Payson Roundup

Eastern Arizona College plans to move its paydays to comply with state law following the complaint of an adjunct faculty member, according to a letter sent to the state labor department.

“We were unaware until recently that such changes needed to be made, and upon learning, we immediately took the steps needed for compliance,” read the letter from EAC to the Industrial Commission of Arizona Labor Department.

One adjunct faculty member at Gila Community College, who is technically an EAC employee, filed a complaint with the department after paychecks were condensed from three times each semester into two.

The college pushed the first paycheck back twice, reportedly because staffing constraints delayed the initial release of contracts.

State law requires employers to issue paychecks twice a month, no more than 16 days apart.

The letter from EAC, dated March 12, says the college will implement the changes starting with the April 7 payday, but did not specify the new pay frequency.

EAC Executive Vice President Brent McEuen responded to a request for comment after press time Friday by offering to send the letter once crafted. He sent the letter to the Roundup late Friday afternoon.

Randall Maruca, director of the state labor department, said he hadn’t yet seen the letter, but that it sounded “vague.”

However, he said the labor department would confirm the changes had been made, and then the issue would be resolved.

“That’s the goal, to get the situation corrected,” he said.

Violations of the law carry no statutory penalties unless a worker files a claim for unpaid wages. Gila County does not operate its own community college because its tax base and population counts fall beneath legislative thresholds. GCC contracts with EAC to provide administrative services and academic accreditation.