Press

For release: March 26, 2021

Olympia, WA – The members of Federation of Head Start Employees, Local 6153 of AFT, is calling upon ESD 113’s administration to honor Head Start’s mission of bringing working families out of poverty by keeping their own employees out of poverty. The district has told employees that they must return to in-person work, regardless of employees’ caregiving needs or COVID-19 risk status. Even though there is still plenty of remote work to be done because they are returning in a hybrid model, the district is insisting all work must be done at school sites. Working parents who cannot return full-time because their own children are hybrid or fully remote must use leave without pay (LWOP) once their PTO runs out; those at high risk would have to apply for unemployment. The district has relented under union pressure to allow one day per week remote work, but this would still leave working parents and high-risk individuals facing pay cuts of up to $2,000 by one estimate.

For release: March 20, 2019

Tukwila, WA – The House budget proposal for the 2019-2020 biennium was released today, and it contained a level of investment for Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs) that is subpar enough that it can’t be considered the minimum investment necessary. The state’s funding priorities, particularly on such issues as hard-to-hire faculty, the Washington College Grant (formerly the State Need Grant) and the Working Connections Child Care for Student Parents program, are laudable in themselves, and desperately needed, but do not represent a solid investment in the CTCs.

For release: April 12, 2019

TUKWILA, Wash.—Frustrated with legislative inaction on investment in the state’s Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs), AFT Washington locals throughout the state are planning a week of action for April 15-18. Events include walkouts at several campuses, informational picketing, tabling, and a social media campaign.

Walkouts will be held April 16 by AFT Seattle Community Colleges, Local 1789, on all three campuses of the Seattle College District; by the Shoreline Community College Federation of Teachers, Local 1950, on the Shoreline campus; and by the Peninsula College Federation of Teachers, Local 3439, on Peninsula’s Port Angeles campus.

For release: December 14, 2018

Tukwila, WA -- AFT Washington supports Governor Inslee’s budget proposal for the 2019 budget year.

Karen Strickland, president of AFT Washington said, “We are very pleased with the revenue proposals that help to balance our regressive tax system and raise much-needed revenue. The Governor’s budget funds several important investments ranging from behavioral healthcare to the environment to healthcare. While we appreciate the investments in education that he proposes, this budget falls short on investments in Community and Technical College employees, who earn well below market rate salaries, of whom too many are adjunct faculty and of whom too few are counselors.”

For Release: December 18, 2018

Tukwila, WA -- AFT Washington supports Governor Inslee’s budget proposal for the 2019 budget year.

Karen Strickland, president of AFT Washington said, “We are very pleased with the revenue proposals that help to balance our regressive tax system and raise much-needed revenue. The Governor’s budget funds several important investments ranging from behavioral healthcare to the environment to healthcare. While we appreciate the investments in education that he proposes, this budget falls short on investments in Community and Technical College employees, who earn well below market rate salaries, of whom too many are adjunct faculty and of whom too few are counselors.”

For release: August 30, 2018

Tukwila -- AFT Washington stands in solidarity with the K-12 public school strikes and our sisters and brothers from the Washington Education Association in their efforts to get a fair contract.

Karen Strickland, president of AFT Washington, said “This is about respect and building the middle class. For decades teachers and school-support employees, whether in K-12 or higher education, have been undervalued and underpaid for their work. Educators should earn enough to have economic security and take care of their families.”

For release: June 27, 2018

Tukwila, WA -- Today the U.S. Supreme Court announced their decision on the Janus v. AFSCME lawsuit and, not surprisingly, their decision is anti-union and a momentary triumph for wealthy special interests like the Koch Brothers, the Walton Family who owns WalMart, and our own state’s Freedom Foundation which backed this case.

For release: March 30, 2018

Olympia - EHB 1237, modifies the existing collective bargaining law to authorize local funds (tuition, fees, etc.) for compensation to faculty at community and technical colleges.

For release: Friday, January 19, 2018

WASHINGTON—The American Federation of Teachers today filed an amicus brief in support of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees against the corporate-backed plaintiff in the Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME Council 31.

For release: December 20, 2017

Tukwila, WA - Today Congress passed a devastating tax plan in which 83 percent of the benefits will go to the top 1% percent by 2027, and where Americans earning less than $75,000 a year will be paying more so tax cuts can go to the wealthiest, big corporations, and foreign investors.