SIU Springfield employees press board for longevity pay and higher wages during public comment

Several Springfield‑area medical center employees addressed the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees during the public comment period on July 10, urging action on longevity pay and higher base wages for lower‑paid clinical and nonclinical staff.

Michelle Barnes, a registered nurse with 36 years’ experience including 19 at SIU’s Springfield campus, called for a structured longevity pay schedule tied to service milestones (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years). “Longevity pay reflects a different but equally vital value and benefit, loyalty, and deep institutional knowledge,” Barnes said, asking the board to ensure increases are “meaningful, not symbolic.” She described being passed over under a prior longevity implementation because a title change excluded her, and said staff morale and retention suffer when long service is not recognized.

Amanda French, vice president of Unit 2 of Local 370, told the board many support staff hold multiple jobs to make ends meet and that a one‑time $500 longevity payment and a 2.5% raise are insufficient. “I have four jobs to keep the cost of living on my family,” she said, describing utility and grocery price rises and saying about 40% of union members hold two or more jobs.

Erman (Merrick) Shave, an LPN and union member, said low pay undermines clinic operations and staff well‑being. “For $16 an hour, how is that fair to anybody?” he said, listing heavy workloads, safety incidents and emotional strain. Shave told trustees one long‑time employee makes $20 an hour after 20 years of service and said that compensation levels were not keeping pace with cost of living.

Why it matters: board decisions on compensation, bargaining and budget priorities directly affect retention and operations at the SIU School of Medicine and affiliated clinics. Speakers urged the trustees to consider structured longevity increases and living wages as retention strategies that also support patient continuity and quality of care.

What the board and staff said: Trustees received the comments during the public comment period; the board did not take action during the meeting. Several speakers described specific consequences of low pay for morale, turnover, and family life and requested equitable application of any longevity schedule across roles and classifications.

What’s next: The comments were entered into the public record. Several speakers asked the board to pursue equitable longevity pay and living‑wage increases; implementation would require coordination with university HR, collective bargaining (where applicable), and budget planning.