Limited term employee reforms moving forward

The University of Wisconsin–Madison continues to move forward with a plan to reform its use of Limited Term Employees (LTEs), Vice Chancellor for Administration Darrell Bazzell announced Monday.

Bazzell addressed the final meeting of the LTE Collaboration Group, an advisory body composed of students, staff and LTEs proposing long-term changes in UW–Madison’s use of LTEs. A proposal from the group was circulated to the campus community over the summer.

“In the past few months, we have received positive feedback on this effort from many labor and governance groups across the campus community,” Bazzell says. “Based on that input, we’ve made some minor changes to our plan, but our basic intent will stay the same.”

The plan will be forwarded to Chancellor John Wiley for final approval in the next few weeks. The collaboration group’s plan consists of three parts:

• Designating two types of functions, seasonal and irregular, as appropriate activities for units to create LTE appointments. The net effect of the move would be to reduce the number of LTEs for the future, except in appropriate areas.
• Converting 95 percent of all inappropriate LTE appointments over a six-year period. That effort would apply to current LTE positions funded by sources allowing for the creation of an FTE (Full Time Equivalent) position.

For LTE positions funded by state dollars requiring Department of Administration involvement to create an FTE, UW–Madison would pursue conversion of at least 20 percent of those positions in each biennial budget submittal until the issue is corrected.

A “snapshot” of the current number of LTEs will be taken at the end of September and used as a benchmark to measure how successful the campus has been in reducing LTEs that don’t fit the “irregular or seasonal” definitions.

The plan would ensure LTEs are paid at least the “living wage” defined by the City of Madison as 110 percent of federal poverty rate for a family of four (currently $10.23 per hour). Through this pay increase, employees in LTE appointments, who often use the LTE position as their primary employment, would have the means to support themselves and their families.

There are approximately 2,500 LTE appointments on the UW–Madison campus, providing services to numerous units ranging from the athletic department to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).

The basic intent of an LTE appointment is to give campus units the ability to hire short-term employees to carry out sporadic or seasonal work. LTEs are limited to no more than 1,043 hours, or six months of full-time work, per year.

However, over time, pressures to reduce permanent positions have resulted in some LTEs working half-time over long periods without becoming permanent employees.

More information on how the proposed changes will affect LTEs and the rest of the campus community will be forthcoming as the plan heads toward final approval.

To give feedback or ask questions, email Mark Walters.