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A New Farm Worker Union is Born

Indigenous Oaxacan farm workers win themselves a union in the Pacific Northwest.

by David Bacon
June 26, 2017

Bob's Burgers and Brew, a hamburger joint at the Cook Road freeway exit on Interstate 5, about two hours north of Seattle, doesn’t look like a place where Pacific Northwest farm workers can change their lives, much less make some history. But on June 16, a half-dozen men in work clothes pulled tables together in Bob's outdoor seating area. Danny Weeden, general manager of Sakuma Brothers Farms, then joined them.

After exchanging polite greetings, Weeden opened four folders and handed around copies of a labor contract that had taken 16 sessions of negotiations to hammer out. As the signature pages were passed down the tables, each person signed. Weeden collected his copy and drove off; the workers remained long enough to cheer and take pictures with their fists in the air. Then they too left. [read full article]

In the Age of Trump, Can Labor Unite?

April 27, 2017 | IN THESE TIMES | BY ALEXANDRA BRADBURY
 
Donald Trump performed far better among union voters than previous Republican candidates, but since taking office has enacted disastrous anti-worker policies. Now, some unions are organizing their members around an explicitly progressive analysis, hoping to unlock the power of workers to help lead the resistance. [read full article]

Trump Education Budget Tips Scale Against "Marginalized Communities"

April 26, 2017  | Public News Service | Eric Tegethoff, Producer

SEATTLE - Teachers and education staff are watching closely this week to see what happens with the Trump administration's proposed cuts to Education Department programs, as Congress works on a budget for next year.

The proposal slashes more than 13 percent, or $9 billion, off the agency's budget. While this might change during negotiations, Karen Strickland, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Washington, said she sees a theme that is emerging from the proposal. [full story]

 

WA Lawmakers Consider "Student Loan Bill of Rights"

March 10, 2017 | Eric Tegethoff, Producer, Washington News Service

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington state lawmakers are considering a bill to hold student loan providers accountable for their services.

Passed in the House last week, the Senate is considering the Student Loan Bill of Rights.

House Bill 1440 gives students protections as consumers of loan services, and also establishes a student loan ombuds to advocate for students and resolve loan issues.

Rep. Monica Stonier, who sponsored the bill in the House, says an ombuds will be able to help students navigate the questionable practices of some loan providers. [read or hear full story]

Seeking Diversity in Washington State's Faculty Ranks

May 13, 2016 | Washington News Service | Eric Tegethoff, Producer

SEATTLE - As movements such as Black Lives Matter have gained steam, a major topic of discussion is racial equity in public institutions. [full story]

 

 

Adjunct Professors Seek Better Working Conditions

Washington News Service | Eric Tegethoff, Producer April 8, 2016 SEATTLE - Contingent faculty, including adjunct professors, are holding a conference Saturday at South Seattle College to discuss the mounting difficulties part-time instructors face at work. Almost 70 percent of college professors across the United States are contingent faculty. Part-time instructors sometimes rely on public assistance and unemployment benefits in order to make ends meet. - See more at: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2016-04-08/education/adjunct-professors...

WA Part-time College Instructors Seek Job Stability

February 8, 2016 | Washington News Service | Chris Thomas, Producer

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Almost half the college courses in Washington are taught by part-time instructors at less pay than full-timers and with no benefits. Legislation in Olympia aims to change that in the state's busy community and technical college system. House Bill 2615 outlines a plan to convert 200 teaching positions every two years from part-time to full-time. [more]

Washington Adjunct Professors Unite for Equity

October 26, 2015 | Lori Abbott, Public News Service

OLYMPIA,  Wash. - Part-time college instructors and faculty are uniting this week for better pay and greater job security. Campus Equity Week brings attention to Washington's growing number of temporary, part-time instructors, often called adjuncts. [more]

Last-Minute State Budget Fireworks Continue

July 2, 2015 | Washington News Service | Chris Thomas, Producer

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Gov. Jay Inslee calls the operating budget he signed into law this week "forward-thinking, responsible and fair."

Most Washingtonians would add, '...and a long time coming,' after multiple special sessions and votes that aren't quite over.

Bernal Baca is the government affairs director for American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Washington, the union that represents some faculty members and support staff in public schools and colleges. He says late Tuesday night, the feeling of relief in Olympia was palpable. [read full article]

Seattle Times | Green River College, faculty union deadlocked over potential cuts

June 22, 2015 | Katherine Long, Seattle Times Higher Education Reporter 

Classes have ended for the academic year at Green River College in Auburn, but there's no end in sight to a dispute between the faculty union and the college’s administration, which have been at odds over a contract for more than a year. [read full article]