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April 2022

April 2022

From the President

Greetings Friends,

Does anyone remember what we were focused on in 2018? The first sentence of my June Pulse letter was “Every Monday morning I wake up and think, “oh shoot…did I sleep through the announcement of the Janus decision???”

If the Freedom Foundation’s slew of public information requests, our member recommitment campaign, or the looming SCOTUS decision don’t spring immediately to mind, let me refresh your memory. The Janus decision was the decision by SCOTUS to end agency fee, meaning that bargaining unit members could reap the benefits of representation but were not required to contribute fees to the cause. The Freedom Foundation and other funders of the lawsuit hoped that the labor movement would die off when starved of members and revenue, leaving workers at the mercy of employers, with no voice or power in their jobs.

This external threat to our collective well-being and the work we did in preparation paid off, engaging our membership and the labor movement more robustly and building our power. The Janus decision and the work we did to mitigate it gave us the knowledge that we need to seriously increase our membership in order to take the bold action needed to achieve our big dreams. Our membership is our power, and our power increases as our membership does.

In spite of this work, though, with so many of our members falling into the precarious category of adjunct faculty, we did lose revenue at the local level and at the state federation. In the year following that decision we conducted membership drives, increased our presence at new employee orientations, passed legislation requiring the union to have time with new employees, and created a stronger organizing culture. Then the pandemic struck, and our organizing work was stopped in its tracks.

Many members lost their jobs resulting in lost membership. Other members worked remotely, limiting their participation in union work, and limiting the scope of work that could be effectively done. The rest of our work, however, has not subsided. If anything, you as union leaders and our staff have spent more time at the bargaining table, more time building alliances to strengthen our advocacy efforts, more time meeting with legislators and other decision makers, and more time providing training and support to other union leaders and activists. We need to grow the membership, in order to lighten the load on you, the leaders.

In light of that reality, there are several steps I’m asking you to commit to with the promise that the staff of AFT Washington is fully ready to support you.

  1. Make sure you are getting the information in the format you need it about your membership on a regular basis. This may be monthly or quarterly, but it should include the information in this request for information template. This information is essential for the union to effectively fulfill their responsibilities to their membership.
  2. If you have a membership chair, fabulous. Be sure your local has a process in place so the membership chair can fulfill their responsibilities. If this is murky, review our powerful locals assessment tool for guidance.
  3. If you don’t have a membership chair, prepare to revise your bylaws to establish that position. In the meantime, recruit someone to informally take on that role, including building a membership committee to avoid burnout.
  4. Participate in the employer’s new employee orientation and/or utilize the 30 minutes you have by law to talk union with new employees.
  5. Plan member engagement events, such as a student loan debt clinic, Know Your Contract workshop, unemployment workshop, or an old-fashioned snacky or happy hour. Our staff are ready to provide workshops or support you in hosting them. Since we want to build membership, these can be open to non-members - just be sure to call the question and ask non-members to sign a union card, while asking members to get a little more involved.
  6. Finally, work with your UOR to plan a membership drive. A membership drive can take several forms.
    • Take the old-school route by dividing up the list of nonmembers and finding those individuals at the worksite to talk (union) shop.
    • Set up a table in a location and at a time when you know your co-workers will be around; you can provide information, get their input on workplace issues, compare notes on the Mariners’ season…and call the question.
    • Because many bargaining unit members are still working remotely, you may want to try a phone bank strategy. That initial call may be successful in getting a card signed, or it might open the door to a face-to-face meeting over a cup of tea.

I just hit you with a lot of possibilities and it may be a bit overwhelming, but we are here to assist. The key point I want to emphasize is that while we are strong, we can be even stronger. We have too many prospective members sitting on the sidelines - we will have a more powerful collective voice if we bring them onto the team.

The time to do that is now. Union favorability is near 70%! Workers at Amazon and Starbucks are making incredible strides!! Washington State’s union density has been on the rise, and more people recognize the power of a union membership than have in a long time.

It’s time for us to seize the moment and increase our density! Please put this subject on your next leadership meeting agenda and invite your UOR to join you in making a plan. We have an opportunity in front of us and it’s up to each one of us to make the most of it.

In solidarity,

Karen Strickland

Local Highlights & News

AFT Washington Student Debt Clinics Are Up and Running

By Anna-Marie Magdalena, State Affiliate Political Organizer

Our legislation to make the federal Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program more accessible has been signed into law, and as a result we are educating borrowers on their ability to access this important federal program. Since union members across the state advocated for better access to the program, adjuncts will now be able to use the multiplier of 3.35:1 for every hour of class time, greatly increasing access to the program by being able to be considered full-time employees.

In addition to the new law, the Department of Education is continuing to expand the program. Plus, members are entering eligibility at a steady rate. AFT Washington is offering Student Debt Clinics regularly, and we are updating the curriculum with the changes to provide borrowers with the most up-to-date resources available.

The deadline for applying for PSLF as a previously rejected applicant remains October 31st of this year. It is not the same as the recently extended deadline for the student loan payment pause, which is August 31, currently.

Our goal is that no union member who is eligible wakes up on November 1st without access to these recent changes. These changes could save borrowers tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. If your campus is interested in hosting a student debt clinic, whether in person or virtually, we are available.

For more information and to set up a debt clinic on your campus, contact Anna-Marie Magdalena at amagdalena@aftwa.org.

AFT Washington's 2022 Legislative Scorecard Is Out

By HyeEun Park, Government Relations Specialist

Thanks to our members, we had a successful 2022 legislative session. Without your fierce advocacy, we would have had a challenging time holding our elected officials accountable. Another way we hold legislators accountable is through our legislative scorecard.

The 2022 Legislative Scorecard is based on legislator votes on bills reflecting our legislative agenda, which included support for:

  • SB 5539 – Funding health care for Head Start members
  • SB 5847 – Public service loan forgiveness
  • SB 5854 – Faculty ethics
  • HB 1659 – Bridge Grants
  • HB 1723 – Closing the digital divide
  • HB 1878 – Expanding free school meals
  • HB 2124 – Legislative staff collective bargaining
  • HB 1835 – Increase financial aid completion
  • HB 1725 – Missing Indigenous Person alert
  • HB 1888 – Working Family Tax Credit

AFT Washington also worked in opposition to the following bills:

  • SB 5919 – Expands the authorization of use of physical force by law enforcement
  • HB 2037 – Expands when vehicle pursuits can be used by law enforcement

SB 5919 and HB 2037 were two of the most divisive bills that watered down the progress made on police accountability in the 2021 legislative session. Many legislators who supported police accountability in 2021 voted to roll back the reforms we passed just last year. Following the passage of last year’s reforms, police killings in our state declined by 60%. That’s significant! We should have been moving forward, not backward. AFT Washington stood in solidarity with impacted families and communities impacted by discriminatory policing.

You can view the scorecard here.

The Washington State Labor Council also has a scorecard that we often feature along with our rankings; you’ll see some differences because their scorecard is based on a broader all-unions approach, and we do not always support all the same bills. It is a useful tool for seeing a comparison between Labor broadly and education more tightly and can be useful for calibrating your support for and approach to a given leader – someone who is strong on Labor but weaker on education-specific bills may or may not be someone you wish to vote for, for example.

The scorecard doesn’t represent endorsements, but we provide it to you so you have the information we have about our elected officials’ priorities in a given year. Our endorsements will be available in May, after we complete the endorsement process.

 


Welcome Jacqui Cain!

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

The AFT recently brought a new staffer on board, and AFT Washington is delighted to work with her and introduce you to her!

Jacqui Cain is enthusiastic about the opportunity to work on special projects for the AFT. She currently serves her local as the adjunct faculty representative and member of the bargaining team and is also the Vice-President for Contingent Faculty Issues for AFT Washington. Originally from California, she served in leadership roles for SEIU and California Community College Independent locals at California State University Monterey Bay, and College of the Redwoods. Currently she teaches at Pierce College in Puyallup in the English and Humanities Departments. In her free time, she regularly volunteers for local theaters and film festivals and enjoys exploring the coast as often as she can with her spouse and wee terrier.

We’re glad to have Jacqui aboard!

Solidarity Month Is Next Month!

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

Not only is May solidarity month, but we have a lot to celebrate this year, including the unionization pushes in multiple industries that were once un- or under-unionized. We also have seen direct evidence of the power of solidarity in bargaining, as in the support Renton Education Association gave to AFT Renton when they fought for and won a good contract last month.

Several events are being held that are open to all.

Revolutionary Non-Violence

On May 20th, the AFT Washington Retiree Chapter, in conjunction with UW-Tacoma and many others, will be hosting Revolutionary Non-Violence: An Online Seminar on Organizing for Freedom. The event will be hybrid, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and will feature the Director of the UCLA Labor Center, Dr. Kent Wong, as well as Labor, community activists, and UW-Tacoma students. You can register here.

If you are interested in participating with other AFT members, the chapter will be hosting a watch party at the AFT Washington offices. Space is limited! Contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org if you are interested.

Strategizing Our Rights

On Saturday, May 21st, the Human Rights Committee is hosting the Community and Labor Summit: Strategizing our Rights, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The last two years have presented painful challenges while painting in vivid color the enormous gaps in our social contract, a contract that has been breached time and again over the last several decades. However, current circumstances present us with an opportunity, and the leaders and membership of AFT Washington invite you to join us to acknowledge the loss and suffering within our communities, examine and define the needs of our communities, and elevate our shared commitments and define the pathway to the better world we know is possible.

The summit will be hybrid, and you will be asked at the time of registration which format you prefer. We are finalizing workshops, but pre-registration is open – register now to get advance notice when the final registration is live!

Race and Labor Gallery Walk

And finally, five colleges (Centralia College, Green River College, Lake Washington Technical College, Whatcom Community College, and Yakima Valley College) will be hosting a gallery walk on race and labor history. Dates are to come, and the events do not require registration – we will send you more information as we have it!

Union Tips & Reminders

The AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt Scholarship is Open! 

The AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt Scholarship was initiated in partnership with Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt LLP, a Seattle-based labor law firm, in recognition of our close alliance in working toward improved education and labor rights for the working people of Washington State and the members of AFT Washington. For the 2022-2023 school year, at least two (2) scholarships of $1500 each will be made to AFT Washington members or their family members.

View the application for more details about eligibility and application guidelines.

Applications are due to the AFT Washington office on May 23, 2022.

If you’d like, you can also help us continue to provide scholarships by making a donation to the Scholarship Fund. Find information about how to donate here.

Mental Health in the Climate Crisis

Saturday, April 23, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality will continue to increase as temperatures rise and more people experience extreme weather events. According to research, for every single person affected by a climate disaster in a physical way, 40 people are affected mentally and emotionally. Young people, elders, and people from marginalized BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts and are disproportionately affected. Also, people from these communities often have special expertise and practices for resilience.

Please come learn with us about the history, current state, and future of mental health in the climate crisis. Register here

Treasurer Training

Saturday, April 23, 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM

Local Treasurers, Membership Chairs, and Presidents who handle either of these roles, please join us for a Treasurer/Membership Data Training on April 23! The first module starts at 9:00 AM (financial management training) and will end by 10:30 AM. The second module starts at 11:30 AM (data management training) and ends at 1:30 PM. Participants may choose to attend both modules or select just one.

Please register for either or both modules. Register here.

APALA's 23rd Annual Gala Is Back!

Friday, April 29, 5:30 - 8:00 PM

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) Seattle Chapter is hosting their 23rd annual fundraising banquet and silent auction on Friday, April 29, 2022, 5:30-8:00 pm, in-person, at the Jerry Brockey Center, South Seattle College. This year's theme is "Asian American Workers Rising". AFT Washington purchased a table and there are a few seats available. If you or someone at your local is interested, please contact Geno Amador at gamador@aftwa.org for more information.

Worksite Rep Training

Tuesday, May 24, 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Whether you are called a union steward, building rep, officer, or executive board member, we all want to do our best to represent our members. During this training you will learn the importance of engaging our membership, building our power inside and outside of the worksite and enforcing our contract.

Register here.

3rd Annual Bhangra at Skagit Valley College

Sunday, May 26, 4:00 - 8:00 PM

Next month, the South Asian Student Club, in collaboration with the Black Student Union, the Human Services Club, and the Art Club will be hosting the 3rd annual Bhangra in Ferndale, WA. Bhangra is a Punjabi folk dance from the Punjab region of India. This event consists of an evening of choreographed dance performances by Bhangra groups from across Washington, followed by a sumptuous Indian buffet dinner catered by Saffron Grill. If you or someone at your local is interested in attending, please contact Geno Amador at gamador@aftwa.org to learn more.

Adjunct Unemployment Workshop

Friday, June 10, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

AFT Washington and WEA Contingent Faculty leaders have helped hundreds of adjuncts successfully apply for unemployment benefits over more than a decade. This workshop is intended for seasoned and new applicants alike. The aim is to increase your chances of getting your unemployment claims as adjuncts resolved quickly, decreasing the potential of accidentally triggering delays that could delay payments by months.

Register here.

Communications Help Is Available

Is your local not sure how to best use your website? Did you know you can have a free website? Would you like help with figuring out strategies for better communications outreach? Got something for the whole union to hear about? We can help with all of these, and more!

On top of helping your local, we can provide outreach to the union as a whole, through the Pulse and the Union Spotlight. We are actively interested in anything your members are doing, such as workshops  or innovative problem solving.

If you have questions about them, want guidance, or are interested in learning more, please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org.

AFT Connect: Better Data For A Stronger Union

Connect is AFT’s new, powerful, web-based, secure data management system. It provides a great way to record individual member data, and so much more!

  • Track your local’s support from Community Allies.
  • Record member event attendance.
  • Create forms and surveys.
  • Capture detailed employment and employer information.
  • Manage COPE and other local committees.

Readily use these features and more through AFT Connect’s dashboard or let Connect help your local turn data into a powerful tool through easy, customizable reports.

Connect is replacing both Membership Suite and the Affiliate Toolkit Workspace. Get ahead of the rush and sign your local up to use Connect today!

To get started with AFT Connect, contact Christine Landon at clandon@aftwa.org.

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