Civil service employees urge trustees for larger raises, cite rising costs and morale problems

At the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees full meeting Oct. 25, more than a half dozen civil service employees and supporters used the allotted public comment time to press trustees for higher wages, cite cost‑of‑living pressures and warn that morale and retention are suffering.

Why it matters: civil service employees keep many daily university operations running; their pay and retention affect student services, billing, payroll and research administration. Multiple speakers told trustees that modest percentage increases have not kept pace with inflation and rising insurance costs.

What speakers said

Terry Richardson, president of the Association of Civil Service Employees (ACSE) at SIU Carbondale, told trustees that more than half of ACSE members are eligible for SNAP benefits and that many members need a second job. "That, to me, looks like it's placing the blame on the employees rather than the employer for simply not paying enough," Richardson said. He told trustees that previously approved administrative bonuses—though funded via the foundation, not the operating budget—create frustration among rank‑and‑file staff.

Kathy Lilly, ACSE secretary and a member of the bargaining team, described a career spanning decades at SIU and said returning retirees and long‑time employees are not being rewarded for institutional knowledge. Lilly said negotiators delayed salary talks pending a compensation study and that the administration's counterproposal spreadsheets contained errors. "These errors were brought to our attention to our team," she said, and urged campus leaders to meet with bargaining teams between sessions.

Rhonda Radford, an ACSE representative and Carbondale accountant, cited U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures referenced in her remarks and said local price increases for food, utilities and medical care are straining staff. She said the average ACSE employee carries long tenures (about 11.9 years on average) but the university has seen turnover due to inadequate wages.

Other speakers included admissions and advising staff who described high workloads, service responsibilities to students and families, and the need for stability to retain student‑facing employees. Chris Ortolano, a Navy veteran who works in admissions processing, urged the board to provide "stability" for staff and students; academic advisors said recruitment and retention of advising staff is at a crisis point.

Board response and next steps

Trustees allotted three minutes per speaker in the full meeting's public comment slot to allow eleven speakers to be heard within the timeframe. Trustees did not take any immediate votes in response to the public comments; the remarks were recorded in the meeting record and will accompany the meeting packet.

Speakers (selected)

- Terry Richardson, President, Association of Civil Service Employees (ACSE), SIU Carbondale (public comment) - Kathy Lilly, ACSE secretary and bargaining team member (public comment) - Rhonda Radford, ACSE representative, accountant, SIU Carbondale (public comment) - Chris Ortolano, Admissions Processing & Decisions (public comment) - Matt Sronkowski, Academic Advisor, SIU Carbondale (public comment)

Clarifying details

- ACSE members' average tenure reported in public comment: 11.9 years (speaker statement). Speakers cited inflation measures and specific price upticks for food, housing and utilities noted from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; trustees were not asked to vote on a specific compensation proposal during the meeting.

Proper names

- Association of Civil Service Employees (ACSE) - Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Provenance

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