Alert from University of Alaska Southeast )
A source just shared news from the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). We are sharing their account (with very slightly changes for flow and anonymity). This is what they had to say:
[UAS Chancellor] Aparna Palmer released notice of a new role for Executive Assistant Abi Spofford – Chief of Staff:
“This [old] role was too narrow to enable her to lead broad and critical projects such as process improvement. A few months ago with the help of HR Staff, Abi embarked in a Career Development Plan that would transition her to the new role ‘Chief of Staff.’
“Abi will now be a full member of the Executive Cabinet and will continue her work on strategic planning, incident management, creating policies, etc.”
A FAQ states, “the position description for Chief of Staff overlaps terms of responsibilities to the Executive Assistant, but also enables the person to lead special projects in the UAS System. It is not an Executive position even though she sits on the Executive Cabinet. This does not mean she’s in charge of Staff. This role exists to assist leadership in large-scale initiatives, and not change supervisory responsibilities.”
Abi has just 1 year under her belt at UAS and was given such a high position that she’s now been awarded a salary equivalent to the directors.
Staff are beginning to realize that even employees who have been in the UAS system for over 10 years have been denied Career Development opportunities. They have been denied raises, required to perform supervisor duties without being supervisors, and have had to take on additional tasks as the Southeast campus downsizes.
Publicizing this is not an attack towards Abi and shouldn’t be seen as such. We only want to show how much our system is flawed. If anything, our criticism is directed towards the Chancellor and/or HR and UA Statewide.
As our contact writes, the solution is not to stigmatize those like Abi who – presumably deservingly – get ahead. Our concern is for those left behind, crushed with increased workloads, eking by with declining real wages, and who see no way forward for themselves and their families.
But there is a way forward: the united, militant struggle of the entire UA workforce. Collective action.
Plead for better pay and treatment all you want. As long as you act as 1 out of 6,000 employees, you will be ignored, or maybe even driven out. But when you join with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of coworkers to form a clenched fist ready to strike, only then can we go from pleading to demanding.
Join us in fighting for our livelihoods!