Brief Description: Providing a specific funding mechanism for making community and technical college faculty salary increment awards.

Sponsors: Representatives Kenney, Cox, McDermott, O'Brien, Jarrett, Berkey, Fromhold, Chase, McIntire, Lantz, Upthegrove, Morrell, McCoy, Priest, Boldt, Clements, Buck, Kagi, Edwards, Kessler, Linville, Santos, Conway and Rockefeller.

Hearing Date: 2/12/03

Staff: Barbara McLain (786-7383).

Background:

Salary increments are pay increases based on years of service and, in some pay systems, additional education.

In some cases employees receive increments even if there is no state funding provided specifically for that purpose. For example, classified employees in the state personnel system receive 5 percent increments for each year of service (up to a cap), but the Legislature assumes that state agencies can pay the costs through savings from employee turnover or other resources. Classified staff in the K-12 system receive increments based on local collective bargaining agreements, but the state funding formulas for K-12 are not adjusted based on these costs. School districts rely on turnover savings and other resources.

Certificated instructional staff in the K-12 system receive increments based on years of service and education. In this case the state funding formulas specifically recognize the costs school districts incur through the statewide salary schedule.

Salaries for faculty at community and technical colleges are also established through local collective bargaining agreements, and most salary schedules provide for increments based on some combination of years of service and education. In this case, however, state law limits salary increases provided through collective bargaining agreements to the percentage authorized in the biennial budget (usually a cost-of-living increase). This restriction is reinforced in language within the budget bill. As a consequence community and technical colleges may not use turnover savings or other resources to pay for faculty increments without a special authorization.

For at least the last 10 years, the Legislature has added approximately $1 million each year specifically to pay for community and technical college faculty increments. Language in the budget bill authorized colleges to use turnover savings or money provided for cost-of-living salary increases for faculty increments. In the 2002 supplemental budget, the Legislature eliminated the additional state funding for faculty increments for the 2002-03 academic year.

Summary of Bill:

Community and technical college boards of trustees will award faculty salary increments based on local collective bargaining agreements. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) will include in its biennial budget request the projected costs of increments for the community and technical college system, adjusted by expected faculty turnover savings. It is the intent of the Legislature that the costs of faculty increments should be funded with a state appropriation. The appropriation should exclude turnover savings and not exceed 1.5 percent of the faculty salary base. When the SBCTC receives a line item appropriation, it will distribute the funds in a fair and equitable manner. The SBCTC will convene a task force to advise it on guidelines for this distribution.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: No impact.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.