The salaries of the six Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) executives will increase by an estimated 2.7 per cent instead of the initially proposed 11.2 per cent after a council vote Aug. 27.
The executive honoraria were initially debated at a previous emergency council meeting on Aug. 6.
Executives usually see a minor pay increase every year connected to Ottawa’s consumer price index (CPI). The CPI between June 2013-14 sits at approximately 2.7 per cent, according to public affairs and policy management councillor Gennesse Walker-Scace.
The budget includes a raise in the executives’ salaries from last year by 6.7 per cent in addition to the usual CPI increase. That would mean a collective increase of 11.2 per cent to the honoraria, according to the budget.
The honoraria was to be increased from $187,057 to $208,000. In the 2013-14 school year, the executives were actually paid an extra $7,066 than what was originally budgeted.
CUSA president Folarin Odunayo said this budget does not really reflect an 11 per cent increase in pay since the executives were paid more than was budgeted last year.
“This budget change is to more accurately reflect reality,” he said.
Walker-Scace suggested that executive salary should only be raised according to the CPI.
The executives are paid as a lump sum which is listed in the budget as the executive honoraria. This money does not include tuition fees and it is not clear how the money is divided between the executives.
Humanities councillor Roy Sengupta agreed with Walker-Scace, and said that it is unacceptable to take this money from students, some of whom are struggling to pay for tuition.
“People are going to see this organization and say they’re just looking to take a payday,” Sengupta said.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences councillor Kendra Kading, who also sits on the executive compensation committee that is responsible for recommending an honoraria increase to council, opposed Walker-Scace’s proposal.
Kading said the committee identifies with student struggles as most sitting members receive provincial tuition support, and said they believe the executives’ hard work deserves an increase.
“They have turned CUSA around, and made it better for students,” Kading said.
Walker-Scace’s proposal to increase executive salary in accordance with Ottawa’s CPI received a majority support from council and was passed, but wasn’t finalized until a later meeting on Aug. 27 due to CUSA policy confusion.
Exact numbers will be calculated by the finance office and presented at a later CUSA meeting.
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