Our District has long talked about tackling serious inequities, from the need for diversity to other social justice issues. But they remain complacent about one glaring inequity, their failure to pay part-time faculty equitably in proportion to full-timers. SMCCCD not only does not pay part-time faculty equitably compared to full-time faculty in our district, they also pay part-time faculty significantly less than other local districts do.
Findings from the Comparison of Part-Time Faculty Salaries for Bay-10 Districts:
SMCCCD Part-Time faculty salaries are significantly behind other Basic Aid districts and in the bottom half of all Bay 10 districts.
- Marin, West Valley/Mission, San Jose/Evergreen, CCSF, Foothill/DeAnza all have PT salary schedules in which PT faculty are paid a set pro-rata percentage of FT salaries (referred to as a “parity percentage”) for equivalent experience and education, using load-based salaries on schedules that are similar to FT schedules (referred to as “mirrored” schedules) by including columns that provide added compensation for added educational levels.
- Chabot’s PT faculty are paid a set parity percentage of FT salaries (72%) for equivalent experience and education using load-based salaries.
- Peralta’s PT salaries have high parity percentages–up to 100% of comparable FT faculty for those at the bottom of the scale and they have a fully “mirrored” PT salary schedule (with columns for added education.)
- Contra Costa has a PT salary schedule with seven columns that provide added compensation based on educational levels and a parity plan to shift PT faculty to load-based pay at 72% of FT salaries by 2021-22 and 80% by 2022-23.
- Ohlone’s PT salary schedule has three columns that provide added compensation for additional educational levels and the district has “committed to improving the total compensation for part-time faculty.”
SMCCCD is the only Bay 10 district that has NOT formally addressed Part-Time Parity (either in the actual salary schedule or in setting a goal to improve PT salaries)
SMCCCD does NOT pay PT faculty load-based salaries. SMCCCD continues to pay PT faculty by the hour.
SMCCCD does NOT pay PT faculty on a mirrored salary schedule with columns. Columns provide additional compensation based on educational levels, as all FT schedules do.
Comparison of Part-Time Faculty Salaries:
SMCCCD, College of Marin, CCSF, Foothill/De Anza & West Valley/Mission
Per semester for teaching one 3-unit class
| SMCCCD | Marin | CCSF | Foothill | West Valley | |
| Parity (% of FT) |
District has not agreed to a % | 95% |
86% |
83.5% |
78% |
| Step 1 w/MA |
4553.50 (63.84% of FT) |
6441.00 | 5667.40 | 5321.30 | 5766.40 |
| Step 5 MA+15 |
5630.62 (64.79% of FT) |
7270.92 | 6815.50 | 6402.77 | 6865.40 |
| Step 10 MA+30 |
6890.28 (66.58% of FT) |
8709.79 | 8193.22 | 7484.23 | 8459.40 |
| Highest Step w/Doctorate |
7097.30 (54.87% of FT) |
12,967.40 | 10,030.18 | 8024.97 | 10,632.40 |
The vast majority of California community college districts pay part-time faculty a salary based on a percentage of full-time faculty salaries (referred to as the “part-time parity” rate and adjusted for the number of units taught.) SMCCCD does not. Our district continues to pay part-time faculty at an hourly rate, based on a simple salary schedule: 11 steps (years of experience), but no columns to account for educational levels, while the full-time faculty schedule has 25 steps and 5 columns.
In most other districts, the part-time faculty salary schedules directly mirror the full-time salary schedules so that the FT and PT schedules have the same number of steps and columns. The only difference is that the part-time schedules reflect the percentage of the full-time schedule that has been negotiated by the union and district as the part-time parity rate. This provides part-time faculty with a much more reasonable and rational method of pay and more equitable salaries.
While SMCCCD is one of the wealthiest districts in the state and SMCCCD administrators’ salaries are ranked the highest of all California community college districts, our district’s part-time faculty salaries rank in the lower half of Bay Area districts and significantly below neighboring districts, as shown in the comparison above.
Contract Negotiations on Compensation Happening Now
As contract negotiations between the union and District turn to address compensation issues, SMCCD must do the right thing and accept AFT’s proposal to set part-time pay rates at 85% of full-time salaries. Some neighboring districts have set and achieved even higher goals. In fact, setting parity goal percentages was mandated by our state in 2001, but our district is one of the only California community college districts that has refused to define pay parity for part-timers and move their faculty compensation to a parity-based system.
SMCCD Faculty Speak Out
Last Spring, in less than two weeks 640 faculty members and supporters signed AFT’s petition for part-time pay parity. Part-time faculty also spoke publicly for equity at recent Board of Trustees meetings. And AFT’s September 10th Teach-In: Social Justice Unionism in Practice, from Part-Time parity to Anti-oppression Organizing, brought out more than 170 faculty, students and community members to hear and express their ideas on these unfair working conditions.
It’s reprehensible that we continue fighting for part-time equity in a district that espouses equity as a primary objective. Does our District assume equity and living wages are not for part-time faculty? Fair and comparable pay for SMCCCD part-time faculty is long overdue! By continuing to demand equal pay for equal work, we can effect change for our part-time faculty community. Make your voice heard: Demand a fair contract and fair compensation for part-time faculty now.
Join AFT’s Contract Action Team to help part-time faculty achieve real equity!
Contact Rika Yonemura-Fabian at fabian@aft1493.org for more information.