Here we are falling down the Rabbit Hole again, the place where nothing makes any sense. Except in this case, although failing to be informed of critical information, we can only surmise events, fueled by rage.

Question: Why was Rebecca Wyke job hunting?

Question: Does she see herself as indispensable to University of Maine System?

Question: Why did the system conclude that she is indispensable?

Considering the financial turmoil the university is experiencing and foisting on its employees, a sense of loyalty on her part would seem a more appropriate action. Is she receiving a 25 percent raise because there is no other person on earth that can do her job? It’s a well-known strategy in academia and business to use a better offer to gain a raise. Given that she is well aware of these facts, we question her loyalty to the university.

And we further question the university’s actions to succumb to her threat to depart. I don’t know what the financial impact will be, but the act in itself increases the university’s image of having a priority of preserving administration. As we understand it, the laid-off employees have been rehired but have to come up with a plan to engender a budget that will cover the costs of the rehire.

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Could that be considered giving with one hand while taking away with the other? We have a better plan. How about everyone agreeing to a minimum of a 1 percent reduction in pay? What would that generate? Or better yet, reductions based on salary. For example, a 5 percent reduction on say, a $205,000 salary, would generate $10,250.00. Unfortunately we were unable to find the budget for USM employees so can’t project what reducing salaries would generate. As former educators, color us disgusted.

Mark and Rachel Schwartz

South Portland

 


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