Study shows large pay gap in UC system

By Ed Joyce / Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published February 2, 2006 at 9:00 PM PST

This story was published more than 18 years ago.

A study by a University of California employee union shows a big gap between the lowest and highest-paid workers in the UC system compared to the state's other public colleges. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce

A study by a University of California employee union shows a big gap between the lowest and highest-paid workers in the UC system compared to the state's other public colleges. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees' study says top
UC executives earned up to 73 percent more than those in the Cal-State University system and up to 94 percent more than those in the community college system.

But UC spokesman Noel Van Nyhuis says the wage comparisons aren't fair since the system has to compete for talent and employees. He also says the executives
base salaries were found to be less than those at other public research institutions.

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Van Myhuis: Mercer Human Resources Consulting conducted an extensive study of total compensation at UC and found that UC is generally at market comparable levels in total compensation when employee health and retirement benefits are factored in.

He says the UC is now studying the total compensation given to all employees,
including cash salaries, health benefits and retirement.

The employee union represents about 18,000 UC food service, custodial and other workers. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.

Ed Joyce

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Ed Joyce was the environment reporter and afternoon news anchor for KPBS-FM. Before joining KPBS, he worked as an editor/columnist with Copley News Service in San Diego. Ed has an extensive background in newspaper, radio, web and TV journalism. After graduating with a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington in Seattle, Ed began a career in broadcast journalism. His work has included stints in public broadcasting, commercial broadcasting and education -- working as an affiliate professor of communication and reporter at the University of Idaho and Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. During the past 20 years he has worked in radio, TV and print as a news reporter, anchor, writer, editor and producer. Along the way he has won numerous awards for general news reporting, newswriting, feature and issue reporting and breaking news reporting from The Associated Press, The Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Press Club and other organizations. During the mid-1990s, while working for Oregon Public Broadcasting, he was a frequent contributor to National Public Radio, including a feature report on the memorial service for 14 U.S. Forest Service "hotshots" who died fighting a wildfire in Colorado (the crew was based in a central Oregon town). He’s also filed reports with Marketplace, KQED’s California Report and Climate Watch and with national and regional networks throughout the United States. At KPBS, Ed continues his contributions to National Public Radio and other national and regional news organizations. He has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and San Diego Press Club for his environmental reporting at KPBS-FM-TV and for producing and anchoring radio newscasts. In 2007 he was selected a National Press Foundation fellow for Understanding Violent Weather II program. The seminars were held at the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. In 2008 he spoke at a UC San Diego conference on U.S. National Security as part of the school’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. Ed led a discussion with the 18 foreign government officials and academics about the political debate over climate change. In 2010, Ed was elected to a three-year term on the board of the San Diego Press Club.

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