President Jim Wagner balanced a note of celebration with a call for vital integrity in this year's State of the University address given Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011. During the Q&A period, Wagner responded to several questions related to MARTA passes for Sodexo employees. Below is Emory's response, which is part of a public document (PDF) that had been discussed at a Sept. 20 University Senate meeting.  

Allegation #6 > Inequalities in benefits exist between Emory employees and contracted employees. Transportation inequities, for example, include higher parking fees and denial of free or discounted MARTA passes for contracted employees.

Emory Response >> It is true that different employees who are employed by different employers will receive different salaries and benefits. Even employees across one employer experience such differences. At Emory, for example, differences exist between faculty and staff, between tenured and non-tenured faculty, between Emory University and Emory Healthcare employees, and between Emory employees and employees of contractors. Without reviewing the full benefit package, one cannot identify a specific benefit and label it an inequality. For example, while Sodexo employees do not currently have the benefit of free MARTA passes, they receive a $9.75 per day food voucher, which is not available to Emory employees. Regardless, it is important to clarify that Sodexo employees who purchase a parking permit from Parking Services pay the same monthly parking rates as Emory University employees.

 

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