UI finalizes furlough plans to offset coronavirus budget issues

University of Idaho President Scott Green released finalized plans for a mandatory furlough program last week intended to address a 5-percent budgetary holdback related to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, leaders with the local affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers expressed disappointment the move did not exempt university employees who earn less than $40,000 a year, among other complaints. The union also said Green took an 8-percent cut to his salary rather than the 10 percent they recommended.

“I find it unfortunate that this administration doesn’t see fit to exclude people (who earn) under $40,000 a year,” said AFT President Dale Graden. “It’s not a burden on people above that income and it follows the model of Idaho State and Boise State, so maybe it’s a reflection of some cultural values — this idea that everybody has to be a stakeholder — but I don’t buy it.”

In May, Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced a new plan to reduce education funding in the state by about 5 percent in response to the fiscal fallout of COVID-19. The reduction will take effect at the start of fiscal year 2021 on July 1.

The cut comes as the UI continues to grapple with budgetary shortfalls of its own, as well as 1 percent and 2 percent holdbacks handed down by the state for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Under the UI’s original proposal, all UI employees would gave been required to take a minimum of 24 furlough hours. In response, the AFT released an analysis calling for smaller burdens on the university’s lowest-earners and that Green himself accept a pay reduction of 10 percent. Graden noted other state-funded higher education institutions in Idaho cut their presidents’ salaries by 10 percent.

In his memo last week, Green said input from the faculty and staff were considered in crafting a final plan. Due in part to this input, he said the minimum number of furlough hours required of UI employees was lowered to eight.

“It is important that we meet this challenge in a united way, therefore everyone should participate,” Green said in a statement. “Those who make the least are asked to give just one day to the effort. While furloughs are never easy, this move will allow us to meet the one-time holdback from the state while retaining jobs.”

Graden said the model handed down by UI administrators doesn’t go far enough. He said the proposal set forth by the union, which later received support from the UI’s Faculty Senate, was fair in its own right.

“I thought we offered a very nice model … as did, clearly, the recommendation from the (Faculty) Senate,” Graden said. “This adds to the distrust of an administration — it adds to a long-term distrust of the financial people at the University of Idaho.”

Scott Jackson can be reached by email to sjackson@dnews.com.