Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Higher Education Committee

HB 1179

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.

Sponsors: Representatives Pollet, Haler, Appleton, Gregerson, Orwall, Stanford, Sells, Tarleton, Chapman, Goodman, Fitzgibbon, Peterson, Lytton, Doglio, Kagi, Frame, Farrell, Riccelli, Lovick, Pettigrew, Sawyer, Springer, Bergquist, Ormsby, Hudgins, Santos and Macri.

Brief Summary of Bill

Provides that pay for part-time nontenure track community and technical college academic employees must be prorated based on the employee's percent of a full-time academic workload, and that the increases must be phased in over four years.

Background:

According to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (State Board), in the fall of 2014, 54 percent of state supported instruction was completed by full-time faculty and 46 percent by part-time. Also according to the State Board, on average, a part-time instructor teaching full time would earn 62 percent of the amount paid to full-time instructors. In 2005, the Legislature required the State Board to convene a task force to review and update the part-time faculty best employment practices that were identified in an earlier study. One of the best practices addressed the rate of pay for part-time faculty.

The collective bargaining laws applicable to community and technical colleges (CTC) require the governing boards and the exclusive bargaining representatives of the employees to bargain in good faith over wages, hours, and working conditions.

Summary of Bill:

The Legislative findings state that part-time nontenure track academic employees at CTCs teach on average 46 percent of all classes taught in the state. The Legislature's intent is to reach the goal of equal pay for part-time and full-time academic employees at CTCs within four years.

Pay for all part-time nontenure track academic employees must be prorated based on the employee's percent of a full-time academic workload. Pay for part-time nontenure track academic employees must be increased to 100 percent pro rata pay no later than the 2020-21 academic year. The increases must be phased in over four years in equal increments starting in the 2017-18 academic year.