April 2023
From the President
Greetings Friends,
The legislative session is winding down just as we’re gearing up for convention – suffice it to say we’re juggling a lot of balls in the air! Our labor movement is seeing big wins at both the national and state level and we’re presented with the opportunity to capitalize on the momentum built by people who are saying, we can do better and we must do better! Workers deserve better jobs, young people deserve to grow up without fear of gun violence (and we all deserve to live without it), and students and educators alike deserve well-supported schools and colleges in which they thrive.
In Chicago, our CTU Local 1 siblings fought hard to make Brandon Johnson Chicago’s next mayor. Mayor-elect Johnson is a former teacher, a union organizer and county commissioner who beat former “CEO” of Chicago Public Schools and champion of privatization and charter schools, Paul Vallas. Johnson’s victory speaks volumes about what educators and communities value, and AFT played a significant role in the win!
We can also celebrate two recent strikes by United Teachers of Los Angeles and Rutgers AAUP-AFT that have resulted in dramatic improvements in wages, salaries and student well-being. Classified staff in Los Angeles won gains on issues ranging from pay to healthy and green schools and everything in between (Beyond Recovery Campaign - UTLA). Wages for these essential yet disrespected workers will increase 21% over the next three years! Student needs will be more fully met with increased programming for unhoused students and funding for community schools (American Educator Subject Index | American Federation of Teachers (aft.org). This contract is a terrific example of bargaining for the common good.
The gains that Rutgers faculty won are ground-breaking…actually, the strike itself has been called ground-breaking as the first strike in Rutgers’ 257-year lifetime! Part-time lecturers will see a 43.8% pay increase per credit; post-doc salaries will increase by 27.9% over four years and full-time faculty and counselor salaries will increase by at least 14% within the next two and a half years. This is a huge victory for these workers, and key to their success was solidarity among the members, across unions (there are 17 different unions at Rutgers) and with students.
Solidarity is worth elaboration as we think about our legislative efforts over the last several years and this year too. The C4C Coalition continues to move and shake legislators to make gains for students and workers alike. Our Legisletter will provide a report next Tuesday on the final outcome (assuming the House and Senate come to agreement on the budget by midnight Sunday) of our work, but we know we’ve made progress in the present and have laid groundwork for part-time pay equity and cost-free college. The Coalition continues to grow in numbers and strategy and there is no doubt in my mind that the wins we’ve seen are the result of the genuinely co-created legislative agenda of coalition members and our solidarity as we engage in the legislative process.
In spite of the good news, we face challenges, one of those being the balance of active union engagement and taking care of one’s personal needs like family, recreation and health. Union leadership is like a gym membership: if we don’t use it, we don’t have the kinds of results in Chicago or L.A., or at Rutgers. We know that some locals are preparing for leadership transitions and I want to make sure we’re supporting you in these transitions as much as possible. One upcoming opportunity for new and continuing leaders is our convention workshop Building Effective Leadership Teams. (And keep an eye out for Powerful Locals information, coming your way soon – that’s another great opportunity for up-and-coming leaders to get support and build a network of peers.)
Also on offer at Convention are Inserting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into Bargaining Agreements and Labor Rights and the Biden Administration. I hope you’ll attend one of these on Thursday, May 18th from 5:30 – 7:00, in addition to attending our social event on Friday, May 19th featuring a keynote conversation with AFT Secretary-Treasurer Fed Ingram and WSLC President April Sims and participating in the business session on May 20. More details on deadlines and registration further down in this issue of the Pulse.
In solidarity,
Karen Strickland, President
Local News & Highlights
Photos of the Day of Action
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
Our members made a strong showing at last week’s Day of Action! We got legislators’ attention and highlighted the issues faced by faculty, professional staff, and students in the CTCs, being very clear that they are the same issue, and one that it’s up to the Legislature to solve. Things currently look positive, particularly around setting policies on part-time pay equity. We’ll know more next week, assuming Sine Die, which closes the legislative session, happens as projected on the 23rd.
With an estimated 400 people at 4 different rally sites (Olympia, Seattle, Lynnwood, and Yakima), members made a strong case that the state’s underinvestment in CTCs is a statewide issue. We’ve got some great photos to share.
AFT Faculty presidents at Shoreline (Eric Hamako), Edmonds (Scott Haddock), Everett (Nina Benedetti), and Cascadia (Dave Shapiro) at the rally at the Lynnwood Convention Center.
In Olympia, the cherry blossoms were still blooming. They look really good with picket signs!
Informational picketing at the sundial in front of the Capitol. Photo credit Geoffrey Cain.
In Yakima, the march went off-campus, and filled a city block with marchers!
Excellent weather for a march: it really highlights the signs and the AFT Blue. Photo credit Ray Carrillo.
And in Seattle, the Siegal Center, the administrative center of the Seattle Colleges, made a nice spot to bring a rally to.
Signs and members in front of the Siegal Center. Photo credit Javier Cortez.
AFT Yakima Professional Staff Stand Unified To Win A Fair Contract
By Ray Carrillo, Union Organizing Representative
The AFT Yakima Professional Staff bargaining team worked for over a year to win a contract with wage increases and contract language. They set goals for their bargaining in 2022, including clarification on overtime, bilingual pay and scheduling. The bargaining team, including local President Tammy LeRoue and Vice-President Hillary Emerson, overcame months of bargaining, changes in the representation of management bargaining team, and reluctance by the employer to increase wages to recruit and retain professional staff who continued to serve the students and community of the Yakima Valley.
The AFT Yakima Professional Staff unit took action to support their bargaining team and worked in unity with their AFT Faculty and WPEA co-workers. Some of the actions taken included a majority petition supporting their goals in bargaining, marching with the support of the AFT faculty to deliver the petition to the president of the college, participating in a press conference with their fellow unions at YVC, and voting down management’s proposals that were inadequate to recruit and retain employees.
Highlights of the new contract include 10.25% increases over the two-year contract, retro pay for the increase over COLA for 2022, a $1000.00 retention incentive, scheduling and overtime eligibility payment language and more equitable bilingual pay language. The AFT Yakima Professional Staff unanimously ratified their new contract that they worked hard together as a union to win.
Convention Deadlines and Delegate Registration
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
Convention is less than a month away! Your UOR has been in touch with a schedule of deadlines, and an explanation of the registration process, but as a reminder (because we are coming up on those deadlines very quickly) they’re included here.
Officer Nominations: To be nominated for an officer position, you must have 10 signatures to the AFT Washington office by April 30th. You can be nominated on a paper form or an electronic form. Contact your UOR or aftwashington@aftwa.org with any questions.
Board Awards: If you have a late-breaking submission for a Board award, the Board is still accepting award nominations until April 30th. Please contact aftwashington@aftwa.org with nominations.
Resolutions: The last day to receive resolutions in the AFT Washington office is April 30th. Please send them to aftwashington@aftwa.org. If you need assistance with a resolution, contact your UOR.
Credentials and Delegate Reply Card Returned: We need these returned to the office by the end of day May 10th. This year, registration is a two-step process. The local president registers each delegate for a ticket on Eventbrite. We are requesting the delegates’ names and email addresses. We will contact the delegates with a LeaderNet registration form. To receive convention materials in a timely fashion, and to confirm registration for committees, workshops, and/or the dinner, we must receive their completed LeaderNet registration by May 10th. People who register after this deadline will be accommodated on a space-available basis and may not receive their packet until after the start of Convention.
AFT Washington Retiree Chapter Annual Meeting
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
The Biennial Membership meeting will be held in person at Renton Technical College and by Zoom on May 19 from 2:00 to 5:00 PM, preceding the AFT Washington Convention Dinner which Retirees can attend. All are invited!
All Retiree Chapter Board positions will be up for election. The nomination process can be found in our Bylaws, posted on our website. The Board consists of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and five Directors. The Secretary and Treasurer position may be combined.
The Board is also planning on having a panel to share with all on “Life After Retirement”. Panel members will talk of what activities they moved forward with, actions involved with, and the highs and lows of retirement. If you are interested in sharing your story or have questions contact Merrilee Miron at Merrilee.miron@gmail.com or Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org.
To register to attend the meeting, please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org or 206-499-4826.
Union Tips & Reminders
Bike Fundraiser for the Scholarship Fund!
There are 10 days left in the AFT Washington bike riding fundraiser, to benefit the AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin and Lavitt scholarship fund! Our team of riders is going to ride at least 1000 miles. If you know a rider, it’s not too late to support their efforts at our link.
We encourage locals to consider making a donation to the scholarship fund, as well. It is a broadly-applicable fund, covering any credential from AA to PhD, for members and families of AFT members in Washington. Your local can donate at this link.
Race & Labor Workshops
April 26th and April 27th, 2023 (2 workshops)
In 2015, the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) created a Race and Labor training that demonstrates how racism is used as a strategy for dividing worker solidarity, and provides space for union members to develop the language and resources we need to interrupt oppressive moment, combat racist systems,and support our union siblings.
Since 2020, WSLC has trained rank and file members to lead these anti-racist trainings, including several of our members. We all have a role to play in building an anti-racist labor movement.
Perspectives On Labor In Academia
Labor Resurgence: Learning From Recurring Conflict With Capital
Friday and Saturday, May 5th - 6th, 2023
“Labor Resurgence: Learning from Recurring Conflict with Capital,” will shine a spotlight on the encouraging events occurring around the country and the Pacific Northwest. With more leverage than it has held in a half century, labor is rising up. Gig workers demanding the right to organize, nurses who are understaffed and overworked, teachers struggling in crowded classrooms – and many others — are empowered to demand more from their employers. The question is what can history teach us about these struggles and how can labor employ that knowledge for more effective change? Join us to explore these all-important questions.
The conference will be held in Tacoma at the Washington State History Museum. For more information, check out PNLHA's conference page. If you are interested in attending and are a member of the Retiree Chapter, the Chapter has four scholarships that cover the cost of attending, and would like to award those to interested in members - please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org for more information.
AFT Washington Adjunct Unemployment Workshop
June 9th and June 15th, 2023 (2 workshops)
AFT Washington has 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 claim as adjuncts resolved quickly, decreasing the potential of accidently triggering delays that could delay payments by months.
Attending a workshop in-person is important, so we can answer questions live! We do not record sessions, but we can provide additional accommodations as needed.
AFT Connect: Better Data For A Stronger Union
Connect is AFT’s web-based, secure local data management system. It provides a great way to record individual member data, and so much more!
- Capture detailed employment and employer information about members, prospective members, and retired members of your local.
- Make sure your members can access their union-provided benefits (discounted insurance, home mortgages, travel, goods and personal services).
- Keep track of changes in member earnings to ensure proper payment of your local’s per capita obligations.
- Manage your local executive board as well as COPE and other local committees.
- Plan outreach to your members and prospects. Have the information you need to conduct mailings, email, phone and text message outreach via local efforts or using AFT’s communications tools. Record member event attendance and outreach responses.
- Create forms and surveys.
- Track your local’s engagement with and support from Community Allies.
Readily use these features and more through AFT Connect’s dashboard, upload bulk spreadsheet updates of your membership, or let Connect help your local turn data into a powerful outreach and management tool through easy, customizable reports.
Maintaining your local’s membership and leadership information in Connect meets AFT and AFT Washington requirements for your local to remain in good standing.
To get started with AFT Connect, or to request training and other member data support, contact Christine Landon at clandon@aftwa.org.
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.