From the President
2024 has started out with a burst of challenges and opportunities. We already knew this would be an enormously significant election year and Tuesday’s Iowa primary outcome reinforces that reality. The ongoing lack of effective functioning of the Republican-led House of Representatives offers a tiresome déjà vu, where passage of the federal budget is held hostage to extreme right-wing efforts to wreck our democracy and ignore the needs of people. Here in Washington, we have a solid state budget and have finally moved out of our first place position as the most regressive tax system in the country to a still embarrassing second-worst place, with wealthy interests doing all they can to push us back to first by fighting the capital gains tax that has raised $900 million for education and early learning. Even though the Supreme Court declined to hear the challenge against the capital gains tax, one of the six “Let’s Go Washington” initiatives repeals the tax, and this tiresome fight is not over.
So, how ‘bout those Mariners ... errr, opportunities, you might ask! Indeed. We are building our collective power here in Washington as well as at the national level with AFT, through new organizing, building our public institutions for the common good, and improving working conditions for constituencies.
In 2023 AFT organized 83 affiliates, resulting in new locals in all five constituencies: school-related personnel, PreK-12 teachers, higher education faculty and staff, healthcare, and public services. Here in Washington, we added Whatcom Intergenerational High School teachers (technically in 2022, but officially chartered in 2023) and Walla Walla Community College Professional/Exempt staff. We are in the process with PERC to bring on board Professional/Exempt staff at Whatcom Community College and athletic coaches at Renton School District. We seized the opportunities created by the increasing union favorability and are building our union membership!
AFT has several national campaigns – Real Solutions for Kids and Code Red (healthcare) that both call for greater investment in schools and healthcare while making a real difference in the lives of students, families, patients and our members. As a member of the AFT Program and Policy Council, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to the development of a national campaign for higher education, a work in progress which will be launched in the coming months. We will utilize the national campaign to maximize the effect of our legislative work generally and our work with the Communities for Our Colleges in particular. We want to see all residents in Washington experience the life enrichment offered by post-secondary education along with the career opportunities opened up by learning English, finishing high school, entering an apprenticeship program, earning a professional-technical certificate, or a 2-year 4-year or advanced degree. A well-prepared workforce is essential to a thriving economy and policies such as cost-free college, wrap-around services and sufficient counseling services help achieve that goal.
Meanwhile, we are working to achieve the goals of our resolutions passed at our 2023 convention through the day-to-day work with our locals and leadership groups as well as our legislative efforts. HB 2125 expands contingent faculty eligibility for benefits and our School-Related Personnel Wage Campaign in coalition with several other unions seeks to pay our PreK – 12 members the wages they deserve. Our Respect in the Workplace campaign is designed to build solidarity across school-related personnel locals to strengthen our members’ position in the workplace. We are also supporting gun safety regulations the Alliance for Gun Responsibility is working on – there are relatively easy, common-sense ways to make our schools, colleges and workplaces safer, and we want to play our part in passing the legislation that helps do that. One fact we’ve come to understand through this work is that, while shootings in public places like schools are horrific, most gun deaths are due to suicide – an underreported fact that has dangerous consequences. Policies like HB 1902, requiring a permit to purchase a gun, are effective in reducing both of these types of gun violence, and other types as well.
One of the resolutions we passed recognizes the value of an often-overlooked resource –our retirees! The board of our Retiree Chapter is engaged in multiple advocacy areas and they’re working to build their membership and their presence. They face an obstacle that you, our active leaders, can help to break down. It’s nearly impossible for retirees to find one another once they leave the workplace, leaving untapped the potential of their collective power. These are members who have worked in our centers, schools and colleges, served in union leadership, and are engaged in legislative advocacy, get-out-the-vote efforts, immigrant rights advocacy, Social Security and Medicaid protection, and much more. At our 2023 convention, the delegation passed a resolution demonstrating that this is important to all of us, but progress has been stymied. The only way we can connect with retirees is if they know who they are, and you are key to letting us know when members retire. Please contact Richard Burton at rburton@aftwa.org to find out how you can help. I believe that intergenerational work makes us stronger than we are without it, and I hope you’ll help us achieve the goals of our resolution.
In February and March, I and some of our board members will participate in a class hosted by the Sound Alliance, Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization, to more deeply understand our country’s history and how we can be conscientious and effective allies to Native American communities. We may have space for additional leaders to participate, so please let me know if you have an interest. If it doesn’t work out this time, there will be future opportunities.
Like I said at the beginning of my column, the year is starting with big challenges and opportunities, and we haven’t even talked about the weather! I want you to know that the AFT Washington team is here to support you at your local, and we need our members’ involvement to be successful in our statewide efforts. Please be sure to share information and opportunities from the Pulse with your membership so that they’re well-informed and getting involved. Together, we are a powerful force for good and I look forward to a year where we use that to improve the lives of our members, our students, and our communities.
In solidarity,
Karen Strickland, President
Local News & Updates
From The AFT: Academic Freedom and Fighting Bigotry
Last month, the AFT released a statement that confronts the attacks on faculty freedoms and students’ identity in the context of the violence in the Middle East. The statement, which is below, notes that it is necessary to preserve academic freedom and protect free speech rights of all on college campuses.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Alabama State University professor Derryn E. Moten, University Council-AFT President Katie Rodger, Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York President James Davis, and Henry Ford Community College Federation of Teachers President Eric Rader issued the following joint statement as attacks on faculty freedoms and students’ identity continue to roil campuses:
“We do not accept the toxic rhetoric that pits standing up to antisemitism and Islamophobia against the fight to preserve academic freedom and the free speech rights of students, faculty and staff. We can and must do both. Conditioning job offers on one’s views of this conflict is wrong. Doxxing is wrong. Threatening the jobs of employees who are exercising their free speech rights is wrong. Limiting debate and freedom of expression is wrong. Terrorizing Jewish or Muslim staff or students because of their religion is wrong.
“Our two- and four-year colleges and universities must promote intellectual freedom and free speech. This is an essential role of higher education in a democracy. Our institutions have an obligation to keep students and employees safe and to stand up against bigotry—and they must honor it.
“The AFT will continue to defend our members’ and students’ academic freedom and First Amendment rights while at the same time protecting their right to a safe environment free of antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hate.”
The 1.7 million-member AFT represents 70 percent of the organized higher education faculty in the United States. On Nov. 9, the union passed a resolution, Condemning Hate and Affirming Freedom of Speech on Campus.” As we move into 2024, we are stepping up our efforts to provide our members and the campus community with the tools they need to do both, including by partnering withFaculty First Responders to develop resources to support our affiliates and members.
Pursuant to this work, the AFT is, as noted, partnering with Faculty First Responders to develop resources including trainings and sample contract language to support affiliates and members in situations such as this one. Among other tools, a workshop will be provided at the Higher Ed Conference in February – more info on that further down in the Pulse.
Have You Registered For Lobby Day?
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
AFT Washington plans to continue building power and relationships with lawmakers in Olympia on February 19 (President's Day). Please plan to join with colleagues, meet with legislators, and push for progressive change.
Legislative priorities on the agenda for this lobby day, and more generally for the 2024 session include:
- Addressing staffing, safety, and inadequate salaries for School-Related Personnel
- Continuing the campaign for Equity Pay for Contingent Faculty.
- Expanding eligibility for benefits to include non-instructional work done by contingent faculty.
- Supporting priorities identified by Communities For Our Colleges and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
Register here.
The Washington State Labor Council's 2024 Labor and Immigration Summit Is Open For Registration
The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO Labor and Immigration Committee is proud to announce the 2024 Labor and Immigration Summit. This summit will focus on the intersections of labor rights and immigrant rights in its work to build an inclusive labor movement for all working people.
Registration and more information here.
The RESPECT Campaign Needs PreK-12 Classified Workers’ Stories
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
AFT Washington is part of a multi-union RESPECT: Living Wages For School Support Staff campaign. The goal of the campaign is straightforward: Education Support Professionals deserve respectful, living wages, and we're asking state legislators to take action over the next two legislative sessions to make that happen. The next major budget year is 2025, but the sooner we start advocating, the better the outcome is likely to be.
To support this campaign, we are seeking your stories to share with legislators. If your members have a story they're willing to share about how poor ESP wages have impacted them (or how a living wage would impact them!) members are invited to share it here.
If there are any questions about sharing a story, please contact Cortney Marabetta, at cmarabetta@aftwa.org, or at 206-499-4826.
StateWeb Updates
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
If your local is currently using StateWeb, AFT’s Drupal-based website system, you may have already run into the upgrades that were implemented in May and June, but upgrades are continuing, and two significant improvements were made in December. The user manual has been updated and is much more robust, and the state affiliate is able to create administrator accounts again. If your local would like a quick refresher on StateWeb, or would like to get set up on it, contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org.
Union Tips & Reminders
2024 AFT National Leader Meeting
Everywhere we work, in every job we do, AFT members make life better for students, patients, families and communities. We do extraordinary things in the face of brutal attacks on public education and educators, and despite careless and profit-driven policies in hospitals that put patients and healthcare workers at risk.
In education, healthcare and public service, our members strive every day to help kids succeed, to provide healing care to patients, and to keep communities strong and vibrant. While extremists do all they can to create chaos and conflict, our union and our members work to solve problems and fight for a better future.
We are fighting back with our Real Solutions for Kids and Communities, Code Red and Freedom to Learn campaigns, and we are growing—with 70 new affiliates added to our union this year.
We are holding nationwide meetings to talk about our fight forward and real union-driven solutions to help students recover and thrive, improve the quality of patient care, bolster public services that advance the common good, and strengthen our democracy.
Western United States (Las Vegas), Mar. 15-17
Worksite Representative Training
January 24th, 2024, 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.
Treasurer and Data Management Advanced Training
Saturday, February 10th, 2024, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Local Treasurers, Membership Chairs, and Presidents who handle either of these roles, please join us for a Treasurer/Membership Data Training on January 28! The first module starts at 10:00 AM (financial management training) and will end by 11:00 AM. The second module starts at 11:00 PM (data management training) and ends at 12:00 PM. Participants may choose to attend both modules or select just one. Please register for either or both modules.
Register here.
AFT Higher Education Professional Issues Conference
February 16-18, 2024
The 2024 Freedom to Learn AFT Higher Education Professional Issues Conference brings together AFT Higher Ed union activists from across the country. The conference is designed to provide practical skills for building your union, bargaining your contact, defending the freedom to learn and free speech, confronting state legislative threats, fighting for job security for contingent faculty, and more.
Registration and more information here.
Contract Enforcement & Grievance Training
February 28, 2024, 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.
Effective Communications
Tuesday, March 19th, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
A strong understanding of communications tools and best practices are one of the keys to a powerful local. Knowing what tools you have available to you – and the tools that get the best results for your local! – makes a big difference. This training covers the general approach to selecting communications tools that fit your message, how to set up communications methods (and keep them going), and the changing face of social media and other digital tools that can help your local communicate with members. Please note that this is not an in-depth training on StateWeb, Action Network, or Hustle, but such trainings can be set up if your local is interested. Contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org with any questions.
Save the Date! Classified Conference 2024
Saturday, March 23rd
Make sure that your calendar is marked for this year’s Classified Conference! Likely workshops include behavioral issues and conflict resolution, nutrition and teaching kids to make healthy choices, Child Find and FAPE, identifying your communication style, planning for retirement, understanding state-provided benefits, know your rights, and more.
Registration will open in mid-February.
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.