Operating Staff Council Meeting
Present:
Susie Ericson-West, Chair
Sheila Kirby, Vice-chair
Deb Ford, Treasurer
Cecil Maxfield, Recorder
Deb Barrett
Deb Logan
Deb Williams
Dee Denehy
Ro Dettelback
Tim Garland
Doug Adler
Kim Harkness, HR director
Approve Minutes:
Minutes unanimously approved from OS Council meeting of 9/11/13
Treasurer’s Report:
OS General Budget
$9,290.00 Total Balance
KSC Operating Staff Internally Designated Fund
$622.33
Operating Staff Dependent Scholarship
$33,369.76
HR Updates:
*** Open Enrollment Benefits Fair and Healthy Returns Program are scheduled for 18 October. Mark your calendars, show up and be healthy.
*** We are reminded to remind our constituents of the upcoming end of the period in which HRA (Health Reimbursement Account) monies must be spent (or face losing the value of any monies left in those accounts). Those accounts must be emptied by 12/31/13.
*** R+30 (Registration plus 30 days) has come and gone. No official word yet on what those numbers are, though anecdotal “heard around campus” perceptions are that we are in good shape, student-retention-wise.
*** Much of meeting with HR director Kim Harkness was devoted to discussion as to how a proposed 3% pool for pay raises might be distributed. It’s important to note that the 3% figure has not yet been approved by USNH Cabinet , so discussion centered around the question of trying to address internal equity deficiencies with a portion of a 3% pool, should that be the figure which is ultimately approved. (There are internal equity deficiencies which need addressing in both OS and PAT positions.) Kim has drafted a couple of proposals as to how some of the deficiencies in OS might be addressed, and was looking for discussion and feedback from OS Council as to the potential effect of each of those proposals. After much discussion and clarification, it was unanimously decided that if the pool for pay raises does come in at 3%, we would advise that some portion of that be carved out to address internal equity deficiencies. Should this come to pass, the Council has also expressed unanimous support for the first of the two options presented, details of which are not currently available for general distribution (but which would be made available pending the ratification of the proposals, of course).
If, however, the 3% pool does not materialize, the Council has expressed a desire to use all of any pool below the 3% mark for compensation for all, without the ‘carve-out’ of some percentage to address internal equity deficiencies.
General OS Meeting
Scheduled for 16 October, 9-10:30 AM; refreshments/social time at 8:45 AM
Agenda to include:
- Statement by Susie Ericson-West about Provost Search and how OS representation came to be
- HR Updates:
- Healthy Returns
- 1% medical cost increase for CY ‘14
- Earned Time Cashout
- Choice Plan (new, high-deductible health insurance option)
- Any other information which may come to light between now and the meeting as regards compensation increases
- Vision Plan: new for CY ‘14
- AFLAC
Committee Reports:
- Safety Committee meeting was canceled (Doug Adler)
- Founders Day Committee will not meet until January 2014 (Deb Ford)
- FPAC has not met for its usual duties in over a year, as it has been immersed in the Master Planning process. Progress is being made on the Master Plan; hopefully the process will be concluded and approved by early 2014. (Cecil Maxfield)
- SPPC will be addressing some language as regards Compassionate Time donations; if memory serves, Section 19.6.3 is the section to be addressed. (Sheila Kirby)
- AFLAC (supplemental insurance) will be at the Benefits Fair, offering their product. Currently, the only rates available to KSC employees is for a single entity (non-group status), and any premiums to be paid to AFLAC would not be taken as a payroll deduction. The effort to get group status (which would then allow a payroll deduction to be taken) is underway and has the support of President Huot. (Sheila Kirby)
- Meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote at 11:50 AM.
