Senator addresses staff concerns

From health benefits to a salary schedule, Marshall's Classified Staff Council has questions, and Sen. Robert Plymale has some answers.

In a special meeting Tuesday, the council met with Plymale, D-Wayne, to discuss a range of issues and voice concerns over various matters concerning higher education.

Nina L. Barrett, president of the Classified Staff Council, said she understands the importance of allowing the staff council to interact with state legislators.

"Prior to each legislative session, we bring in a different legislator each month. During the meetings, we share our concerns over higher education and share with them a wish list of ideas," Barrett said.

Plymale is the vice chairman of the Senate Education Committee and also serves as a member on the Finance Committee.

Plymale addressed Senate Bill 653 and the Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA), two key programs affecting classified employees at Marshall.

Senate Bill 653, introduced Feb. 21, is a 165-page bill based on a study conducted by the West Virginia Legislature and by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). The report says the state's public colleges and universities are underfunded when compared with peer institutions nationally.

"Marshall has elevated to beyond a regional university," Plymale said. "Marshall has been shortchanged from the tuition side. Tuition charges lead to the amount of staff a university can have."

One of the main problems as a result of Senate Bill 653 is that no salary schedule has been established for classified employees. "I am concerned about how

we transition to Bill 653 but maintain fair and equal salaries," Plymale said.

Salary schedules are used to establish salaries and raises for all classified staff positions, regardless of the college or university.

"A secretary should be paid the same no matter where they work, but it is not that way," Barrett said.

"The consensus is to place a new salary schedule in Senate Bill 653. Other classified staff councils need to contact legislators and make this a priority and deadlines must be set to get it done," said Plymale.

As Plymale concluded his discussion of the salary schedule, council members wanted the senator's views about PEIA.

"The legislature has made commitments to PEIA and the state cannot afford it. In about six to eight years, there will be 80 million dollars in shortfall for the program," Plymale said.

PEIA is the state-operated health insurance program that provides health insurance coverage and benefits to approximately 200,000 public employees, retirees, and their dependents each year.

Some of the money West Virginia received from the federal tobacco settlement was placed into PEIA, but according to Plymale, only 5.6-5.8 million dollars was given to the program.

The rise in prices for pharmaceuticals has placed a strain on the PEIA program, and Plymale does not understand why prices for prescription drugs in West Virginia have dramatically increased.

"In West Virginia, because of the age of our population, pharmaceuticals have increased 18-22%. The national average is 8-10%."

"The drug companies justify increasing prices by saying it costs so much for research and development of drugs. I have looked into the matter, and that is not so," Plymale said.

Council member Leonard Lovely questioned the coverage of PEIA. "If we are paying more and more for health benefits, why does the state not pay for optical and dental plans?"

Plymale responded, "My feeling is that there will be no increased cost in PEIA this year."

Sen. Plymale assured the council that the issues discussed at the special meeting were being addressed by the legislature.

"The senate and the house education staff are working overtime on Senate Bill 653, PEIA, and the salary schedule. Employees are our first priority."

The next meeting for the Classified Staff Council will be September 21.