From the President
As 2023 wraps up I’m thinking about our achievements alongside our challenges; we’ve seen significant union organizing followed by big wins across the country and here at home. Last year, we saw a Supreme Court decision take away women’s rights to bodily autonomy and healthcare, and we saw voters in several states push back hard and protect those rights. We saw re-energized UAW workers demand their employers restore concessions made in earlier years and get creative with Stand Up strikes, resulting in winning far more at the table than they otherwise would have. Academics at Temple, Rutgers, University of Chicago and elsewhere have walked out to get what they need; right now, contingent faculty at Columbia College in Chicago are walking the line for the 49th day, the longest strike of contingent faculty ever! PreK-12 staff and teachers have also stood firm for better wages, smaller class sizes and more support staff. The message of Workers is loud and clear: Enough is Enough! And it’s working.
Here in Washington, we started out the year with robust action during the legislative session. Both our lobby day in February and our Day of Action in April showed that our members want their voices heard. We brought new members into our union. You may recall that last year the first group of charter school teachers in Washington unionized with AFT – well done Whatcom Intergenerational High School teachers! This year, the Professional/Exempt staff at Walla Walla Community College, the coaches in the Renton School District and Professional/Exempt staff at Whatcom Community College have decided to improve their working conditions by forming a union!
2023 also brought our biennial convention – the delegates passed six resolutions on topics that impact all of our locals, ranging from providing more resources to new leaders, to fighting for greater respect in the workplace, to organizing contingent faculty to help turn up the volume on pay inequity, job precarity and more, engaging and mobilizing our retiree members, and building our relationships with tribal leaders throughout Washington State. We’ve made a solid start on this work, including at the board retreat this month, and are excited to dig even further into the resolutions and the ways they will shape our advocacy and our communities and constituencies.
It’s been a very full year!
Much of this work will continue through 2024, which brings with it elections of enormous consequence. We have endorsed Bob Ferguson for Governor, and we’ll have many more endorsements to make by early May. If you have interest in participating in that process on behalf of your local, please contact Richard Burton at rburton@aftwa.org. The importance of the 2024 election cycle can’t be overstated. We know that we’ll have to contend with ever-increasing misinformation and disinformation (go here to read our Spotlight series on the subject) and AI will become ever more prominent in education and in political campaigns.
Division in our country is significant right now, but our values as working people can and must keep us, as working people in education, united. Public education is a foundation for democracy; education and organized labor are tried and true pathways to economic security, greater equity, and stronger communities. We have an important role to play in electing candidates who share our values and aspirations and will do the work to help achieve them with true equity, unity and belonging for all. So stay tuned and watch for opportunities to engage in our endorsement process along with our other programs, activities, and events we engage in throughout 2024.
In the meantime, I hope that the end of this year is an opportunity for you to relax, reflect, and re-energize, in community with friends and family, and that when we return in 2024, we are all ready for the challenges and opportunities that the new year will – as it always does – bring to us.
Local Highlights & News
Everett Community College Faculty Scores A Win For Contingent Faculty
By Jacqui Cain, Vice President for Contingent Faculty
Everett Community College negotiated a win for contingent faculty/advisors last month when the college agreed to convert five or more full-time-temporary positions directly into tenure-track positions. The resulting agreement moved a minimum of five current advisors with temporary contracts automatically into the tenure track starting Winter 2024, without having them reapply for their positions.
The reason the union was successful with these negotiations is because Everett’s CBA requires that the faculty not fall below a specific ratio of tenured/full-time faculty and contingent faculty. When EvCC offered buyout incentives for faculty to retire, the college administration wanted to mitigate the concern of having to hire so many new tenure-track faculty. The union has been encouraging the administration for over a year to consider a movement of the full-time, annual contingent faculty who had been in those positions for years to tenure-track to no avail. But, when the college decided to offer the Voluntary Separation Incentive, they included this language, which led to the MOU placing five adjuncts into new tenured positions.
Lobby Day Registrations Are Open!
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
This year, along with the AFT Washington lobby day on February 19th, Communities For Our Colleges (C4C) is having a lobby day on January 15th. Both will be opportunities to talk to legislators about the issues that face our students and our education workers alike, and how they impact our state and our communities.
Communities For Our Colleges Lobby Day
Monday, January 15th, 2024
AFT Washington is proud to be in coalition with Communities for our Colleges (C4C). C4C is a student of color-led organization of students, CTC staff and faculty, alumni, and community supporters. C4C believes that our state's two-year colleges are the backbones of our economy and local communities. They drive racial equity and working-class success, and C4C is organizing to build power to defend and expand access to our colleges.
Legislative priorities on the agenda for this lobby day, and more generally for the 2024 session include:
- Increasing access to professional licensure and certifications by removing barriers around citizenship and immigration status
- Elevating the need for cost-free college
Register here.
AFT Washington Lobby Day
Monday, February 19th, 2024
AFT Washington plans to continue building power and relationships with lawmakers in Olympia on February 19 (Presidents Day). Please plan to join with colleagues, meet with legislators, and push for progressive change.
Legislative priorities on the agenda for this lobby day, and more generally for the 2024 session include:
- Addressing staffing, safety, and inadequate salaries for School-Related Personnel
- Continuing the campaign for Equity Pay for Contingent Faculty.
- Expanding eligibility for benefits to include non-instructional work done by contingent faculty.
- Supporting priorities identified by Communities For Our Colleges and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
Register here.
The RESPECT Campaign Needs PreK-12 Classified Workers’ Stories
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
AFT Washington is part of a multi-union RESPECT: Living Wages For School Support Staff campaign. The goal of the campaign is straightforward: Education Support Professionals deserve respectful, living wages, and we're asking state legislators to take action over the next two legislative sessions to make that happen. The next major budget year is 2025, but the sooner we start advocating, the better the outcome is likely to be.
To support this campaign, we are seeking your stories to share with legislators. If your members have a story they're willing to share about how poor ESP wages have impacted them (or how a living wage would impact them!) members are invited to share it here.
If there are any questions about sharing a story, please contact Cortney Marabetta, at cmarabetta@aftwa.org, or at 206-499-4826.
Contingent Faculty Non-Instructional Duties and Unemployment Insurance Survey
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
One of our legislative priorities this year is expanding benefits eligibility for contingent faculty to include stipended, non-instructional work. Work that is paid via a stipend does not count toward health insurance qualifications, and is not considered in calculations for unemployment benefits or sick leave accrual.
Another priority is ensuring that contingent faculty have better approval rates for unemployment benefits they apply for. The denial rate is too high, and we want to see that change.
In order to collect information on how these issues affect contingent faculty, we are circulating a survey. If you have experience with these working conditions, please fill out the survey here.
Statement On The Need For A Cease-fire in Gaza
By Karen Strickland, AFT Washington President, and the AFT Washington Executive Board
The war in Gaza is causing extraordinary pain, suffering and long-lasting harm. Our executive board reached a point where remaining silent seemed a denial of the humanitarian crisis faced by far too many people and so we chose to make this statement to acknowledge it and add our collective voice to others who call for peaceful solutions. As the situation worsened, we then decided to sign this petition and join with our union siblings around the country in a call for a ceasefire. We understand that our membership is impacted in many different ways by this situation and has diverse perspectives and have chosen a humanitarian-based response.
Statement On The Shooting At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
By Karen Strickland, AFT Washington President, and AFT Washington staff
As is depressingly common, several people have been injured and killed due to gun violence at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Countless others have been traumatized by the terror they felt during the incident. Worse, the damage to us all is cumulative: all who work in education, students, and their families throughout the country are left with anxiety and fear, unable to feel the sense of safety we all need to thrive, and wondering when their campus will be the target. This is the 80th school shooting this year; that fear should surprise no one in the face of such a bleak statistic.
We send our deepest sympathies and love to all impacted by this assault, knowing that sympathies and love mean little without action.
As education workers, this is a moment when our membership can work together for real solutions to the epidemic of gun violence in schools and colleges, as well as in places of faith, shopping centers, childcare centers, and our communities more broadly. In the upcoming legislative session, we will be working with the Alliance for Gun Responsibility to advance laws proven to reduce gun violence. You can stay informed by signing up for our Legisletter here.
At the same time, we know that workers are well positioned to develop the measures that will make their workplaces safer. We encourage you to raise the subject of safety at your workplace with your union and to urge your employer to create the opportunity for your school, center, or college community members to come together and build the solutions needed. Solutions to this crisis are possible, and we can contribute to build them in meaningful ways.
Finally, as an AFT member you have access to trauma counseling as one of your union benefits. If the need arises you can find out more about that resource here.
Please take care of yourself and those around you - our solidarity and community can be a source of comfort and strength in the face of tragedy, and our action together can create change that ends the cycle of fear.
Regarding Twitter/X
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
The Executive Board of AFT Washington raised concerns about our continued use of the X/Twitter platform at the November board meeting. After discussion and consideration of the impact of ceasing using Twitter as a social media tool, the board voted in December to leave Twitter.
The decision was made based on the egregiously inflammatory statements made by Elon Musk, including his open advocacy of anti-Semitic talking points, and the extreme rise in mis- and disinformation on the platform. The bigotry and hate that Musk’s version of Twitter allows (and rewards) is disgusting and offensive, and we are also deeply concerned about the effect of disinformation on the 2024 elections. Continuing to use Twitter runs counter to our values as workers.
Discussion is ongoing as to what platform looks most promising to replace Twitter with, but no decisions have been made so far.
Union Tips & Reminders
We’re Hiring For An Operations Manager!
Now that we’ve gotten almost fully staffed again, it’s time to fill a big gap. The Operations Manager role at AFT Washington has been vacant since James To left in 2022, and we would like to get that chair occupied again.
If you know of anyone who is interested in such a role, the job posting is here. Please share with anyone you think would be a good fit!
Worksite Representative Training
January 24th, 2024, 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.
Treasurer and Data Management Advanced Training
Saturday, February 10th, 2024, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Local Treasurers, Membership Chairs, and Presidents who handle either of these roles, please join us for a Treasurer/Membership Data Training on January 28! The first module starts at 10:00 AM (financial management training) and will end by 11:00 AM. The second module starts at 11:00 PM (data management training) and ends at 12:00 PM. Participants may choose to attend both modules or select just one. Please register for either or both modules.
Register here.
Contract Enforcement & Grievance Training
February 28, 2024, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Our Collective Bargaining Agreements are one of the cornerstones of having a powerful local. A contract that is enforced makes a big difference in how our union and our members are treated in the workplace. This training will cover the ins and outs of filing grievances, unfair labor practices, duties of union leaders, and how we make sure that management does what the contract says they will do. Please plan on attending the entirety of the training and have your local’s contract available for reference.
Register here.
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 Briseida Sanchez at bsanchez@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.