We Won!
The administration of Edmonds College has agreed to pay the Nursing faculty the state-funded high-demand salary enhancements required by the Workforce Education Investment Act! They will be paid retroactively from July 7, which was when the first paycheck without the salary enhancement was issued. The full text of their message can be found here but the important quote is as follows:
“In the interest of our students, our Nursing Program, and the College, we are applying the Nursing Allocation payments effective July 7, 2025, in accordance with Appendix A.10.”
Thank You!
The administration did not grant these salary enhancements willingly. They withheld Nursing faculty pay in the first place! The administration backed down because of the pressure from Edmonds College students, staff, and faculty that was coordinated by our faculty union. So, if you wrote a postcard to the administration demanding that they pay our Nursing faculty their full salary, the Edmonds College Federation of Teachers thanks you. If you wore a Pay Our Nurses! button, thank you. If you spread the word about this issue to your colleagues and friends, thank you. This campaign is proof that When We Fight, We Win!
The Edmonds College Federation of Teachers also wants to thank…
- Nursing faculty Taylor Smith for speaking to the Board of Trustees about this issue.
- Anyone who spread the word at a union table event, including union president Scott Haddock, Claudia Levi, and Chuck Mueller.
- All the state legislators who met with us about this issue, including Rep. Cindy Ryu, Sen. Drew Hansen, and Sen. Noel Frame.
The Fight is Not Over!
The administration stated in their letter that they would give our Nursing faculty the money they withheld in the past, but there is currently no guarantee that they will continue to pay the full salary of our Nursing faculty in the future. The faculty union will continue the fight to ensure that our Nursing faculty receive their full paycheck.
The college administration is still signaling that they will withhold $680,000 paid by the state to give to eligible faculty as high-demand salary enhancements. They are doing this for the same reasons that they withheld pay from our nurses, which means they will back down under the same pressure. Now is the time to keep the fight going and tell Dr. Singh Hands Off High Demand!
When We Fight, We Win!
The union has organized tabling events to inform faculty, staff, and students about this and other bargaining issues that will come up during our collective bargaining sessions this year. Come find us in the lobby of Mountlake Terrace Hall or Hazel Miller Hall from 9 - 11 am on Mondays and Tuesdays to learn the latest information about these issues and find out how you can help!
If you want to join the fight, contact our VP for Action and Advocacy, Chuck Mueller, at cmmuelle@gmail.com.