Edie continues her journey northward towards Agua Dulce just as our Faculty Collective Bargaining Team continues their journey to a new contract. Let’s talk about what happened last Wednesday!
Contract Negotiations Update
The union bargaining team and the management bargaining team met on February 3 and February 11. During that time, the teams exchanged sets of ground rules for the discussion and an attempt was made to agree on a common set of rules for the bargaining sessions.
A notable inclusion to the management team’s ground rules was that they requested that the union team not speak to anyone about what was discussed at the bargaining table. They wanted our team to not share notes taken during the bargaining sessions, not share proposals the teams offered, and also voluntarily give up our right to have observers in the negotiating room.
This was, to say the least, a non-starter with the Faculty Collective Bargaining Team. They have the right to communicate with their members just as the management team has the right to speak to Dr. Singh. These negotiations affect all of the faculty, and we have the right to know how they are progressing. One is left to wonder what Dr. Chapman and the rest of the management team might be worried about the faculty finding out during the bargaining process.
This week the bargaining teams will meet on Wednesday, February 18, and the Faculty Collective Bargaining Team will begin submitting proposals. This means that the union team will make edits to sections of the contract and submit them to the management team for review and discussion. It is not uncommon for proposals and counter-proposals to be traded back and forth several times over the course of hours, days, or weeks, depending on how controversial the changes are. While the faculty union team will begin submitting proposals this week, the management team will not be submitting their proposals until March 11. We look forward to hearing more about what proposals are exchanged and the positions each team takes as these proposals evolve.
When We Fight, We Win!
Here’s what you can do to support your fellow faculty.
- Send a message to Dr. Singh (amit.singh@edmonds.edu) or VPI Kim Chapman (kim.chapman@edmonds.edu) to express your support for our faculty in the upcoming contract negotiations.
- Follow us on Instagram at aft_edmondscollege!
- Visit the Union Table on Mondays from 9 - 11 am in the lobby of Mountlake Terrace Hall, where you can…
- Get a button or friendship bracelet to show your support for faculty!
- Write a postcard to Dr. Singh or Dr. Chapman in support of our faculty!
- Get the latest updates on contract negotiations!
- Watch the journey of Edie the Contract Hiker!
If you want to join the fight, contact our VP for Action and Advocacy, Chuck Mueller, at chuck.m.mueller@gmail.com.