More than 20 academic professionals stood outside Swanlund Administration Building waving signs Tuesday, protesting the University's action to change their pay dates.

This marks the first time the University has changed academic professionals' pay dates since 1973.

The pay period for academic professionals was scheduled to begin Aug. 21 and end Sept. 21, but the University moved the end date to Sept. 16. With five days deducted from this pay period, academic professionals' pay checks were one-sixth less than the preceding paychecks.

Academic professionals who want their five days of pay have only two options: quit or retire.

The University administration decided to change the pay date to align paychecks and employment contracts with the academic calendar, said University spokeswoman Robin Kaler.

Kathleen Pecknold, associate provost, said the change in pay date made the payroll system more efficient by having one pay date for all three campuses. Kaler also said this change would save the University more money in the long run.

The University has provided programs to help employees with the transition to the different pay date system, Kaler said. The assistance program provides employees with the opportunity to request $500, $1,000 and $1,500 loans and requires them to reimburse the University within three months, she said. The University of Illinois Employees Credit Union is also allowing any employees who have loans to avoid paying them this month, she added.

Although the University is providing some assistance, academic professionals believe the University's action without their consultation is unfair and goes against the contract between the University and its employees. Tuesday's rally reflected the views of some academic professionals toward the University's decision.

"We had no say, so we got less pay," "Time to Unionize," and "I'm missing $1,200 from my paycheck" were a few of the signs hoisted by protesters.

The Association of Academic Professionals (AAP), which gives academic professionals a voice, sponsored and participated in the rally along with the Graduate Employees' Organization and the American Society of Federal, County, and Municipal Employees Local 3700.

Jenny Barrett, chair of AAP, spoke about the importance of academic professionals because of their wide span of occupations on campus at the rally. Academic professionals include programmers, consultants, counselors, advisors, doctors at McKinley Health Center, workers at Krannert and engineers, Barrett said.

Barrett also complained that academic officials had no voice in the issue of the pay date change.

"Either the University is a family and we are colleagues or they are a corporation and then we are wage-earners," Barrett said. "If we are a corporation, then give us corporation pay," she added.

Jeff Scott, president of the GEO, said the pay date change placed a burden on families.

"For those who live from one paycheck to the next, a couple hundred dollars makes a big difference," he said.

Al Kagan, president of the Union of Professional Employees, said the University was not following its contract by changing the pay date, because it required academic professionals be paid 12 equal monthly installments.

But Sherri Faith, associate director of payroll, said the University was not violating the contract because a one-time change is allowed under the University's policy.

Still, Kagan said the union filed an injunction in the Court of Claims in July to prevent Tuesday's pay date change from occurring, but the court has yet to hear the case.

Kagan said they would keep fighting the pay date change.