March 2025

March 2025

From the President 

For months now we have been talking about and mobilizing for the looming revenue deficit in our state, which has grown to an estimated $15 billion over the next four years. This has led to discussions of budget cuts throughout state government, including in early learning and higher education. Lest we think that PreK-12 education has been left out, let’s remember that given decades of underfunding, no cuts or minimal increases make it extremely difficult to meet the needs of students and do right by the workforce.

Our members have shown up to meet with legislators in their home districts, at their workplaces, on zoom and in Olympia over the last 9 months to paint the picture of harm if there is no investment in education while also highlighting what can be accomplished if meaningful investment is made. Legislators have listened, lamented, and often stated a commitment to raising new, progressive revenue to deal with the reality before us. With just about 40 days left in this legislative session, the time has come to demonstrate that commitment. It is unlikely, however, that we will see the new revenue needed without mobilizing our members and taking collective action. The AFT Washington Advocacy Team is planning the next step in our advocacy plan and we’ll share it with you soon.

Governor Ferguson has suggested furloughs for state employees, and legislators have raised the possible proposal of pay cuts to help fill the revenue gap. Having been a faculty member during the Great Recession, I recall all too clearly the harm of the six-year suspension of the COLA that I-732-covered employees endured and the harm to state employees when they were hit with a 3% pay cut in 2011 – 2013. We already know of members facing layoffs and we have to be prepared for other implications of the economic climate in the coming months. One of the significant differences between then and now is that we were in a global recession then, but now we are in a state with a booming economy and many very wealthy residents. There really is no comparison between the two eras except that at this moment in time, it appears that some elected leaders believe that working people can afford to fill the revenue gap more easily than the rich. Say what?!?

While many legislators are working hard to pass progressive revenue, such as a wealth tax or an increased Business and Occupation tax for highly profitable companies, others are balking, and the Governor insists on looking at cuts first. Deciding that working people should take a pay cut in any form while the rich have far more money than they’ll ever need is taking the position that working people can afford it and that is unconscionable!

Let’s do the math. The median individual income in Washington in 2023 was $51,493, breaking down into just about $200 per day, or $2400 per month. That’s real money with a real impact in our high-cost-of-living state. Cuts to wages would mean difficulty paying for necessities, not being able to save money for emergencies, or enjoying a night out or a baseball game occasionally. In addition to the individual harm, it means less fuel in the economy – after all people with low or modest incomes spend their money, they don’t stockpile it like wealthy people do. Less fuel in the economy means less revenue into the public coffers - exacerbating the problem cuts were supposed to address. Furthermore, the need for public services – childcare subsidies, housing assistance, medical care – increases as income drops, also exacerbating the problem with our economy. Cutting the salaries of state employees is bad for us and bad for the economy, so why do it? To protect the wealth of the rich and keep them happy? It has become far too “normal” to expect public sector workers to subsidize the wealthy who don’t pay their fair share. It’s far too “normal” to think that working people won’t or can’t push back as easily as the rich.

The House and Senate are expected to release their budgets on March 24th and we will see then what they propose to solve the revenue shortfall before them. As union workers, we have choices in how we respond. We have the right to bargain changes to our working conditions and as leaders, we have a responsibility to prioritize our needs. We can trust the employer to look out for theirs. In light of that, I urge you to discuss this situation at your next board/council meeting with several things in mind:
 

• Avoid preemptive capitulation; instead, be ready to ask questions, request information, and explore alternatives.
• Avoid false comparisons. For example, workers who have funded salary schedules will be impacted differently by a pay cut than those who don’t. Everyone won’t be impacted in the same way by a proposed cut.
• Consider whether a furlough day or pay cut will translate to an actual reduction in work. If not, how would a corresponding reduction in workload be achieved? What would work-to-rule look like? What work would your members remove from their responsibilities?
• What will be the timeline and mechanism for recovering lost wages and what guarantees will be in place to ensure accountability?

As of right now, we know there are proposals for new, progressive revenue, but that if passed they won’t solve the problem immediately. We know that cuts that harm our members and our students will occur. That makes it crucial to take action now because  nothing is final until the budget is settled, and that means we have a few short weeks to make our impact.

Start thinking about this now. Discuss it with your board or council, and do not accept that we, the working people of Washington, must finance the comfort and ease of the wealthy. Get ready to get active and to put pressure on the legislature. It’s time for us to be clear: no furloughs, no cuts, tax the rich!

In solidarity,

Karen Strickland, President

Local News & Highlights

TFESP Local 461 Signs Up New Members At Record Rates, Mobilizes For Political Lobbying

By Enrie Marusya, Union Organizing Representative

Education Support Professionals across the state remain vastly underpaid, especially considering the fact that they often put their physical safety on the line to do their jobs. To address this, Tacoma Federation of Education Support Professionals, Local 461 has gone above and beyond this year to increase their membership and participation in political activities.

How did they do it? First, their eboard received training from AFT Washington on best practices for New Employee Orientations. They’ve had eboard members present at every NEO  since, knowing that early contact with new employees is essential. Then, they worked closely with AFT Washington staff to conduct a membership drive at the start of the school year. From September to February, TFESP has gained between 25-50 new members per month, vastly improving their budget outlook and participation in political and lobbying efforts.

Building on that growth, TFESP members were among the largest contingent of AFT Washington affiliate members attending Lobby Day in February. They’ve held many other meetings and actions with legislators around the issues of livable wages and progressive revenue, including attending town halls this month together. They’re also getting more involved in AFT’s Paraprofessionals and School Related Personnel Committee, to look at how they can coordinate their efforts nationally.

Closer to home, the local is also working on establishing a building representative in every building, and holding meetings regularly with them, to be sure they’re identifying and addressing contractual issues.

All of these steps have positioned TFESP well for the challenges that are on the horizon. Melissa Roach, Vice President of TFESP 461, had this to say about their efforts. “We’ve learned that our needs aren’t going to be met unless we have the strength of numbers and unity. Our union is strong now, though there’s still much more to do in the face of massive threats to our schools’ funding.” Melissa wanted to thank the following eboard members in particular for their work on increasing membership and participation: Krissy Brabham, Gwen Lewandoski, Kari Madden, Cat Mercado, Jode Pulley, and Anitra Wise. And Enrie thanks Melissa in turn!

Welcome Lexy Aydelotte, Our New External Organizer!

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

We are delighted to welcome our newest Project Organizer, Lexy Aydelotte! Lexy started at AFT Washington in February, taking over our external organizing work.

Lexy brings a rich history of organizing to AFT Washington. Her journey into the labor movement began as a paraeducator, where she learned first-hand about the security, power, and protection a union can provide. She later became a founding member and the first president of Western Academic Workers United (WAWU-UAW Local 4929), leading the union from its infancy through its first contract campaign—including a historic two-day strike—that secured groundbreaking tuition assistance and workplace protections for student employees.

Since then, Lexy has been at the forefront of organizing efforts across Washington, leading new organizing and contract campaigns, coalition-building initiatives, and legislative advocacy to expand labor power and collective bargaining rights. She brings years of experience in grassroots organizing, and political strategy to her role and is passionate about empowering workers to take collective action. She believes in the power of democratic, member-led unions to transform workplaces and communities.

Based in the Skagit Valley, Lexy spends her free time painting, playing music, kayaking, and cooking. She’s always eager to connect with fellow workers, activists, and community members—so don’t hesitate to reach out!

We are looking forward to building on our external organizing wins with Lexy!

Fighting Back To Save Public Education

By Karen Strickland, AFT Washington President

On March 10th, the Department of Education sent a letter to sixty universities threatening to punish them if they do not address antisemitic harassment and discrimination. Eastern Washington University, where the faculty are our members, is on the list along with the University of Washington, Pacific Lutheran University, and Whitman College. We agree that antisemitism must stop, and so must harassment and discrimination of all members of the communities of colleges and universities, including the anti-Arab actions being carried out by the current administration. Students thrive in environments where the culture is characterized by safety and the freedom to explore ideas and engage in debate, and we welcome serious efforts to end racism, sexism, ableism and other forms of bigotry and oppression to allow this freedom to grow.

But protecting students is not what this decree is about. President Trump is following the playbook laid out in Project 2025 and moving to defund and undermine higher education, as well as stripping away the rights of Indigenous, Black, Brown, Asian American, Pacific Islander, low income, and gender-diverse people, as well as the rights of all victims of oppression. The president and the wealthy elite will use any tactic they can to achieve their goals, including attempting to divide and conquer the various communities on our campuses, vilifying people who don’t serve their interests, and promoting hate and violence at every turn. It is reasonable to conclude that when President Trump champions a cause, it is because he sees benefit to himself and his cronies; he does not stand for intellectual freedom and ending oppression. Instead, his goal is autocracy.

We must not allow the Trump Administration’s tactics to become the norm.  We must use the tactics and strategies of education and the labor movement – expanding human and civil rights, building solidarity across communities, promoting intellectual freedom, and disrupting “business as usual” as befits circumstances.

The state of our country is chaotic and uncertain. Systems we have come to rely on are crumbling before our eyes. This is a time when we – education workers, union members, community members – must stand together and take action to defend our democracy. Each week we share out our Weekly Update and our Legisletter (contact Cortney at cmarabetta@aftwa.org if you are not receiving them) providing each of us with numerous opportunities to take action in defense of the values we hold dear – it’s time for all of us to get involved!

The AFT's Press Release On Trump's Executive Order Dismantling The Department of Education

AFT's Weingarten Responds to Trump's Attempt to Eliminate Federal Role in Education

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement responding to Donald Trump’s forthcoming executive order attempting to eliminate the federal role in education — a move that most people in America don’t want because it will diminish opportunity for students:

"See you in court."

Unemployment Resources

With the state legislature grappling with a revenue deficit, some of you are hearing about layoffs, program reductions, and program closures. This causes a lot of stress, especially those whose jobs may be at risk, and for the entire community as well.

We have unemployment workshops for contingent faculty advertised in the calendar below – they’ve also been in the Weekly Update. We are also planning to offer a more general unemployment workshop in partnership with the Washington State Labor Council in the near future. For now, please take a look at the resource flyer to get a sense of the support WSLC can provide.

From The AFT: Collecting Member Stories About DEI Cuts

AFT is at the forefront of legal action to defend against the attacks of the Trump Administration. They are involved in numerous lawsuits, including in response to the Dear Colleague letter.

Members are experiencing firsthand the impact of the myriad attacks the Trump administration is launching. To keep fighting, AFT needs to hear their stories – they are a crucial component of AFT’s legal strategy. Please share this link below among your members and ask them to share their stories so that AFT can continue to fight back.

Please fill out this form to tell us what you are experiencing in your communities.

AFT Town Hall: Get The Facts On Measles

As measles cases rise, schools, healthcare facilities, and communities are at risk—not just from the disease itself but also from dangerous misinformation, especially when it comes from high-profile sources. This preventable disease is making a dangerous comeback, and now is the time to ensure our members have the information they need to stay safe and keep their families and our communities safe.

On Monday, March 24, at 5:30 p.m. EDT, Randi Weingarten will be joining Dr. Vin Gupta, a leading public health expert, and Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, for a live, interactive town hall to discuss the measles outbreak and how we can prevent further spread.

Click here to register.

Convention Update: The Convention Call Has Gone Out

Local presidents should be receiving convention call packets in the next few days. This includes all the information you will need to register your delegates for the convention, including voting strength, key deadlines, and a walkthrough of the registration process.

The convention will be held May 17-18 at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma. If you have questions about registering or about the convention in general, please contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org.

Get On Your Bike And Ride!

Union Tips & Reminders

Adjunct Unemployment Workshops

March 21st, 2025, 12:00 - 1:00 PM OR March 25th, 2025, 2:30 - 3:30 PM

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 accidentally 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.

Register here for March 21st.
Register here for March 25th.

PEN America Digital Safety Webinar

Monday, March 24th, 12:00 PM

Many of us are looking for tangible steps that we can take to support members of our campus community when they face online abuse. In this session we will share strategies for being an effective ally, building a supportive cyber community, and working together to shape best practices.

Register here.

From the LERC: Building Power From Day One - Getting New Workers Involved In Your Union

Thursdays, March 27th - April 10th, 6:00 PM

When new coworkers arrive at your workplace, what do they think about being part of a union? How can you help welcome new workers into the union, and make sure it’s a space where they want to be? In this three-part course, we’ll talk about the choice of union membership, planning and putting on effective new member orientations, and how you can organize to make your union a place that fosters participation and community. For more, see Class Details below.

The class will be held across 3 Thursdays, from 6pm to 8pm in-person at the Labor Center in Georgetown. To get the most out of these classes we recommend attending each week with at least one other member of your union or organization.

Register here.

Worksite Representative Training

Tuesday, April 22nd, 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.

Contract Enforcement and Grievance Training

Wednesday, April 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 will do. Please plan on attending the entirety of the training and have your local’s contract available for reference.

Register here.

You’re Invited To The Economic Opportunity Institute’s Changemakers Dinner!

Thursday, May 8th, 5:30 PM

The Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI) can't wait to celebrate the powerful work of our community and the significant policy strides we've made with you by our side.

Join EOI in welcoming our fabulous new executive director, Rian Watt (he/him), at his very first Changemakers. You'll have a chance to connect with him and our powerful policy staff as they debut our vision for EOI! We’re thrilled to have April Sims (she/her), President of the Washington State Labor Council, back as our emcee for the evening. We are also honored to welcome Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown as our keynote speaker. A dedicated public servant and trailblazer, Attorney General Brown has been a long-time advocate for justice, equity, and economic opportunity. With a distinguished career spanning law, policy, and civil rights, he has championed policies that protect working families and ensure access to justice for vulnerable communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of our state’s most influential leaders!

AFT Washington has purchased a table – if you are interested in attending, please contact Somma Rath at srath@aftwa.org.

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.

1. Appoint a retiree from your local to serve as a representative and advisor to the Retiree Chapter.
2. 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.

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!

• 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.