SENATE BILL REPORT

EHB 1237

As of March 22, 2017

Title: An act relating to modifying collective bargaining law to authorize providing additional compensation to academic employees at community and technical colleges.

Brief Description: Modifying collective bargaining law to authorize providing additional compensation to academic employees at community and technical colleges.

Sponsors: Representatives Sells, Haler, Pollet, Appleton, Bergquist, Cody, Farrell, Riccelli, Lovick, Johnson, Ormsby, Springer, Gregerson, Ryu, Wylie, Sawyer, Santos, Senn, Goodman, Fey and Stanford.

Brief History: Passed House: 3/03/17, 65-32.

Committee Activity: Commerce, Labor & Sports: 3/22/17.

Staff: Jarrett Sacks (786-7448)

Background: Community and Technical Colleges. Academic employees at community and technical colleges have collective bargaining rights with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. Bargaining occurs between the board of trustees for the particular community college district and the appropriate exclusive employee organization.

Bargaining units at community and technical colleges are composed of academic employees, which include any teacher, counselor, librarian, or department head who is employed by the college district on a full-time or part-time basis. Administrators may be part of the bargaining unit if a majority of the administrators and a majority of the bargaining unit elect to include them.

Provisions in collective bargaining agreements relating to salary increases cannot exceed the amount or percentage established by the Legislature in the appropriations act and allocated to the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. If any provision of a salary increase is subsequently modified by the Legislature in an appropriations act, the parties must enter into collective bargaining to modify the provisions.

Four-Year Institutions of Higher Education. For faculty of four-year institutions of higher education, a collective bargaining agreement may not include compensation that exceeds the amount or percentage established by the Legislature in the appropriations act. However, the employer may provide additional compensation to the faculty that exceeds that provided by the Legislature.

Summary of Bill: A board of trustees may provide additional compensation to academic employees of a community and technical college that exceeds the amount provided by the Legislature.

A written collective bargaining agreement acted upon by a board of trustees must be submitted to the Office of Financial Management by October 1st prior to the fiscal year in which the provisions of the agreement go into effect.

Language providing that contract provisions related to salary increases are not binding on future actions of the Legislature is stricken.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: The status quo way of funding faculty salaries does not incentivize faculty to develop new skills and makes it difficult to retain good faculty. Allowing faculty to negotiate salaries improves transparency with regard to community college finances and improves collaboration between faculty and the administration.

CON: Faculty should be paid better, but using local funds to fund salaries is not sustainable. Many of the local funds are already encumbered.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Karen Strickland, AFT Washington; Bernal Baca, AFT Washington; Sharon Mitchler, AFT Centralia College; Kimberly Sullivan, Clark College, faculty. CON: Bob Morbacher, President, Centralia College.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.