SSB 5790
SignedSenate
CTC employee COLAs
Concerning cost-of-living adjustments for community and technical college employees.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill ensures that academic and classified employees at Washington’s community and technical colleges receive annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) tied to inflation, using a new federal inflation measure starting in 2025. The state will fully fund these increases, and districts must report how the money is used.
- Requires annual cost-of-living adjustments for academic employees at community and technical colleges, based on inflation.
- Requires annual cost-of-living adjustments for classified employees at technical colleges (under chapter 41.56 RCW), also based on inflation.
- Changes the inflation measure used to calculate adjustments: starting in the 2025–27 fiscal biennium, the state will use the implicit price deflator (from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis) instead of the consumer price index (from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Requires each college or technical college district to spend all cost-of-living funds on salaries and mandatory benefits, and to certify this to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges by the end of each fiscal year.
- Adds any funded cost-of-living increase to the base salary used to calculate future adjustments, creating a compounding effect over time.
Who is affected
- Community and technical college academic employees — Academic employees (e.g., instructors, professors, and other instructional staff) at Washington’s community and technical colleges will receive annual salary increases tied to inflation, starting in the 2025–27 fiscal biennium.
- Technical college classified employees — Classified employees (e.g., administrative staff, maintenance, and support staff) at Washington’s technical colleges who are covered by the state civil service system (chapter 41.56 RCW) will receive annual salary increases tied to inflation, starting in the 2025–27 fiscal biennium.
- Community and technical college districts and boards of trustees — Community and technical college districts and technical college boards of trustees must allocate state-provided cost-of-living funds to salary and benefit increases for eligible employees and report usage to the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
- Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges — The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges must track and include salary increases in future cost-of-living calculations and ensure districts comply with spending requirements.
Pro/Con Analysis
Potential Benefits (5)
Annual, inflation-adjusted salary increases for academic and classified college employees help preserve real wages amid rising housing, food, and transportation costs—especially important for frontline staff (e.g., maintenance, administrative, and adjunct instructors) who are disproportionately women, people of color, and not unionized. This helps retain experienced staff and reduces turnover-related hiring/training costs for districts.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(a), Sec. 2(1)(a)Stable, inflation-protected compensation for technical college staff (e.g., campus security, facilities maintenance, lab technicians) improves workforce reliability and morale, supporting safer and better-functioning campuses—particularly important in high-crime or underserved communities where community colleges serve as critical community hubs.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2)(b), Sec. 2(2)(b)Compounding COLAs help prevent long-term wage erosion, supporting career retention among instructional and support staff. This contributes to continuity in student advising, tutoring, and technical training—key factors in student success and completion of high-demand credential programs (e.g., nursing, welding, IT).
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(c), Sec. 2(1)(c)By using the implicit price deflator (which typically grows slower than CPI), the bill may result in slightly lower COLA growth than under prior methodology—potentially moderating wage increases in a way that aligns better with broader economic productivity trends, reducing inflationary pressure on public-sector wages over time.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 1(2)(b), Sec. 2(2)(b)State full funding removes budget uncertainty for colleges, allowing districts to plan multi-year staffing and program investments without annual COLA negotiations or shortfalls. This stability supports long-term workforce development planning, especially in high-need fields like clean energy and healthcare where community colleges are primary training pipelines.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(d), Sec. 2(1)(d)
Potential Concerns (5)
The state fully funds COLAs for community and technical college employees, which increases state expenditures without corresponding revenue offsets. This diverts funds from other public priorities (e.g., K–12, healthcare, housing) and may exacerbate budget pressures during economic downturns, disproportionately affecting public service quality for low- and middle-income residents who rely most on those services.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(d), Sec. 2(1)(d)Colleges must certify annually that COLA funds are spent only on salaries and benefits, limiting local discretion to reallocate resources during unexpected budget shortfalls or emergencies. This inflexibility could hinder districts’ ability to respond to urgent operational needs (e.g., facility repairs, cybersecurity upgrades) without seeking additional funding.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 1(2)(b), Sec. 2(2)(b)The compounding effect—adding funded COLAs to the base salary used for future adjustments—accelerates long-term salary growth beyond inflation, increasing future state costs at a rate higher than the underlying inflation measure. This creates structural budget pressure that may outpace economic or revenue growth over a decade or more.
FinancialRef: Sec. 1(1)(c), Sec. 2(1)(c)While not directly imposing new costs on private employers, the bill sets a precedent for public-sector wage increases tied to a different inflation index (implicit price deflator), which may increase pressure on private employers to match compensation—particularly in competitive sectors like IT, healthcare, and skilled trades—potentially raising labor costs and consumer prices.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 1(2)(b), Sec. 2(2)(b)Mandating that COLA funds be spent exclusively on salaries and benefits may reduce flexibility for colleges to invest in non-salary educational improvements (e.g., curriculum modernization, technology upgrades, student support services), potentially limiting broader improvements in educational quality and access.
EducationRef: Sec. 1(2)(b), Sec. 2(2)(b)
Who Is Most Affected
Academic employees (e.g., instructors, adjuncts, lecturers) at community and technical colleges—many of whom earn below-state-median wages and lack full-time, tenure-track status—will see real wage preservation and improved retention. This group is disproportionately women, people of color, and part-time workers.
Classified staff (e.g., administrative assistants, maintenance, lab techs, security) at technical colleges, who are covered under civil service, will gain predictable, inflation-protected compensation. These roles are often held by workers without four-year degrees and are critical to campus operations.
The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges gains enhanced budget transparency and accountability through mandatory spending certification, but also assumes added administrative burden to track compounding salary bases and enforce compliance.
Local college districts gain budget certainty for compensation but lose flexibility to redirect COLA funds to other pressing needs (e.g., deferred maintenance, cybersecurity, emergency repairs). This may constrain local fiscal autonomy in lean years.
State taxpayers and general fund beneficiaries face higher long-term costs, potentially reducing funds available for other priorities (e.g., K–12, healthcare, housing). However, improved staff retention and educational outcomes may yield offsetting public benefits (e.g., lower unemployment, higher tax revenue).