Students employed through the graduate assistant program have threatened to quit their jobs as a result of the current payroll issues. But the problem extends beyond the journalism school. Many adjunct professors, teaching assistants and OPS employees have not received a single paycheck this semester."We have no contracts, so technically we have no job," said Ghislaine Lewis, a graduate journalism student from Kingston, Jamaica.
Michael Abrams, journalism professor and graduate adviser for the school of journalism, said the problem began when the main person in charge of graduate contracts in the University's administration office was dismissed.
"There is a problem somewhere in the budget office," Abrams said. "There are not enough people working."
Abrams said he believes the graduate assistants are a vital part of the program and the administration should make more of an effort to ensure they are compensated for their services.
"We're all very disappointed with this situation," he said.
Continue reading: Grad workers
Check isn't in the mail
No pay for TAs and Adjuncts
Checks short/TAs go without
Some professors not being paid
absolutely unacceptable...that's a damn shame...take it out of casthell's cut!
ReplyDeletegreat idea.
ReplyDeleteHow about we use the money the BOT has donated over the years to cover the costs?
Yelp Janie Greenleaf fired the six payroll folks in the office of personnel about three weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteHere are your rights:
ReplyDeleteEmployers may pay employees more frequently than mandated by state payday law provisions or regulations, but not less, except when a state allows exceptions*.
Payday requirements vary by state. But most states require employers to pay employees within one of the traditional payday periods listed as follows weekly, every two weeks (biweekly), once monthly**, or twice monthly (semimonthly).
Should your employer fail to pay you regularly according to state minimum payday requirements or per the employer's own policy or habit, the wage and hour (or equivalent) division of the relevant state labor department might help you to correct the problem. Otherwise, consider consulting an attorney.
In reference to FAMU:
The state no longer cuts the pay checks for FAMU employees; therefore this matter no longer falls under state jurisdiction and therefore becomes a matter that falls under federal jurisdiction. I would advise anyone that is being affected by the situation to contact 866.487.9243 and ask to be transferred to the Jacksonville, FL Area Office of the U.S. Department of Labor and file a complaint.
*As far as I know, no exceptions have been made here.
**According to Florida State Labor Laws, employers within the state of Florida must pay employees at least once a month.
Why in the world would you fire people and there are no replacements for the fired personnel? Greenleaf may have done the firing CVB authorized this mess.
ReplyDeleteJust a few questions that any graduate assistant not getting a paycheck could answer for me: What exactly is your obligation to FAMU? Why is it that you feel as though you have to attend a conference and represent a university that has not paid you one single paycheck this year? You complain about not having money to pay your rent and bills, but then you chose to turn around a pay your way to a conference, so that you will not let FAMU down? If that is not some crazy stuff, I don't know what is.
ReplyDelete^^^^^
ReplyDeleteim not a grad student but I take it that thoe grad students are thinking long term...they stepped outside of themseleves and their "short-term" hardships for the betterment of themeselves and our illustrious university. Apt times these conferences are funded by the departments or from sponsors. These students and adjuncts and whomeever else who arent being paid shoudl be aplauded for resilience. I sure am proud of them. They stepped outside of themselves...Surely casthell and comapny havent done the same...we all can attest to that ;)
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ReplyDeletenot to mention that at these conferences you give research presentations to other high up folks in academia and industry, thus raising your own value once you graduate. It also gives you a chance to see what the competition is up to in your field, thus making sure your research is keeping up.
Staying on for this conference is a great idea for the grad students. Do the conference, then haul ass.
If the department can fund the students for the conference, why can't they pay them? Why is the University willing and able to fund students for activities that benefit the university but can't pay the students because paying them only benefits the students? Also, not being paid for a month and a half is not a "short-term" hardship. The consequences of not being paid for such a long time can impact a person for years to come. You must be one of Castell's P.R. agents, trying to minimize the seriousness of the situation.
ReplyDeleteSince when did it become resilient to work without pay? I call that being a fool.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a graduate student, but I have worked as an adjunct when I wasn't paid on time. I can say that perhaps a great deal of preparation has gone into the graduate students' work in terms of preparaing for the conference, and to simply walk away is not an easy thing to do. There are a multitude of reasons that people attend conferences such as the one the students still feel obligated to attend. There's the networking aspect of being there, there are lifelong friendships that are formed, you get to see what kind of research/scholarship is in the field, you also get to make connections with other professionals which, if you play your cards right, will be of long-lasting benefit. While not being paid is certainly a very difficult pill to swallow when you are in serious need of money, the monetary aspect of attending a conference in which you have prepped yourself for is second to the benefits of what you may gain from having stepped above the decision not to attend because the university has not fulfilled its monetary obligation. Money isn't everything, or none of us would even be at the uiversity in the first place.You can't buy intelligence or common sense.
ReplyDeleteAs one of the J-School grad students, the conference doesn't cost us anything but Ghislaine, in particular, has been working on this thing for so long, and she doesn't want to leave the professor she works for hanging b/c at the end of the day it's not her (the professor's) fault.
ReplyDeleteLast semester it took us a month to get paid but we had contracts in place. This semester we don't have contracts yet and that's the big problem. ;Cause everytime payday comes up we hear the same thing: We don't have your contracts.
I can relate jj. I'm an adjunct instructor and I have a contract. It just "mysteriously" got lost after the provost signed off on it and never made it to payroll. But I do pray that you all abandon your positions following this conference.
ReplyDeleteQuit! Hell the University quit on them, when they decided not to pay these folks.
ReplyDeleteyeah. We all love you, but this is not a good time to be in grad school at FAMU. People just can't live like this. you all have too many options to put up with this mess.
ReplyDeleteI am a white professor. I am relieved to know that my lack of pay was not racially motivated.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely call the Jacksonville, FL Area Office of the U.S. Department of Labor and file a complaint.
This has happened to me EVERY time I have had a new contract. Its not right.