ASUS executive get summer salary raise
ASUS Assembly voted to increase the summer salary for ASUS president and vice-president from $10 to $14 per hour at their Mar. 9 assembly meeting. The motion ed with 15 votes for, four against and no abstentions. It was introduced by current President Bradley Hammond and seconded by current Vice-President Lyndsey Hannigan.
Hammond said the increase was necessary to make the job competitive and attract the best candidates for the position.
“We want the best and brightest to head the faculty society,” he said. “If you want the best people to run the faculty society, you have to make it in their interest to stay here for the summer.”
Hammond said $14 per hour is the current wage for other ASUS summer employees such as the Head Gael and ASUS camp directors, but these positions are not funded by ASUS student fees.
Hammond said the increase was important in of pay equity, and because the Head Gael and camp directors would be reporting to the executive.
He said the executive is expected to put in 37.5 hours a week. Responsibilities include keeping finances in order, strategic planning, getting caught up on University and faculty policy and academic regulations, and creating an agenda for first-year students.
Hammond said the pay increase is a vote of confidence from ASUS Assembly.
“I don’t see this as anyone giving themselves a raise,” he said. “This is something that was action taken by ASUS Assembly for next year’s executives. It’s ASUS assembly’s belief in [the incoming executive] for next year.”
Incoming ASUS President Lindsay Duncan said by staying in Kingston for the summer the executive is giving up summer jobs that its would normally have, and that it’s appropriate that the summer salary should reflect the executive’s summer work as employment.
“Personally, I’m very happy to stay here over the summer and I would willingly work for ASUS for free if I could, but financially that’s not always possible,” she said. “I was having to consider picking up a second job over the summer [but] the wage increase means that I can put my entire summer and my entire self into ASUS.”
—Anna Mehler Paperny
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