Union members addressed the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees during the public‑comment portion of the meeting to say staff wages remain insufficient for living expenses and to press trustees to address pay gaps.

Martha Villa Gomez, who identified herself as an AFSCME member, told trustees she now earns slightly above $19 an hour after recent contract negotiations but cited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology living‑wage estimate for DeKalb County that lists $22.15 an hour for a single adult with no children. "I currently cannot get by," she said, describing reliance on family support and difficulty covering basic expenses.

Ray Meyer, president of AFSCME Local 1890, presented broader data and framed the issue as systemic. Meyer said administrative ranks have grown while many staff classifications pay well below NIU's own salary targets and market rates. "NIU created salary targets for every classification... 72% of staff classifications are paid below NIU's own target," Meyer told trustees, adding that 81% of classifications were paid below market and the average gap versus market was about 17%.

Both speakers described real‑world consequences: employees holding second jobs, missing medical appointments, or facing layoffs as positions are eliminated. They urged trustees to use available resources differently, emphasizing the human effects behind the numbers. The remarks were made as public comment; the board took no immediate policy action in response during the meeting. Trustees later and in separate discussion emphasized the importance of balancing expense control with revenue generation and thanked staff and union representatives for participating in the shared process.

Because these remarks were public comment, no board motions or votes resulted directly from them.