BILL REQ. #:  H-4273.1 

Read first time 01/18/2006.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Education.

     AN ACT Relating to pay parity for community and technical college part-time academic employees; and amending RCW 28B.50.465.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 28B.50.465 and 2003 1st sp.s. c 20 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Academic employees of community and technical college districts shall be provided an annual salary cost-of-living increase in accordance with this section. For purposes of this section, "academic employee" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 28B.52.020.
     (a) Beginning with the 2001-2002 fiscal year, and for each subsequent fiscal year, except as provided in (d) of this subsection, each ((college)) district shall receive a cost-of-living allocation sufficient to increase its full-time academic employee salaries, including mandatory salary-related benefits, by the rate of the yearly increase in the cost-of-living index.
     (b)(i) Beginning with the 2006-2007 fiscal year, and for each subsequent fiscal year, each district that does not have pay parity shall receive a cost-of-living allocation sufficient to increase its part-time academic employee salaries, including mandatory salary- related benefits, by the rate of two times the yearly increase in the cost-of-living index. For purposes of this subsection (1)(b), "pay parity" means that a district provides each of its part-time academic employees with a salary and mandatory salary-related benefits proportional to the percentage of a full-time faculty teaching load, as defined by the district, the part-time academic employee works.
     (ii) When a district achieves pay parity, the district shall receive for the next fiscal year, and for each subsequent fiscal year, a cost-of-living allocation sufficient to increase its part-time academic employee salaries, including mandatory salary-related benefits, by the rate of the yearly increase in the cost-of-living index.
     (c) A ((college)) district shall distribute its cost-of-living allocation for salaries and salary-related benefits in accordance with the district's salary schedules, collective bargaining agreements, and other compensation policies, except that a district shall distribute the cost-of-living allocation under (b)(ii) of this subsection to its part-time academic employees to ensure those employees receive an annual cost-of-living increase equal to two times the yearly increase in the cost-of-living index. No later than the end of the fiscal year, each ((college)) district shall certify to the college board that it has spent funds provided for cost-of-living increases on salaries and salary-related benefits.
     (((c))) (d) The college board shall include any funded cost-of-living increase in the salary base used to determine cost-of-living increases for academic employees in subsequent years.
     (((d))) (e) Beginning with the 2001-2002 fiscal year, and for each subsequent fiscal year except for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 fiscal years, the state shall fully fund the cost-of-living increase set forth in this section.
     (2) For the purposes of this section, "cost-of-living index" means, for any fiscal year, the previous calendar year's annual average consumer price index, using the official current base, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor for the state of Washington. If the bureau of labor statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the cost-of-living index in this section.