Let’s Pay Paige

Let’s Pay Paige

My People,

It’s time to increase Paige’s salary.

In each of the past two years while I was on our Board, and before that when I served in various UUCC financial positions, Paige repeatedly suggested in budget meetings that proposed pay increases for the senior minister position be struck from the draft budget so that other deserving programs and staff could be funded at higher levels.  Each time I was impressed and grateful for her generosity.

I think I understand her thinking.  Paige is playing a long game.  She’s been here nearly 15 years and fully intends to stay at least 10 more – until her youngest child graduates high school.  She sees enhancing the congregation’s programmatic offerings in the present as the best path to sustaining its financial health in the future.  I happen to agree.  The question is, who should pay for it?

Senior Minister

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Paige mature in her position.  When a hymn goes awry or other SNAFUs occur in services, meetings or personal interactions, the skill, confidence and poise of an experienced, senior minister show through. Her sermons range from being quite good to “Wow!”  She knows all of our names.  She really cares about all of us.  She does the right things when it would be easier not to.  I value these characteristics.  We haven’t always had it this good. We haven’t always had a minister of her caliber.

UUA Salary Guidelines

UUA puts out salary guidelines for various staff positions that take into consideration tenure, regional costs of living, congregation size and other variables.  For each position, there is a low, mid-level and high compensation range.  After no increases were included in those guidelines last year, a 4 percent increase has been suggested this year.  Even before this most recent increase, Paige was being paid below the guideline’s mid level.  Is she a below-mid-level minister?  Can we agree Paige is above average?

First Friday, January 5

I will be on hand at the First Friday gathering in January (1-5-18) to discuss this and anything else members and friends would like to chat about.  The exact time and OBIC room location will be determined soon.

1-21-18

On January 21, we UUCC members and friends will meet to collectively document our fiscal priorities.  I would like to suggest that Paige be a priority this time.  It’s time.

We shouldn’t raise her pay out of fear that she might leave if we don’t, we should increase it precisely because she’s not going to leave.

So, this time, when Paige suggests that we strike her proposed pay increase to help balance our budget, or to pay other deserving staff, or to enhance whatever it is that should be enhanced, I plan to look her in the eyes and say, “Thanks, dear minister, but not this time.”

In Faith,
Frank Hazzard
UUCC President

8 Comments

  1. Richard Wachterman

    Hi Gene. Nice to hear from you. I wanted to let you know my impression (could be wrong) that this comment section isn’t well followed. I’m going to leave a comment supporting this initiative as well, but I’m also going to post my support on the UUCC newsgroup and Facebook pages.

    Best,

    Rich Wachterman

  2. Suzanne Henig

    Frank, I nearly always agree with you including on this topic. But this is the second time I’ve seen a post in Voices of UUCC on a congregation-specific topic. Isn’t Voices our blog that is open to the public? Can we use the eblast for internal matters in the future and limit our blog to content appropriate for the public?

    • Frank Hazzard

      I hear you, Suzanne. I’m of two minds on this. Perhaps we should be less public about what some might call our internal business. On the other hand, I tend to favor transparency. And letting the world see how we deal with fiscal matters — in this case, that paying our senior minister well is a priority — says a lot about our congregation and its members. I guess I’m a let-it-all-hang-out-there kind of guy. But, you probably already knew that.

  3. Rae Tyler Millman

    Thank you, Frank, for your leadership on this important issue. I totally concur and hope others will jump on board and support a fair pay increase for our Beloved, exceptional senior minister. See you at First Friday!

  4. Norman Hazzard

    You make an excellent point, Frank, and you present your position very well. I fully agree that we should increase Paige’s salary.

  5. Kay and John Baker

    Absolutely! She has done so much for the congregation in terms of increasing members and her presence in the community. She should be compensated.

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