Southern Miss announced a pay increase for campus workers Wednesday following a rally two weeks prior during which workers marched for a $15 hourly wage.
Though the increase is not the $15 hourly wage workers called for, the minimum hourly rate of $10.10 will be increased to $11.25.
In addition, benefit-eligible employees hired prior to Jan. 1 will receive a 3% pay increase, with limited exceptions, according to an email from Southern Miss President Rodney Bennett.
The pay increases will take effect July 1 for salaried staff and 12-month faculty, July 9 for hourly staff and Sept. 1 for nine-month faculty.
A plan has also been approved to increase graduate assistant stipends by $1,500 per year for the next three years, beginning with fall 2022, with the goal of raising graduate assistant stipends to $11,700.
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Bennett thanked employees who marched May 5 and delivered their request for a $15 hourly wage to the Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building, adding that a multi-year plan would be required to increase the minimum hourly wage to $15.
“Although I am unable to commit future institutional funds outside of what was made possible by this year’s additional legislative allocation, I am pleased that we were able to make meaningful progress in raising the minimum hourly rate for benefit-eligible employees to $11.25 per hour,” Bennett said.
The raise was made possible through new funds allocated by the Mississippi Legislature and planned adjustments in graduate assistant stipends.
“I am grateful to the Legislature for their support of the university’s efforts to recruit and retain highly qualified faculty and staff,” Bennett said.
“I also appreciate the diligent, detailed work of University Human Resources in ensuring as many employees as possible are able to benefit from these pay adjustments when considering multiple types of funding sources.”
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Eligible employees will receive an official notification letter from University Human Resources in July to confirm their updated pay amount.
“I am very proud of how far we have come as an institution with regard to faculty and staff compensation, and I again want to thank University Human Resources as well as each dean, director and department head who is actively engaged in this important work,” Bennett said.
Contact reporter Laurel Thrailkill at [email protected] or on Twitter.
