Unemployment Benefits | AFT Washington, AFL-CIO

Adjunct Unemployment Workshop

AFT Washington and the WEA have helped hundreds of adjuncts successfully apply for unemployment benefits over more than a decade. Twice a quarter, we offer a workshop designed to assist adjuncts in their application - dates will be announced through the Weekly Update as they are established. The workshops generally run at the end of the quarter.

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 live workshop is important, so we can answer questions live! We do not record sessions, but we can provide additional accommodations as needed.

Your Unemployment Toolkit

Welcome to our page of helpful articles, FAQs, and tips about applying for unemployment insurance.

Q&A on Applying for Unemployment Benefits

Q&A on Unemployment Benefits for Two-Year Part-time, Contingent Faculty
written by Annette Stofer, AFT Seattle #1789

Annette Stofer is a contingent faculty member at Seattle Colleges' South Seattle Campus. Speaking from experience, she has written a question-and-answer piece that may be helpful in your application for unemployment benefits.

UI Benefits: Going to the Hearing

by Sarah Adams, Olympic College

What You Should Know About The Process

Community and Technical Colleges are reimbursable employers. That means, the state of Washington pays them up front for the unemployment benefits the schools expect to pay out. Under current Washington law, whatever monies the schools don’t pay out in benefits gets rolled into a general account for the school’s discretionary use. Briefly, whatever they don’t use, they get to keep. This system gives schools incentive to regularly fight unemployment claims, legitimate or otherwise. Schools hire out-of-state third parties to represent them and it costs them little to do so. (more)