A 2.07 percent pay raise – the first since 2008 – is in the works for unionized employees at De Anza and Foothill colleges.

The Association of Classified Employees, representing many office workers, has already ratified the increase.

The Foothill-De Anza Faculty Association will vote on the ratification this week.

Faculty Association chief negotiator Kathy Perino wrote in the Sept. 19 FA News pamphlet that some of the prime reasoning behind the association’s request to increase the salary include “many faculty reporting fatigue and feeling unappreciated” in addition to neighboring districts having received salary adjustments above 2 percent.

Perino explained that some members of the faculty feel “the fatigue primarily comes from the increased workload” and the constantly changing nature of the job.

“While this salary adjustment doesn’t come close to matching the increased costs of living over the last six years, I do think it provides some relief to faculty,” Perino wrote in an email. In the pamphlet, FA says the current salary of a new full-time faculty member at Foothill or De Anza is “not even in the top ten in the state.”

On Aug. 7, the district “took issue” with the association’s concerns of over-budgeting and faculty salaries but also acknowledged its proposal was reasonable and accepted FA’s request to ratify the salary.

While the faculty and FA are finalizing the proposal and awaiting the Board’s approval, FA and the district are working together to reach a proper adjustment for the new salary.

The pay raise is expected to appear in the first October paychecks.