The need to continue regular salary increases based on merit. The need to keep overall salaries competitive with market levels and peer groups. Cunningham noted that Civil Service positions are compared with other public universities in the State Universities Civil Service System and also with other state agencies. Acknowledgment of a steady rise in the cost of living in northern Illinois and specifically in the DeKalb metropolitan area. On April 9, he presented the plan to NIU's Operating Staff Council, which represents approximately 1,800 Civil Service employees.
Clerical employees make up the largest constituency within that group.
Statistically, the salaries of NIU clerical employees are further below salaries paid to comparable staff among Illinois public institutions than are other classifications and position types. We would like to acknowledge the unanimous support this program has received from the University Council's Resource, Space and Budget Committee. We would also like to thank the Board of Trustees and Administration for their commitment to fund this program regardless of the State's contributions. Secretarial Task Force chair, Dale Parkhouse, notes that the group has been working in close cooperation with Human Resource Services on this critical issue of salary enhancement for the clerical classes. The Secretarial Task Force fully supports this program for all clericals and we are very pleased to have been, and continue to be, a part of these proactive efforts to address market equity for this essential sector of the staff.