Many people are wondering why the more the $1 million dollars earmarked for part time faculty has been delayed. The Union and the District have been discussing this money since the fall of 2001, yet the money is still in the possession of the District undistributed. What is the reason for the delay.

The District's "Update on 2001-02 CTA Negotiations" of October 10, 2002, succeeded in clouding the issues surrounding the Part Time Augmentation Funds. The $57 million designated for part time salary augmentation was intended by the State Legislature to be an on-going program designed to help part time faculty salaries to a more comparable level with full time salaries.

While the District initially offered to distribute this money as a "one time" bonus, CTA rejected this offer because it does not conform to the intention of the legislature and it does not provide any long term, lasting benefit for part time faculty. Instead, CTA proposed that the finds be added to the part time faculty salary schedule. Glendale Community College, Mt. San Antonio College, and the Los Angeles Community College District have added their augmentation funds to their part time salary schedule and they have already distributed funds to their faculty. Unfortunately, the District balked at this obvious proposal, and the matter has been stalled since spring.

The recently approved State budget has continued the $57 million part time augmentation funds, so the District cannot claim that the funds are "one-time" money. When is the District going to do the right thing, put the augmentation funds on the part time salary schedule, distribute the long withheld money, and begin to improve the position of its underpaid part time faculty?