Reader jw, a fellow MnSCU faculty, points out this salary study that was recently completed by a joint taskforce of MnSCU and the faculty organization. On its last page it has eight recommendations, the last three of which are fascinating.

6. explore the possibility of modifying the periodic salary equity studies conducted pursuantto the Master Agreement so that those studies consider external salary data in addition to the attributes of current faculty members, and;

7. consider creation of an additional process to allow for review-based salary increases at regular intervals under a process similar to that used for promotion in rank;

8. recognize that base salaries for new hires vary by discipline and use external salary data as a guide in establishing the initial salaries of new hires at or above the national average for the discipline, where appropriate.

That looks like market adjustment, merit pay, and recognition of markets in initial hiring. We barely have the third one in our contract now, and we do not have the first two. Are they serious? Back to dropping my head on the keyboard.