During Joint Finance Committee hearings last month, Delaware State University President Dr. Harry Lee Williams said that his top priority for this fiscal year is pay raises for university employees.
The university and its union representatives will continue to push for higher wages, especially for the lowest-paid employees in the state. Williams has requested $2.2 million, a four percent raise increase for all DSU employees.
About 185 employees are making less than $35,000 a year, and according to Williams, some are even using public assistance.
“We even have some of our employees, and I’m ashamed to say this, who are receiving assistance though other agencies in terms of food stamps and things of that nature,” said Dr. Williams during the hearing last month.
Thousands of state employees on public assistance
DSU isn’t the only institution where employees rely on assistance: Of the 35,000 state employees, about 3,287 received some sort of public assistance last year, according to union officials.
While the exact number of DSU employees on assistance was unavailable, union officials said that its lowest paid employees include custodians, clerical workers and law enforcement officers. READ FULL
