This year, Shoreline Community College employees will see a little more of something that has been in very short supply over the past five years: Money.
This fall, administrators and faculty members will see an increase in their paychecks, while classified employees have already seen 3 percent restored as of July 1.
“The opportunity for increases became available primarily because the Legislature chose to restore funds cut this past year and then our innovative approach in administering that cut,” Interim President Daryl Campbell said.
Depending primarily on their hire date, administrators will see raises generally in the 1 percent to 3.25 percent range. The minimum amount will be $360 a year. The raises will be retroactive to the start of the fiscal year, July 1. Administrative employees will see the extra money in their Oct. 10 payroll checks.
For those administrators, however, there will be some paycheck give and take. Starting in October, administrative employees will be charged $30 a month for an on-campus parking pass. The minimum pay raise equals the $360 annual cost of a parking pass.
The criteria for faculty raises are being determined by the faculty union, following negotiations with college officials. “The discussions between the administration and union officials have been very fruitful,” Campbell said.
Classified employees are governed by a contract negotiated at the state level, not by the college and local union members. In 2012, as part of the budget balancing efforts in Olympia, that contract called for a 3 percent salary reduction. In 2013, that 3 percent cut was restored to the previous level.
“Our actions are possible because of how Shoreline chose to handle the 2012 reduction to the classified contract,” Campbell said. “Then-President Lee Lambert wanted a way to ease the pain for our classified co-workers. Ignoring the cut wasn’t legal, but the college decided to keep the 3 percent in the 2012-13 budget and mitigate the full impact of the cut by offering a special training opportunity for classified employees.
“When the Legislature restored the cut this year, by virtue of this prudent approach, Shoreline already had sufficient funds to cover the cost. Because the college cannot pay more than called for in the classified contract, the restored funds were available for other employees.”
On the parking charge for administrators Campbell noted that the other employee groups covered by existing contract language won’t pay for parking. Students, however, will see an increase from $15 a quarter or about two and a half months, to $25 plus tax per quarter. Other hourly and daily parking rates are also going up.
“We’re very happy to be able to give raises at least of our employees, many who have seen their salaries frozen for the past five years,” Campbell said. “The parking fees are part of a move to make parking operations financially sustainable.”
SCC/Jim Hills