SWIC board approves raises for employees

The Southwestern Illinois College Board of Trustees approved raises for nearly 287 employees Wednesday.

Included were a $15,500 raise for SWIC’s Director of Athletics Mike Juenger to $65,500 and raises of 3 percent for administrative, office and technological employees.

The “287 employees who did not receive a pay increase in fiscal year 2015, which covers July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, will receive a 3 percent retroactive raise and a 3 percent increase for fiscal year 2016,” which covers July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, according to school spokesman Mike Fleming. “The increase applies to: 144 full-time administrators; 8 office and technical staff; and 120 other non-administrative employees not covered by one of the colleges’ seven collective bargaining units.”

Employees not hired before July 1 received no raises.

According to school leaders, the hike for the athletic director position is due to additional duties being added and to make it commensurate with other department directors’ pay.

In other business Wednesday, the Board of Trustees voted:

▪  To amend the school’s tobacco-free campus policy.

According to SWIC vice president Bernie Ysursa, the policy was changed to allow people to smoke inside their personal vehicles on campus.

▪ To approve a contract with Ittner Professional Services for $50,870 for site drainage and building envelop improvements at SWIC’s Red Bud campus.

▪ To create a full-time administrative position of account executive for SWIC’s Selsius training programs. The position will pay $73,000 a year.

▪ To convert a non-commissioned public safety officer position at SWIC’s Sam Wolf Granite City campus to a commissioned position.

▪ Announced a special hearing Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. regarding the 2016 fiscal year budget

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 7:09 AM with the headline "SWIC board approves raises for employees."