An update on the extra funds, since I don’t think this has been well-shared:
- Currently, we are expecting the stipend/signing bonus on August 10, per the contract (That is their deadline, though they did initially say we would get it sooner).
- The backpay is controlled by the state. Current messaging is that our backpay has been calculated for a while, but the state wants everyone to get it at the same time and not all the colleges were ready, so they’ve pushed it back to August 25. That being said, there is no contractual deadline on that just “as soon as possible.” This is not something the union or Highline can control. However, we are poking HR several times a week to make sure these payments go through on the promised dates.
- We are working language into the current contract so prevent this from happening again, including adding specific dates and charging interest for any late payments.
I know this is incredibly frustrating. We are working on ways to communicate better, including using the new WPEA website, but stewards/union staff have been getting so many conflicting messages from HR/Management that we were hesitant to share anything until we were absolutely certain about what we were sharing. If you are struggling because of the date changes, trust me, I am right there with you. There isn’t a lot we can do at this moment, but we are staying on top of it and taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
