A complaint has been lodged against the University that black employees in building services are being paid less than white workers with similar levels of experience.
The University is aware of one employee having formally filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said Mike Clardy, University spokesman.
However, City Councilman Arthur Dowdell said he is representing between six and 10 employees who think they have been discriminated against by the University.
"It's clear with the records that we're going to show that blacks are being paid hundreds of dollars less than whites that work in the same position," Dowdell said.
Dowdell said he has looked into University records and claims the figures clearly show black employees are being paid less than white employees.
Dowdell said he thinks the issue of pay discrimination at the University is not isolated to the building services department.
Dowdell said he had written the University about three weeks ago to notify it of the employees' demands; however, he has not been satisfied with the University's response.
"They said that they had a team, affirmative action, in personnel that would look at this situation and they would get back in touch with me," Dowdell said. "I'm not pleased with what they've done. I think they've been sluggish; they've been very slow in their doing and trying to rectify this problem."
However, while Clardy said the University has a policy of not discussing personnel issues, he said the complaint is being investigated.
"Any complaint we get from the Auburn faculty or staff is thoroughly, fairly and promptly investigated," Clardy said. "The E.E.O. coordinator has contacted that employee and is working toward a resolution."
Dowdell said because Auburn isn't a private institution it's required to abide by federal and state laws regarding equal employment and payment.
However, Dowdell said the University is not doing this. He alleges the University is paying black workers with the same amount of experience as white workers in the same department hundreds of dollars less during each pay period.
"I intend to show them that based with their own policy the only thing they gotta do is abide by what they got written in the (books)," Dowdell said. "If they were to go by that and that alone this problem would be eradicated and subsided."
However, Dowdell said if he remains unsatisfied with the University's response he will contact the national offices of the NAACP and Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
"I believe that those workers doing their jobs, come to work faithfully, they shouldn't be judged based on the fact that they're black," Dowdell said. "They should be judged based on the fact that they're doing their job and should be paid for their work."
Dowdell said he had planned to host a press conference Monday, Nov. 23 to publicize the situation, but said he decided to move it to today or tomorrow as people were going to be gone during the holiday.
Dowdell said he plans to host the press conference at Samford Hall.
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