April 2024
Getting Ready for 2025
By AFT Washington Staff
Planning for the 2025 legislative session is underway. It will be a budget year and we have many economic goals, particularly around compensation for all of our constituencies. In both PreK-12 and the community and technical college system, compensation has been identified as a significant area of need; support from the two systems is helpful but not sufficient to ensure we win the type of investments our members need. Our Legislative Affairs Committee (LAC) will be meeting later this month to generate and review potential agenda items. The committee does not have School-Related Personnel or Higher Ed Classified Staff representation and we are continuing outreach to remedy that.
Potential topics identified thus far include (the first three are carry-over from 2024):
- PreK-12 School-Related Personnel compensation
- Contingent faculty pay equity
- Expanded benefits eligibility for contingent faculty
- CTC Professional staff compensation, either through inclusion in the I-732 COLA or a special allocation from the legislature
- Permanent COLA for TRS 1 and PERS 1 retirees
- Gun responsibility - Permit to Purchase
- Unemployment issues
- Job security for contingent faculty
- Progressive revenue
- Lab/Lecture hours
Activity to prepare for next year’s session is well underway and includes meetings with our Advocacy team – Rebecca Johnson, Lily Codega-Wilson and Dylan O’Connor – and with the PreK-12 Labor Coalition (WEA, PSE, SEIU 925, Teamsters), WEA advocacy team, and higher education union advocacy team including WEA and SBCTC, with ongoing attempts to engage WFSE and WPEA.
Our timeline for identifying priorities has sped up and we hope to influence both the SBCTC and OSPI to include our priorities in their budget requests. The SBCTC aims to have their legislative agenda approved at the June board meeting; we expect that OSPI will have their agency request prepared by August. We’ll have a bit more time on policy bills, with a goal of having them sponsored and pre-filed in the first week of December. We’ve got a lot to do in these next few months to be in the strongest position possible come January 2025, while we also run our endorsement process and help candidates who support our agenda win their elections!
2025 is going to be a big year, and we have ambitious goals for it. If you’re interested in getting involved, either in the Legislative Affairs Committee or in another capacity, please reach out to Richard Burton at rburton@aftwa.org.
Get Ready to Power Up
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
Powerful Locals is coming, and this year it is coming in person! Save the date for July 31st – August 2nd at the Pacific Lutheran University campus in Tacoma. We will have tracks on contract management and member engagement, and we are finalizing the details of the additional workshops we’ll offer – let your UOR know if there’s something you think would be great to highlight in the trainings.
More information coming soon!
Get On Your Bike and Ride Update
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
April is when AFT Washington members ride bikes to raise money for the AFT Washington/Barnard Iglitzin and Lavitt Scholarship, and we have an update!
So far, halfway through April, our reporting riders have done almost 250 miles in 15 rides, and given the beautiful weather, we know those numbers will be much higher by next week.
There is still time to support the fund! Your local can pledge an amount per mile or per ride for members who ride – contact Tammy Fouts at tfouts@aftwa.org to get set up with that.
And – very important – if you are an AFT Washington member you and your family members are eligible for the scholarship. The application will open in June – get ready to apply. But first, let’s get on our bikes and ride!
Welcome Chris Chapek, Our New Operations Manager!
With a decade-long dedication to advancing education and labor rights, Chris is excited to step into the role of Operations Manager at AFT Washington. His journey, rooted in community organizing, campaign management, and data-driven strategies, has prepared him to contribute to the organization's vision of a just society. With a heart for service and a passion for empowering others, Chris is grateful for the opportunity to lead the Administrative Support Team (AST) in supporting AFT Washington's vital work. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris enjoys hiking, traveling, and cooking. With enthusiasm and dedication, Chris looks forward to embracing AFT Washington's values and contributing to meaningful change.