WELCOME TO FALL QUARTER 2023!

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I hope this email finds you well and rejuvenated as we embark on a new academic year. On behalf of the Faculty Union at Edmonds College (American Federation of Teachers, Local 4254), I would like to extend a warm welcome back to each and every one of you as we gather momentum for the upcoming Fall Quarter. As we reunite on campus this week, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for students and staff. Our collective efforts play a vital role in shaping the educational experience and ensuring the success of our academic community. Throughout the challenges we have faced over the past few years, I have been inspired by your dedication, resilience, and unwavering passion for teaching and learning!

This Fall Quarter, the AFT is determined to advocate for your rights, facilitate open lines of communication, and foster a collaborative atmosphere. We are here to lend our support, address your concerns, and work towards enhancing the overall welfare of our faculty members. We invite you to attend the AFT/Senate Faculty Lunch Meeting on Tuesday, September 12th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Woodway Hall 202. At this annual meeting, we will address essential faculty issues, including collective bargaining negotiations. If you cannot attend this meeting in person, it will be live-streamed and moderated HERE. Your participation is vital in shaping our future, and we hope you can attend!

We also encourage all faculty to attend Convocation and the All-Instruction Meeting this week. As a sign of solidarity, please wear your red Union T-shirts to both events.

• Convocation is on Monday, September 11th, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the ECA (light breakfast starting at 8:00 a.m.). If you need a red Union T-shirt, the Union will have an information booth in front of the ECA before and after the event. We will also be handing out free Union buttons, red fans, and other fun Union swag.

• The All-Instruction Meeting is on Tuesday, September 12th, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Woodway Hall 202 (light breakfast beginning at 8:30). Associate Faculty will be paid if they attend this in-person meeting.

• The full Fall Kick-Off Week Calander can be found HERE.

Note that faculty collective bargaining negotiations will resume on Friday, September 29th. To receive more detailed newsletters about contract negotiations, please subscribe to the AFT private listserv.   

Remember that our collective strength lies in unity, and as Union members, we have the power to effect positive change. Together, let us embrace the new academic year with enthusiasm, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose.

Once again, welcome back to campus! I am excited to see the great things we will accomplish together in the months ahead. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. My private AFT email address is AFTedmonds@gmail.com.

Wishing you a successful and fulfilling Fall Quarter!

In solidarity,

Scott L. Haddock, JD

President, American Federation of Teachers, Local 4254

Full-Time Faculty, Paralegal Department

In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.