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October 2024

October 2024

From the President


Karen Strickland

Election day is nearly here, but there is a great deal of work to be done between now and then to achieve the best possible outcomes at every level. Here in Washington we have some tough races, including getting Marie Gluesenkamp Perez re-elected in congressional district 3 in Southwest Washington. Elon Musk just threw $380,000 into MAGA candidate Joe Kent’s campaign, but Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez is fighting hard to keep her seat in DC with the support of Labor and other Progressive groups. Our endorsed candidates in several legislative districts are also in close races, including LD 10, LD 26, and LD 14 to name a few. Please consider joining us for canvassing and phone banking for these and other candidates – see our endorsements here.

I’m sure that like me, many of you are approaching November 5th with a healthy dose of optimism laced with enough realism to keep you awake at night. Our Executive Board is preparing for various scenarios pertaining to the presidential election: a Harris win, a Trump win, or a court battle. In addition to attacks on Labor and education if Trump wins, we need to prepare for the potential of harm in our workplaces and communities, for example harassment, hate crimes, and propaganda promoting hate. We have joined with Standing For Democracy and are coordinating with others in Washington State and around the country leading up to the election and beyond to strengthen our democracy.

We have released a statement re-asserting what we stand for – Democracy, investment in the public good, and the freedom to thrive for all. We have compiled a list of resources to assist you in quickly accessing information on topics such as voter rights, reporting hate crimes, understanding the threat of a Trump presidency, and more. You can find the list below and in our digital handbook. If you know of resources you’d like to have included, particularly those in your community, please provide the information to aftwashington@aftwa.org.


Finally, we are preparing for a member recommitment campaign should the need arise. We need to be prepared for any weakening of our rights as a public sector union, and reinforcing our members’ commitment to their union will be a key part of that. Randi Weingarten has written how Project 2025 would impact PreK-12 education and AFT has compiled a list of specific impacts to higher education that Project 2025 would seek to implement, though this is not the only scenario where a recommitment campaign makes sense.

In these last few weeks before November 5th, please consider joining one of our canvas days or join a phone bank for either state legislative candidates, the No on the initiatives campaigns, or AFT’s phone banks to union members in battleground states. You'll find our priority dates below, and we are also including them in the Weekly Update. We need to do everything we can to ensure we have the freedoms we hold dear, and which allow us to keep building the better world we know is possible, rather than play defense to protect and win back the rights and opportunities that are slipping away.

In solidarity,



Karen Strickland, President

Local Highlights & News

Our Commitment To Democratic Values and Available Election Resources

By the AFT Washington Executive Board

Our Democracy is under attack by candidates trying to sow fear and doubt about the integrity of our elections while spreading disinformation to disparage and marginalize many people in our communities. The Heritage Foundation has written a 900+ page plan, Project 2025, dedicated to abandoning the public good, crushing the rights of working people, and undermining our schools and colleges. We cannot let this happen. We must be proactive in affirming our rights, prepare for the worst and take action to realize the best. The AFT Washington Executive Board has endorsed a statement asserting our commitment to the values and principles guiding our work and it is in this spirit that we put together this resource guide.

Statement on our Commitment to Values

AFT Washington has long held that a just society is one that allows educators, healthcare professionals, and others working to advance public welfare and provide equal opportunity to all. Our power comes from our members - their commitment; their involvement. We build our community when our colleagues become members, our members become activists, and our activists become leaders. This increases our scope, our depth, and our influence.

In these challenging times, AFT Washington reasserts our commitment to these principles: 

  • To welcome all of our diverse membership to stand together in solidarity to continue to work towards access for all, and to ensure that every member’s voice is heard and respected. 
  • To hold an unwavering commitment to democratic values, which include respect for individual freedoms, the rule of law, equality, and the importance of inclusive participation in governance, which serve as the foundation of our collective strength and action. 
  • To the belief that a thriving democracy is essential for ensuring justice and prosperity for all, and continuing to advocate for transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights. 
  • To continue to advocate for transparency, equity, and inclusivity within our decision-making processes. 
  • To reinforce our relationships with our union and community partners to amplify our collective impact. 
  • To engage in joint campaigns and outreach to enhance the collective power of our labor movement and partnerships as we advocate for social and economic justice for all. 

Our dedication to upholding these principles not only fosters a more just and equitable workplace but also reinforces the vital role of democratic engagement in advancing our shared goals, protecting the rights of all workers, and promoting an equitable society for all, allowing us to tackle challenges with greater unity and resilience. Together, we stand resolute in promoting and preserving the democratic ideals that unite us.

RESOURCES 

Voting Rights 

Election Integrity 

Immigrant Rights 

Monitoring/Reporting Hate Group Activity and Crime 

What’s At Stake 

Issues, Threats and Strategies for Winning 


General Election Endorsements

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

The AFT Washington COPE Committee has updated its endorsements for the general election. 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. Along with the candidate endorsements, AFT Washington has endorsed a “No” position on all four of the initiatives that will be on your ballot; you can read our concerns about the goals and effects of the initiatives on our website as well.


Our Priority Canvas Dates

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

Come out to join your union siblings working to get out the vote for pro-Labor candidates during this exciting election year! Labor Neighbor is looking for volunteers that are ready to phonebank and/or door knock. Let's get to work!

Priority Canvassing Dates and Locations

  • Saturday, October 12th, 10:00 AM – LD 14 (Yakima)
  • Sunday, October 20th, 10:00 AM – LD 10 (Stanwood, Arlington and Camano Island)
  • Saturday, October 26th, 10:00 AM – LD 26 (Gig Harbor and Bremerton)
  • Sunday, October 27th, 10:00 AM – LD 5 (Southeast King County)

Priority Funbanking Date

  • Tuesday, October 15, 5:00 – 7:30 PM

Sign up for all dates here.

Other Phonebanking Opportunities

In addition to the WSLC canvassing and phonebanking opportunities, we are supporting other partners' phonebanking opportunities. Click the link to register.

Most of these events are supporting the No campaigns for the four statewide initiatives that will be on your ballot. If you need more information about them, you can read about them here.

AFT Battleground States: Wednesday, October 16th, 2:00 - 3:45 PM

No on 2117: Thursday, October 17th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

No On 2109: Wednesday, October 30th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM


Harris-Walz Swag Available

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

We have received a shipment of Harris-Walz shirts and buttons from AFT, and UORs will be distributing them to locals. If you are interested in getting shirts for your local, please contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org and we’ll work out the best way to get them to you.


Update On The Real Solutions For A Better Life Tour

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

You may recall that last month, AFT brought their nationwide bus tour, the Real Solutions For A Better Life tour, to Yakima, where we had a fantastic event promoting the important 14th LD races. That stop, including video clips with Karen Strickland, AFT Washington President and Rachel Dorn, AFT Yakima President, is included in AFT's new video update on the bus tour - you can check it out here!


Striking IAM Machinists Need You!

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

The Machinists are in their third week of strike at Boeing, and labor and community support is needed. IAM has asked Labor to help them hold the line over the next two weeks.

Support is particularly needed on the strike line, though there are other ways to support the Machinists. If your local is able to commit members’ time, shuttles will take strikers and supporters from picket headquarters to the lines. Folks are particularly needed at the Seattle and Renton strike locations due to the large number of gates.

Picket HQs:

Additional solidarity needs include:

  • Volunteers at the strike headquarters
  • Donations of sandwich supplies, snacks, coffee, and wood
  • Financial contributions to the Hardship Fund on the IAM 751 update page

This WSLC Page is also being updated with solidarity needs for the Machinist strike.

AFT Washington’s Executive Board voted to make a donation to the Machinists' hardship fund.


Nominations and Elections Committee Needs Members

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

With the AFT Washington Biennial Convention coming up next year, it’s time to form the Nominations and Elections committee! We are looking for 3 members to form this committee, which is tasked with verifying nominations for roles on the AFT Washington Executive Board, and handling the election itself during the convention.

To serve on this committee, members must be planning to attend the convention and commit to three meetings in the 6 months before the convention. Members of the committee must not be running for election to the AFT Washington board, though they may be members of their local’s board.

If you’re interested in serving on this committee, please contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org for next steps!


Two Resolutions Passed By The Executive Board

By AFT Washington Staff

The AFT Washington executive board passed two resolutions at our recent meeting. The first, Resolution In Support Of Sensible Federal Government Priorities, is in support of federal legislation that would reduce the defense budget and redirect those funds to the true priorities of the people of our country, such as infrastructure, education, healthcare and more. It also calls for a just transition for workers impacted by military funding cuts to ensure their economic stability and well-being. 

The second resolution is in support of the Labor for Single Payer campaign. We have demonstrated support for single payer healthcare in many ways, for example through our participation on the Healthcare is a Human Right Coalition and support for Medicare for All legislation. This resolution seeks to bring more of the organized labor community into the fight for single payer healthcare.



Digital Membership Cards Have Launched – Have You Gotten Yours?

By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist

At the AFT Convention this summer, AFT launched a digital membership card process. As of this writing, they have sent notices to AFT members nationwide, if they have an email address in Connect for that member.

To receive a digital card, members must visit the AFT Membership portal. If the member has an account, they can simply log in and then select whether they want the iPhone or Android version of the digital card.

If the member does not have an account, they must register. If the member uses the emailed link, the form will auto-populate with their member number, last name, and local union number; they just need to create a password. If they did not receive an email but want a membership card, please have the member contact your local Connect administrator or Briseida Sanchez at bsanchez@aftwa.org. New members will be automatically contacted with the link for the digital membership card.

This is an exciting development, and we urge you to share it with members! There are a number of uses for a membership number, including accessing password-protected portions of StateWeb and accessing benefits information on AFT’s site – it’s a real improvement to have that information at your digital fingertips!

Please contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org if you have any questions about the digital membership card. If you want to get set up on Connect, Briseida Sanchez can help with that – contact her at bsanchez@aftwa.org.


Update On the Digital Handbook For Local Leaders

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.

We do ask that you share the link sparingly. We will be putting the link to the handbook on our website, on the For Local Leaders page, and that page will be password-protected soon. If you do not have a StateWeb account and need assistance getting one set up, please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org. You will need your member number, which we can find if you do not yet have a digital membership card.

If you have questions or suggestions of things to add, please contact us at aftwashington@aftwa.org

Union Tips & Reminders

Adjuncts Building Community Conference – Registration is Open!

November 15th, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

This Conference is hosted by AFT Washington, AFL-CIO and co-sponsored by the Washington Education Association (WEA).

Attendees will choose from several professional development and retirement workshops, and learn about adjunct organizing across the state for better pay and job security. The professional development topics include Keeping Up With AI, Our Students Are Workers Too, and Changing Student Expectations and Needs, all of which will give attendees the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and strengthen their classes. There will also be a cookie social and the opportunity to connect with other attendees at this in-person event!

Register here.

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.

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.

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!

  • 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.

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