Staff Benefits Added

In stating priorities for the College in his inaugural address last March 1, President Kemeny said, “My first priority will be to provide a decent standard of living for all those who serve the institution.”

In addition to salary increases for staff employees, effective July 1, the College put into effect more liberal vacation and leave policies. A fourth week of paid vacation has been added for those employees whose continuous service is at least 15 years on June 30 of each year. Two additional paid holidays have been added, annual sick leave has been increased to one day a month, personal leave not taken by June 30 each year will no longer be lost but will be added to accumulated sick leave up to a maximum of 90 days, and in unusual circumstances bereavement leave may be extended beyond the 3- day maximum.

During the summer the College signed a new two-year contract with the Dartmouth College Employees’ Union (Local 560 of the Service Employees’ International Union, AFL-CIO). The agreement called for a wage increase ranging from 20 to 24 cents an hour the first year and from 22 to 26 cents an hour the second year. After comple- tion of a three-months probationary period, the minimum hourly wage for all employees represented by the union is to be $2.46, except for Dining Association employees who get meals and longer vacations. Additional bene- fits under the new contract include an extra holiday and liberalized vacation, sick leave, and severance pay provi- sions.

Agreement was reached on a modi- fied Union Shop. New employees will be required to join the union after the three-month probationary period, and present employees not members of the union will continue to have the right to decide whether to join.