Introducing Erin Grimes, Our New External Organizer!
By AFT Washington Staff
Erin Grimes is a solidarity-focused union organizer who enjoys meeting new people and bringing people together. Erin lives by her passion for empowering ordinary people with the skills and confidence to improve their daily lives through mass participation in their unions.
While a graduate student and mathematics teacher at Western Washington University, she helped build the union of all student employees, WAWU-UAW 4929. She has developed strategic campaign plans, forged community partnerships and labor coalitions, and led multiple strikes, resulting in unprecedented wall-to-wall collective bargaining rights and groundbreaking first contracts, and winning significant gains and protections for thousands of workers.
A strong believer in the power of structure-based organizing through democratic, rank-and-file leadership and disciplined escalation methods, Erin is committed to building worker solidarity through union campaigns that fight and win. She is thrilled to bring her skills, experience, and infectious enthusiasm to AFT's external organizing team. Outside of organizing and teaching, Erin loves painting, biking, computer programming, playing music, and spending time with family.
AFT Washington is delighted to welcome Erin aboard, and we look forward to growing the union with her!