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ECFT and WPEA Members Speak at Convocation and Board of Trustees Meeting

9/21/2026

Convocation Speeches Express Solidarity

WPEA Shop Steward Lia Andrews and Federation President Chuck Mueller spoke at the 2026 Convocation on Sept 14. The full text of Lia’s speech and Chuck’s speech can be found here. Both union leaders spoke about the integral roles that staff and faculty play in student success and expressed support for solidarity between the WPEA and AFT locals at Edmonds College.

Demands for Wage Increases and More Full-Time Faculty at BOT Meeting on Sept 17

WPEA and ECFT members also submitted public comments at the Edmonds College Board of Trustees meeting on Sept

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ECFT Statement on Recent ICE Activity on Campus

On Saturday, June 13, at approximately 8:15am, an Edmonds College student was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they got out of their car in the student parking lot near Snoqualmie Hall. Campus security was notified immediately and witness statements were taken.

The Edmonds College Federation of Teachers stands in unequivocal solidarity with our students, colleagues, and campus community members who are affected by this action and by the climate of fear it creates. Our campus must be a place where every person feels safe to teach, work, and pursue their education

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AFT unveils bold new blueprint to protect higher ed ahead of 2026 midterms

From left: Zeph Capo, president of the Texas AFT; Todd Wolfson, the president of the American Association of University Professors; Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT; and Dr. Leonard Bright, a professor at Texas A&M University, unveiled a new policy platform ahead of the 2026 midterms to counter the federal government's attack on higher education. Credit: AAUP

As the Trump administration continues to attack higher education—cutting research grants, targeting free speech and restricting classroom materials—the AFT and the American Association of University Professors have unveiled a powerful new blueprint to restore and preserve higher education, just in time for the 2026 midterms.


 

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Tips from public employees on mobilizing members

When the president of Colorado WINS learned that the president of the United States might be targeting Denver next in his anti-immigration campaign of terror, she knew how she’d begin to mobilize. One simple thing Diane Byrne does is deck out her activists in matching T-shirts. Wearing union colors promotes team spirit and builds confidence, she says. The AFT Public Employees program and policy council, meeting in New York City Feb. 5-6, abounded with tips to help locals mobilize. PPC chair Gary Feist, president of North Dakota Public Employees, recommended finding members who can tell a personal story to draw media attention. With more media on the issue, he said, legislators will become more motivated to fix the problem.

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All the resources you need on immigration and ICE

Teacher holding sign

Federal immigration actions are rapidly expanding, with deadly consequences. The killings of poet Renee Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have brought intense focus on the use of excessive force. An AFT webinar, co-hosted by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang on Jan. 28, featured experts on immigration and the law. It highlighted AFT resources and showcased how our locals are showing up to minimize fear and trauma.

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We rise up to save higher education

Day of Action image

It is clear that higher education is under attack. The Trump administration has frozen funding for science, from cancer research to reproductive care; has hamstrung student financial aid programs; has stripped colleges and universities of diversity, equity and inclusion programming; has strangled affirmative action designed to expand access to college; and is demanding that some institutions sign a “compact” that forces them to adopt Trump’s ideology in exchange for federal funding.

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Washington SB 5663 and the Future of Online Education at Washington’s Community Colleges: Faculty and Union Concerns

teacher instructing an online class

February 8, 2025

The Washington State Legislature is currently considering Senate Bill 5663 (SB 5663), a proposal aimed at creating a statewide virtual campus for community and technical colleges. While this bill seeks to expand online education, it also presents serious concerns for faculty and union members regarding workload, job security, and the potential redistribution of funding away from local institutions.

The full text of the bill can be found [here]. If passed, it would allow community and technical colleges (CTCs) to market online courses beyond their districts, facilitate cross

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Faculty Concerns Regarding President Singh’s Interview in Puget Sound Business Journal

The precarious state of higher education, particularly in relation to consolidation, financial pressures, and governance shifts.

January 31, 2025

Is higher education in the U.S. facing consolidation? In a January 31, 2025, Puget Sound Business Journal interview, Edmonds College President Amit Singh argues that there are "too many colleges" and suggests that smaller institutions not aligned with workforce demands may not survive. He emphasizes an "outside-in" approach to decision-making, prioritizing employer needs over traditional academic structures.

What does this mean for faculty, shared governance, and academic program funding? Read our full analysis of the interview and its implications for faculty job security.

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Changes to TIAA Retirement Accounts

Your union would like to make you aware of some changes to TIAA retirement accounts that happened in July of 2024.

What happened?

In July of 2024, TIAA reallocated retirement accounts for employees at the college into a fund managed by TIAA. Employees who selected “email” as their communication preference were notified about this change through a letter that was uploaded to their TIAA inbox, but there was no email notification that the letter was there. If you have a retirement account with TIAA and also have curated your portfolio to your preferences, you should check your TIAA account to

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60:40? Really?

The president of our college wants our ratio of associate faculty to full-time faculty to be 60:40. Dr. Singh said exactly this in a meeting with the Faculty Senate in February 2024 and also confirmed that this has been his intent since he was hired. And he’s been successful! He has reduced the percentage of full-time faculty as measured by FTEF to 47%, which is less than many other community colleges in our area.

FTF Percentage 2022-23, Edmonds at 47 percent

However, reducing the percentage of full-time faculty that teach classes at our college is the wrong choice for student success. We know that increasing the percentage of full-time

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