA say this won't affect employees???? But I bet you my bottom dollar one thing that WILL remain state mandated is the state grievance system-because it suits UVA. That would be the system where 98% of the decisions are found in favor of the state agency. That system where only two people out of a hundred win a grievance. I won't even go into the retirement and what will happen with that. That's a whole other story.

And last but certainly not least, why are the details "hazy"??? The General Assembly opens in two days. Could it be that these three schools don't want anyone to read the gory details or to be advised of who is the patron for this bill? So it can glide right on through the GA with no one noticing? And why is UVA spending more time talking to the press rather than talking to their employees about how this will affect them??? Oh, I forgot, this won't affect them.

If I were still a UVA employee I would be REAL worried. I would be opening my mouth at employee councils, asking questions, calling legislators, writing Governor Warner, writing John Casteen and Leonard Sandridge and of course joining the union. Wondering why I even found out about this from an article in the newspaper or a person standing up at the legislative forum asking about it instead of MY employer telling me about it.

And people wonder why we need a union at UVA? Seems obvious to me. Would employees even have any clue of this if the Daily Progress and SUUVA/CWA hadn't stepped out in front and exposed it?

I hope Mr. Jefferson isn't watching.

Jan Cornell (electronic mail, January 12, 2003)
President
Staff Union at the University of Virginia
Communications Workers of America

Editor's Note: For related articles, see A New Kind of Academic Freedom, 3 Public Universities Try to Ease Va.'s Reins, and Schools to Fight for Charter Status.