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Higher Ed Stakeholders' Conference 2014

Group at the end of the day
In an effort to address the state’s declining investment in higher education, students, faculty, community organizations, and labor unions will meet on Saturday, Oct. 25th, in Tacoma to develop strategies and solutions to reverse this trend during the 2015 legislative session.  Washington State is ranked fourth in the country for decreased state funding per full-time equivalent (FTE) and ninth in the country for the largest tuition increases during 2008-2012. Recently Gov. Inslee asked university presidents and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to develop budget proposals that would include another 15 percent cut in state higher education funding after years of disinvestment. 

Tacoma Federation of ParaEducators Give Away New Books to Community

TFP Local 461 giving away new books at their booth

Thanks to a partnership with AFT and First Book, Tacoma Federation of ParaEducators Local 461 gave away over 300 new books on Saturday, August 23, at the first-ever Hilltop Street Fair located in Tacoma's inner city. Participating in the book fair were local president Barb Randall-Saleh Pierce and TFP members Maria Haynes, Diane Hollstrom, Debbie Scott, and Donna Mairs. Pierce College instructor and AFT member Tom McCarthy was one of the organizers of the street fair.

Labor's Got Talent Solidarity Event

AFT Renton Classified bus driver David Hatch

What a fun night of solidarity with our union brothers and sisters! We enjoyed the many talents -- from comedy to singing performances -- of everyone. We want to express our deep appreciation for their participation in the first-ever Labor's Got Talent! Let's do this again!

Photos by Christine Landon.

Celebrate Books and Reading with First Book Partnership

Books for children

AFT Washington held "Celebrate Books and Reading," a book giveaway in partnership with First Book, a national non-profit organization who provides books at little or no cost to increase literacy and the love of books for children in need. The event took place on Saturday, May 17, at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.

We want to thank all of the donors, the organizations that participated in our resource fair, the Mayor of Seattle, Charles Johnson and Elisheba Johnson, and the many volunteers. We couldn't have done it without you!

Photos by Christine Landon, AFT Washington

Step Up for Faculty Equity: The 2014 Contingent Faculty Issues Conference

AFT Washington President welcomes attendees

Part-time faculty attended a free conference designed specifically for their issues where they heard about practical tips for applying for unemployment benefits and the main reasons claims are denied, as well as a presentation on how part-time faculty across the country are working together to make their union stronger from AFT Higher Education Asst. Director Alyssa Picard.

Campus Equity Week 2013

Button created by faculty at Shoreline Community College

Some locals recognized Campus Equity Week by holding campus events to call attention to working conditions of adjunct and part-time faculty. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation to recognize adjunct and part-time faculty members in our state.

For more information, including links, go to http://wa.aft.org/contingent-faculty/join-campus-equity-week.

 

Partners, Allies and Bridges Event - Sept. 19, 2013

Pandromeda performs hip hop poetry about social issues

On Sept. 19, 2013, we hosted a gathering to connect with community and labor allies and to meet the new AFT Washington President Karen Strickland. Attendees included the SW Washington County Labor Council, AFT Washington Retiree Chapter 8045R, Washington Assn. of Colleges for Teacher Education, WEA, EOI, OneAmerica, Fuse Washington, Pride At Work, United States Student Assn., Washington Student Assn., Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Washington Labor Education Research Center, Sen. Patty Murray's office, Rep. Suzan Delbene's office, Washington State Nurses Assn., Washington State Labor Council, and Legislators from the 11th, 33rd, and 34th LDs

Check out all of the photos from our event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157635815428024

Meeting With Marcie

Marcie Maxwell, Governor's education policy advisor

Former legislator Marcie Maxwell was appointed in July to Governor Inslee's Legislative and Policy Affairs Office as the senior education policy advisor. AFT Washington President Karen Strickland and Lobbyist Bernal Baca met with her recently to discuss some of our policy issues. We look forward to working with her in the future.

AFT NW Leadership Forum

Seminar on Building Your Local's Political Power

Over 105 AFT members from Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho attended the 3rd annual AFT Northwest Leadership Forum from July 11-14. The theme of the conference was "The Union Beyond Today's Struggles: Staying Strong and Leading Smart. The conference was a great opportunity for AFT members from all around this region, in all kinds of work situations, to meet each other and learn from each other’s successes and struggles. Not only were there people from various states and locals in each training track, but we also talked together at a constituency breakfast and partied together at the opening night night reception.

To see more photos from the forum, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7177671@N03/sets/72157634687633272/with/9308891871/

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95521377@N03/sets/72157634665575357/

 

 

2013 Contingent Faculty Issues Conference

Checking in with Bernal Baca and Mike Boggess

About 50 members attended a conference on contingent faculty issues Saturday, May 18, at the Georgetown campus of Seattle Community Colleges, which was sponsored by the AFT Washington Contingent Faculty Issues Committee.

Workshops on best practices for bargaining contingent faculty interests, filing for unemployment insurance, and identifying adjunct issues were held. Several folks signed up to be members of the contingent faculty issues committee which meets monthly.

During lunch, AFT Washington President Sandra Schroeder and Lobbyist Bernal Baca talked about the legislative session and SB 5905, which would take health care coverage away from part-time public employees and move them to a state insurance exchange program fundeded through the federal Affordable Care Act. Several members signed and took petitions that will be given to key budget negotiators. You can read more about this attack on health care on our website at http://wa.aft.org/take-action/state-senate-wants-cut-health-care-benefits-part-time-employees.

Photos taken by Dorothy Gibson