Edie’s Diary #2: Hello from Agua Dulce!
Edie will be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail while the Edmonds College Federation of Teachers and the management of Edmonds College bargain for a new contract. Will Edie finish their hike before we have a new contract? Follow their journey here to find out!
Edie began their journey on the Pacific Crest Trail at Campo near the US-Mexico border on February 3, 2026. She arrived in Agua Dulce, California on March 9. After a short rest, they are embarking again and will arrive at Sonora Pass on May 4.
As you may recall, the union submitted our intent to bargain on December 16, 2025. The management of Edmonds College declined to respond to our request to bargain for over a month before the first bargaining meeting was held. We have now been bargaining for over two months!
Contract Negotiations Update
During our two-month-long bargaining process, the Faculty Collective Bargaining Team has met with the management team once a week. So far the union team has submitted more than two dozen proposals for the management team to review and respond to. Meanwhile, the management team has given us zero meaningful responses or proposals of their own, choosing instead to focus on the process of negotiations instead of making progress towards a contract.
Union Members Speak at BOT Meeting
At the Board of Trustees meeting on March 12, 2026, both Mary Whitfield and Chuck Mueller submitted public comments that related to bargaining.
Mary Whitfield’s comment to the BOT urged the management of Edmonds College to hire more full-time faculty. The full text of her comment can be found here, but here are some highlights.
- While enrollment has increased to pre-pandemic levels, the number of full-time faculty at the college has dropped 10% since 2018.
- Edmonds College has the lowest percentage of full-time faculty by headcount in Washington state.
- The college is coping with this shortage of full-time faculty by hiring more associate faculty and encouraging our full-time faculty to take on extra classes. This leads to burnout amongst the full-time faculty and less time for our full-time faculty to support our students.
You can learn more about the shortage of full-time faculty at the college at this link.
Chuck Mueller’s public comment recounted the current timeline for negotiations and politely requested the management team to stop stalling so we have a contract by June.
When we fight, we win!
The faculty union wants a new contract by June, way before Edie arrives at the Canadian border in July. Here’s what you can do to help.
- Send a message to Dr. Singh (amit.singh@edmonds.edu) or VPI Kim Chapman (kim.chapman@edmonds.edu) and ask them to stop stalling and move forward towards a contract.
- Visit the Union Table on Mondays from 9 - 11 am in the lobby of Mountlake Terrace Hall, where you can…
- Get a button to show your support for faculty!
- Write a postcard to the administration in support of our faculty!
- Get the latest updates on contract negotiations!
If you want to join the fight, contact our VP for Action and Advocacy, Chuck Mueller, at chuck.m.mueller@gmail.com.