HB 1384

HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1384

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by House Committee On:
Higher Education

Title: An act relating to academic employee salary increments for community and technical colleges.

Brief Description: Providing for academic employee salary increments for community and technical colleges.

Sponsors: Representatives Kenney, Roberts, Wallace, Hasegawa, Jarrett, Seaquist, Green, Upthegrove, Appleton, Ormsby, Quall, P. Sullivan, Chase, Conway and Simpson; by request of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Wallace, Chair; Sells, Vice Chair; Hasegawa, Jarrett, McIntire, Roberts and Sommers.

Minority Report: Without recommendation. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Anderson, Ranking Minority Member and Buri, Assistant Ranking Minority Member.

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). The Legislature assumes that state agencies can pay the costs through savings from employee turnover or other resources.

Classified staff in the Kindergarten-12 (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. Most salary schedules provide for increments based on some combination of years of service and education. However, state law limits salary increases provided through collective bargaining agreements to the amount or percentage established by the Legislature in the appropriations act and allocated to the boards of trustees by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). As a result, community and technical colleges may not use turnover savings or other resources to pay for faculty salary increases without a special authorization.

For at least the last 10 years, the Legislature provided funding for community and technical college faculty increments through provisions in the biennial budget. The budget bills have given special authorization to community and technical colleges to use turnover savings to help fund faculty increments.

Summary of Bill:

The Legislature intends that consistent and predictable state funding be provided for community and technical college academic employee salary increases. The biennial budget request of the SBCTC will be based on 0.8 percent of the academic employees' salary plus the value of associated benefits. The SBCTC will determine how to allocate to the community and technical colleges the appropriations granted for increments. How the appropriations are allocated at the district level is subject to collective bargaining. Turnover-savings for full-time faculty are generated only when full-time faculty replace full-time faculty. Similarly, turnover-savings for part-time faculty are generated only when part-time faculty replace part-time faculty. Part-time turnover-savings may only be allocated to part-time faculty. Salary increments allocated due to part-time faculty salaries must be allocated to part-time faculty and may be used for part-time general salary increases.

The SBCTC will recommend to the Legislature by December 1, 2008, an allocation model for distribution of compensation for state-funded academic employees that includes recognition of experience, professional development, and training.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Salaries have long been an issue. Our community and technical colleges offer high-quality educational and instructional programs. The community and technical colleges will need high-caliber faculty to meet the needs of an increasing number of non-traditional students. Our faculty are the heart and soul of our colleges. To maintain quality, we must invest in the system in order to promote professional development and training for staff and faculty. The salary increment system for Kindergarten-12 schools provides a better system for teachers than we have for our community college faculty.

This bill provides for a statewide salary allocation model that recognizes experience, training, and education through salary increments. Such a model will help provide fair and predictable employee compensation. Salary increments will also provide incentives to faculty to stay current in their field and in teaching. This approach is good not only for the colleges and faculty, but for the Legislature as well because faculty will not have to come back to the Legislature every year for funding. The state also gains budget predictability with the .8 percent cap. Both full- and part-time faculty will be able to receive increments, which will increase equity between the two. This bill is the same as a bill from last year, but the need this year is more urgent. Faculty increments need to be consistent every year to assist with recruitment and retention of quality faculty. In the past two biennia, the amount funded for faculty increments has not been enough to cover the cost. This undermines faculty morale, and lessens the incentive for faculty to pursue professional development. Providing for a study to examine alternatives for compensation allocation models will be a good step toward achieving fairness and equity.

(Opposed) In past years, most of the money for increments has gone to full-time faculty. This discriminates against part-time faculty, and contributes to the inequity between full-time and part-time faculty. There are several problems with this bill: it has no provision for equal pay for part-time faculty; it limits participants on the advisory committee to bargaining representatives; there is no requirement that colleges share turn-over money with part-time faculty; and it is not an equal increment bill because of the disparity between full-time and part-time faculty salary bases. This bill may actually increase the disparity. There are more part-time faculty, so the money will be spread around a larger number. This bill will enshrine the current system, and not fix the problem.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Kenney, prime sponsor; Ronnie Behnke, Trustee's Association; Nathaniel Hong, Olympic College and Washington Education Association - Higher Education; Ruth Windhover, Washington Education Assocation - Higher Education; Phil Jack, American Federation of Teachers; James Robinson, Trustee's Association of Community and Technical Colleges; John Boesenberg, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and Keith Hoeller and Dana Rush, American Association of University Professors.

(Opposed) Teresa Knudsen, American Association of University Professors; and R.K. Hoeller.