From the President
Well, this school year is off to a hot start! We have a huge election just weeks away – did you watch the debate? It feels like we’ve shifted from the Mariners’ second half of the season back to the first half! (For clarity – the M's are 3.5 games behind the Astros right now, but they went into the all-star break 10 games ahead!) We have a robust legislative agenda despite the fiscal concerns expressed by legislators worried about a revenue crisis when they begin working to set the biennial budget in a few short months.
Amidst all of this we’re co-hosting a listening session with the chairs of the Senate and House Higher Ed committees on Tuesday – I hope you will join us to show the legislators how critical our needs are. On top of that, I’m thrilled to announce that President Randi Weingarten will be coming through Washington on the Real Solutions for a Better Life bus campaign! We’re planning an event in Yakima on Sunday, 9/22 - we anticipate an energetic and inspiring event with a rally, canvassing and a cookout with our members, C4C members, community members and candidates. We have an RSVP link and a tentative agenda (we really are still working out those details!) in this issue. If you’d like to join us, please let us know at aftwashington@aftwa.org. We’ll likely rent a van or two so those on the west side of the mountains can travel together.
Richard Burton, our political organizer, has arranged many meetings with members to talk with their legislators about our legislative goals, and this will continue through Fall. We are also putting together our door belling/phone banking/text hustling plans and we’ll be asking you to help make sure our endorsed candidates win their races. We have terrific opportunities to win seats in LD 10 (Skagit area), LD 14 (Yakima area) and LD 26 (Tacoma/Gig Harbor area). In addition to candidates, we have endorsed “no” votes on the four initiatives on the ballot. Talking to our union siblings in these tough races to make sure they know who we’ve endorsed and that they vote is an essential part of the election. If you want to get more involved, you can contact Richard directly at rburton@aftwa.org; you can sign up for our political and legislative newsletter that will restart in October.
Finally, Artificial Intelligence is on many minds right now and it can be overwhelming. As I stated on an AFL-CIO and Microsoft hosted panel on Monday, unlike in many industries, when AI showed up in the public sphere it also showed up in the classroom. Imagine if a hospital implemented AI into patient care without preparing the workforce…we all know it would not go well. This is basically what happened in education. The AFL-CIO, AFT, and several other unions are working with Microsoft in an effort to center the interests of workers as AI develops. It may feel like it’s a day late and a dollar short, but we need to get into the discussions where we can and influence how AI is integrated into our work lives. In my comments I urged bringing workers to the table as Subject Matter Experts (faculty are the SMEs of teaching and learning, paraeducators are the SMEs in managing children’s behavior, and so on) and to be prepared to fund our public institutions adequately to meet the needs of the workforce. This includes reducing workloads to account for the time spent to stay on top of technology developments. Other topics I raised were the expansion of the digital divide and the perpetuation of systemic oppression as a result of AI, along with the violation of intellectual property rights.
AFT Seattle 1789 member Greg Bachar is representing us on the Governor’s task force charged with optimizing the benefits of AI in the workplace and mitigating the harms – we owe a big thank you to Greg for tackling this work. We have circulated a survey that has been circulated among state employees; we encourage you to complete it to provide us with a deeper understanding of your concerns. You can access it here.
As I said, the school year is off to a hot start…sizzling might be a better adjective! Our Councils and Executive Board will have their first meetings in October, and we’ll be sending out invitations to workshops and committee meetings in the coming weeks. I wish you all a terrific school year!
In solidarity,
Karen Strickland, President
Local Highlights & News
Whatcom Pro Staff Organizes!
By Jacqui Cain, External Organizer
The professional-exempt staff at Whatcom Community College have organized their union with AFT! The Public Employees Relations Commission certified the new bargaining unit, which includes a wide variety of workers such as Advisors, IT Specialists, and Coordinators, in July. Several positions require further conversations to establish if they are in the unit, but we are optimistic that will be resolved by the end of the year.
The new unit is preparing for bargaining and completing the other necessary tasks to become AFT Washington's newest local. Leaders from the long-standing faculty local and the Pro Staff unit have been talking to each other to look for opportunities for collaboration.
Additionally, AFT Washington acknowledges the input union leaders in other professional exempt units gave, including Seattle, Yakima, Walla Walla, and Clover Park Technical College, who are helping to support the Whatcom workers in their organizing efforts.
Whatcom Professional/Exempt Staff is our most recent new local, but we are interested in bringing more of this workforce into our union family. If you know pro staff who might be interested, please let us know by talking to your UOR!
Welcome Whatcom Professional Staff!
The Real Solutions For A Better Life Bus Tour Is Coming To Washington!
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
AFT has launched their national Get Out The Vote bus tour, the Real Solutions For A Better Life tour, and they are planning a stop here in Washington! We are still finalizing details, but the event will be midday on Sunday, September 22nd in Yakima. Folks who are interested in traveling from the west side of the state can contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org to get space in a van. There will be a rally with AFT President Randi Weingarten and Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus, food, and an opportunity to get out the vote for local candidates in the Yakima area.
This election is a critical one, at all levels from the city to the country, and AFT recognizes the power we have as a union to shape the results in ways that support workers and their families and communities. Randi said it well: “From now until November, the #AFTvotes bus will be rolling in across the country in support of candidates who offer an inspiring vision for our nation’s future, one grounded in economic opportunity, freedom and the promise of America for all. We will be getting out the vote, uplifting issues and shining a spotlight on the choice between those who support working people, retirees and our children and communities, and those who want to return to a dark, divisive and grievance-filled past. Between now and Election Day, we’ll make sure that our members are mobilized and our voices are heard.”
Please RSVP to join us.
Join Us For A Listening Session With Sen. Nobles and Rep. Slatter!
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
The AFT Washington Advocacy Team and Legislative Affairs Committee have set ambitious goals for the 2025 legislative session and we will be seeking significant investment from the state Legislature to make those goals happen. Together with WEA, we are hosting a listening session with Senator T'wina Nobles (D-28), Chair of the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee, and Representative Vandana Slatter (D-48), Chair of the House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee.
Please join us, our labor partners, students, and members of the higher education community via Zoom on Tuesday, September 17th, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM for this opportunity to engage with legislators to address the critical issues facing the higher education system.
The Digital Handbook For Local Leaders Is Live!
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
At the 2023 AFT Washington Convention, delegates passed Resolution 2023-03, Effective Locals Are Powerful Locals, that called on AFT Washington to develop a digital handbook for the use of local leaders. The handbook is intended to cover topics including managing local operations, locals’ roles in the AFT Washington structure, recommendations and best practices for critical operational infrastructure, among other possible topics.
We are pleased to announce that the digital handbook, developed in conjunction with members of the AFT Washington Executive Board and with assistance from local leaders, is live! It’s hosted on Trello; you do not need an account to access it.
This is a living document, so if you have questions or suggestions of things to add, please contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org – we want this to be a resource leaders can use and benefit from.
Voter Registration and Our Endorsements
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
The AFT Washington COPE Committee has updated its endorsements in light of the primary results. You can find them on our website, and they will also be in the upcoming issue of the Union Spotlight, set to mail in mid-October.
Beyond that, we have a wealth of information about the technical aspects of the election, such as election dates and how to vote, on our website, and we are particularly working this year on opportunities to register people to vote. If you are interested in training and materials for this, please contact Richard Burton at rburton@aftwa.org for more information!
Union Tips & Reminders
The AFT Washington Retiree Chapter Needs You!
At the 2023 AFT Washington convention, delegates unanimously adopted Resolution 2023-04, “Organized Retirees For Action”. The AFT Washington Retiree Chapter, local 8045R, has been working on developing a strategic plan and establishing an organizing team to carry out the goals established in the resolution. This is where you come in!
The Retiree Chapter is calling on local leaders to do two things to support this resolution.
- Appoint a retiree from your local to serve as a representative and advisor to the Retiree Chapter.
- Work with AFT Washington and AFT National to grant authorization to move identified retired members in your local’s Connect database account to the Retiree Chapter’s Connect account.
A flyer about this is available here. An organized retiree chapter is a powerful force, but it’s too easy to lose track of our retired members. Help us grow the chapter and build our retiree power!
If you have questions about the project, please contact Richard Burton at rburton@aftwa.org or at 206-225-0621.
Six AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt Scholarships Awarded
We are delighted to announce that we awarded six AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt Scholarships this year, thanks to the generosity of members! Students in fields ranging from counseling to mathematics applied, showcasing the diversity of our members and their families’ academic interests!
If your local is interested in making a donation to support the scholarship fund, please contact Somma Rath at srath@aftwa.org for information. The more we donate, the more scholarships we award – there is a real, tangible benefit to donating, and we appreciate every donation.
SEIU 925 Workers At UW Need Our Support
UW employees continue to fight for a fair contract against a notoriously difficult employer. They have been at the bargaining table with UW Administration seven times. In those meetings, workers have brought forward their priorities, including raises, workload, safety, and job security. UW has responded by offering a measly 1% raise and failed to bring forward an acceptable offer.
This campaign is heating up and SEIU 925 is asking the labor community to send a message to President Ana Mari Cauce and other decision-makers. Send a message here: bit.ly/uw-future
Take Our Survey On AI!
AFT Washington is seeking your input! We have created a survey, using questions from WaTech, Washington state's Technology Solutions Division, and UC Berkeley, to assess how you and your college are using AI. The survey is intended to help inform the state's emerging AI policies and is part of a multistate collaboration.
You can take the survey here.
National Get-Out-The-Vote Bus Tour Is Coming To Washington!
AFT has launched their nationwide bus tour centered around getting out the vote. The tour is coming to Washington this year! A stop is planned in Yakima on Sunday, September 22nd. Details are still being finalized, but start planning now! If you are interested in attending but would like to carpool, please contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org. Details to come soon!
You can RSVP here.
Stop The Merger Rally: Don't Let Grocery CEOs Bag Our Future!
Monday, September 16th, 12:00 PM at Seattle City Council Plaza
Join MLK Labor and your labor siblings in solidarity with workers and the community to oppose the Kroger-Albertsons merger that threatens our local grocery stores and our community’s well-being. This proposed merger would likely lead to higher prices, fewer choices, and put thousands of Washington grocery store workers' jobs at risk.
Hear from Attorney General Bob Ferguson and other key community leaders about the impacts of this merger and why we must stop it. Bring your family, friends, and energy! Let’s unite to send a clear message that our workers and communities come before corporate profits.
RSVP here.
Worksite Representative Training
Tuesday, October 15th, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Whether you are called a union steward, building rep, officer, 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.
Contract Enforcement & Grievance Training
Wednesday, October 30th, 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 are to do. Please plan on attending the entirety of the training and have your local’s contract available for reference.
Register here.
Human Rights Committee Seeks Members
The AFT Washington Human Rights Committee is sincerely committed to our mission statement of advocating for human rights in our workplaces and our community. We are continuing to work with our locals and allies to combat racism, foster community, and educate our members and communities on the importance of Human Rights. The AFT Washington Human Rights Committee needs your expertise, experience, and investment in upholding Human Rights to do this! We want to have a representative committee that includes all the constituencies within AFT Washington, but to do that we need your participation. You are invited to join the Human Rights Committee as an advocate for the Human Rights issues that are important to our members. To join the Human Rights Committee, contact Ray Carrillo, 206-369-4001, rcarrillo@aftwa.org.
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!
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.