Union protests former MnSCU chancellor's performance pay

Just as they did last year -- but this time with fewer people -- union workers are protesting MnSCU executive pay.

MPR's Tim Post reports:

About a dozen union workers protested today outside the headquarters of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system in downtown St. Paul.

The workers, mostly from MnSCU, are upset that the outgoing chancellor of MnSCU was offered a $50,000 performance bonus on top of his $360,000 a year salary this summer. And the protesters say performance incentives for MnSCU college presidents and executives, as much as $12,000 and typically offered in the fall, should be held back this year in light of the state's budget problems.

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Carrol Partridge is a plant maintenance engineer at MnSC's Metropolitan State University:

"We all know what shape the state is in and to be giving out bonuses at this time when the state is in the turmoil is in right now, it's just wrong."

MnSCU officials say performance pay is a part of some employee's contracts, and that the board of trustees has discretion over whether the bonuses are handed out.