MnSCU defends merit bonuses for school presidents

The trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and University system are defending their policy of paying school presidents thousands of dollars each in performance bonuses.

Leaders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees spoke during the trustees' meeting Wednesday in St. Paul.

They say union members are offended that presidents are getting the money at a time when some union members are being laid off and the rest are being asked to work harder.

Trustee James Van Houten says that last year the presidents agreed to contracts in which they got no increase in their base salary, but gave them the option to get performance bonuses.

Presidents are now getting paid for what they did last year. Van Houten says it seems to him that everyone is being treated fairly.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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