28B.50.465 - Cost-of-living increases--Academic employees.

Cost-of-living increases — Academic employees.

(1) Academic employees of community and technical college districts shall be provided an annual salary cost-of-living increase in accordance with this section. For purposes of this section, "academic employee" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 28B.52.020.

     (a) Beginning with the 2001-2002 fiscal year, and for each subsequent fiscal year, except as provided in (d) of this subsection, each college district shall receive a cost-of-living allocation sufficient to increase academic employee salaries, including mandatory salary-related benefits, by the rate of the yearly increase in the cost-of-living index.

     (b) A college district shall distribute its cost-of-living allocation for salaries and salary-related benefits in accordance with the district's salary schedules, collective bargaining agreements, and other compensation policies. No later than the end of the fiscal year, each college district shall certify to the college board that it has spent funds provided for cost-of-living increases on salaries and salary-related benefits.

     (c) The college board shall include any funded cost-of-living increase in the salary base used to determine cost-of-living increases for academic employees in subsequent years.

     (d) Beginning with the 2001-2002 fiscal year, and for each subsequent fiscal year except for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 fiscal years, the state shall fully fund the cost-of-living increase set forth in this section.

     (e) During the 2011-2013 and 2013-2015 fiscal biennia, in addition to cost-of-living allocations required by (a) of this subsection, community and technical college districts shall receive additional cost-of-living allocations in equal increments such that, by the end of the 2014-15 academic year, average salaries of academic employees of community and technical college districts will be, at a minimum, equal to what salaries would have been if cost-of-living allocations had not been suspended during the 2009-10 or 2010-11 school years.

     (2) For the purposes of this section, "cost-of-living index" means, for any fiscal year, the previous calendar year's annual average consumer price index, using the official current base, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor for the state of Washington. If the bureau of labor statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the cost-of-living index in this section.

[2009 c 573 § 2; 2003 1st sp.s. c 20 § 3; 2001 c 4 § 3 (Initiative Measure No. 732, approved November 7, 2000).]

Notes: Effective date -- 2009 c 573: See note following RCW 28A.400.205.

Severability -- 2001 c 4 (Initiative Measure No. 732): See note following RCW 28A.400.205.