SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5557
As of February 10, 2023
Title: An act relating to pay equity for part-time faculty.
Brief Description: Providing pay equity for part-time faculty.
Sponsors: Senators Liias, Hasegawa, Valdez, Conway, Hunt, Keiser, Lovick, Nguyen, Nobles, Salda?a, Salomon, Stanford, Wellman and Wilson, C..
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Higher Education & Workforce Development: 2/10/23.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Directs the community and technical colleges to develop and implement plans to provide compensation to part-time and adjunct faculty that equals or exceeds 85 percent of comparably qualified full-time peers.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Staff: Alicia Kinne-Clawson (786-7407)
Background:

The Legislature passed SSB 6583 in 1996, which provided guidance to community and technical colleges (CTC) on the definition of full-time academic and part-time academic workload to determine eligibility of state-mandated benefits. Additionally, a task force was created to conduct a best practices audit of compensation packages and benefits for part-time faculty in the CTC system. The Legislature reconvened the task force in 2005, to review and update the best practices audit of compensation packages and benefits for CTC part-time faculty. The best practices were intended to encourage local collective bargaining negotiators to review and identify practices that improve part-time faculty working conditions, and increase student success.

Summary of Bill:

The CTCs must develop and implement plans to provide compensation to part-time and adjunct faculty that equals or exceeds 85 percent of the compensation provided to comparably qualified full-time and tenured faculty by the 2026-27 academic year. The standards used to determine equal compensation must include time spent in direct student support, time in class, preparation for class, grading and assessment, and office hours.

 

A report is due to the Legislature on the progress of implementing pay equity by December 1, 2025, with a report on full implementation by December 1, 2027. At a minimum, the report must include:

  • the percentage of full-time pay attained by part-time and adjunct faculty;
  • demographic data about faculty contracts not meeting pay equity plans; and
  • progress at the individual college-level toward meeting pay equity plans.
Appropriation: The bill contains a section or sections to limit implementation to the availability of amounts appropriated for that specific purpose.
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: I've had the opportunity to serve as an adjunct and bring some of my experience to the classroom. Unfortunately for my peers, too many are relying on multiple jobs in addition to their part-time faculty role. Over 60 percent of adjunct make less than $50,000 per year. Some are living below the poverty line. Our adjuncts are not being compensated for activities that we know are critical to student success. It's time to take the 85 percent standard statewide to ensure that all faculty are compensated equitably and students are served well. Walking through the parking lot at Clark college you will see many faculty cars with Uber and Lyft stickers. That's how faculty are making ends meet. Adjunct instructors are considered part time even though they rarely work part time. They have the same degrees and experience as many of our full time faculty and are often compensated much less. Adjuncts at Highline earn 68 percent of their lowest paid full time colleagues for the same work. The classes I teach are also taught by a full time instructor. He gets paid for student time, mentoring, and grading. I just get paid for the hours in the classroom. Currently my pay is 72 percent of the lowest full time faculty member. This is a bill about students. We are committed to providing the best environment for students to learn and succeed and part of that is having stable, high quality faculty. Having all faculty and staff provided competitive wages is an important part of that. The colleges do not have the local resources to absorb the costs of this bill in absence of new state support. Progress has been slow in meeting the goals in this bill because of limited college resources. We support this bill and encourage you to fully fund it.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Marko Liias, Prime Sponsor; Nancy Cruz, Community For Our Colleges; William Daley, Communities for Our Colleges; Choi Halladay; Sunshine Cheng, Communities for Our Colleges Coalition; Suzanne Southerland, Washington Education Association; Kenna Bristow Winston, Washington Education Association; Val Torrens, Washington Education Association; Evans Kaame; Karen Strickland, AFT Washington; Ben Gonzalez, Clover Park Vocational Federation Local 3913; Jacqui Cain, Pierce College Federation of Teachers Local 4821; JT Menard, AFT Yakima Local 1485.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.