Editor
I would like to make one correction in you article entitled, “Unions accept 6.5 percent increase.” Your final comment, “....but we have shut down merit pay and are now on a level playing field,” is not a fair representation of the union position during the recent contract negotiations.
At the outset of these negotiations, the United Staff of UNM had made a bid to get an across-the-board increase that would include the possibility of performance-based pay based on the most recent performance evaluations. But in the interest of getting the 6.5 percent delivered on time, the negotiating team gave up the possibility of merit pay in the 2001-2002. There was no deliberate attempt to “shut down” merit pay.
In any case, we left in the possibility for employees in our bargaining unit to apply for “equity” pay if they are being paid below where they should be in the salary scale based on their years at UNM, education and experience.
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-Harry Norton
US-UNM Spokesperson
Editor’s Note: In the June 28-July 4 issue, the Daily Lobo incorrectly attributed information about the union’s position on merit pay to union spokesman Terry Mulcahy. The error was made in editing.
