President’s Report to the Edmonds College Board of Trustees
October 15, 2025
Presented by Scott Haddock, President, Edmonds College Federation of Teachers
Good evening, Dr. Wooten, members of the Board, and colleagues. I’d like to begin with a brief invitation before turning to two important matters: the Federation’s participation in Board meetings and the issue of high-demand pay.
Faculty–Trustee Dinner Invitation
Earlier this month, the Federation invited the Board of Trustees to join members of our faculty for a dinner on Wednesday, October 22, hosted by our Executive Council and catered by our exceptional culinary students. We understand that the Board will be in Washington, D.C. at that time and, therefore, unable to attend.
Unfortunately, the College Café is unavailable for alternate dates this fall. However, we very much want to revive this long-standing tradition, which last took place in 2017 and was deeply valued by both trustees and faculty. These dinners provide an opportunity for collegial connection, mutual appreciation, and informal dialogue outside the structure of formal meetings.
Accordingly, we propose holding the dinner off-campus, on either Wednesday, October 29, or Wednesday, November 5, at a nearby location to be determined.
This will be a private, non-public event, limited to members of the Board of Trustees and the Federation’s Executive Council, and will be conducted in full compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. We will, of course, refrain from discussing any college or union business or any matters that could reasonably come before the Board in its official capacity. The gathering is intended solely as a social opportunity to strengthen relationships and goodwill among college leadership and faculty representatives.
As a gesture of appreciation, the union will host this year’s dinner, and we hope you’ll be able to join us for what we expect will be a warm and collegial evening focused on community and partnership. I will work with Kristen to determine the best date, time, and location for our social event.
Federation Participation in Board Meetings
I’d like to take a moment to address the new restriction limiting the Federation to its single five-minute “representative report.”
Our collective bargaining agreement is clear. It states:
“A Federation representative shall have the opportunity to attend all open Board meetings. The Federation shall be allowed to enter any items on any agenda consistent with the procedures of the Board of Trustees, and shall be allowed to speak on any question on any agenda.”
We absolutely respect the Board’s need to manage its time and procedures efficiently. But this contractual language isn’t symbolic; it reflects a mutual agreement that the Federation has both the right to place items on the agenda and to speak on any question before the Board. Limiting participation to a single, pre-designated five-minute slot doesn’t align with either the letter or the spirit of that provision.
Our goal is not to take more time than necessary, but to preserve a good-faith process that allows meaningful engagement on matters affecting faculty and the college as a whole. We hope the Board will reconsider this limitation so that we can continue to participate as intended and required under our collective agreement.
High Demand Pay
Turning to high-demand pay—
Since our last meeting, the administration has reversed its earlier position and agreed to pay high-demand stipends to nursing faculty, including retroactive payment for summer quarter. Those stipends are explicitly established in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and were never discretionary. Restoring them was both necessary and appropriate.
However, the college continues to withhold high-demand stipends from non-nursing faculty covered under a separate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the college and the Federation on April 25, 2025. This MOU governs the use of Workforce Education Investment Act (WEIA) funds to supplement salaries in high-demand and high-wage programs such as STEM, Business, Paralegal, Culinary, and Information Technology.
The MOU states:
“If this funding ends, the additional money for faculty will end; if the funding is modified, then the parties agree to revise accordingly.”
And later clarifies under Other Terms and Conditions:
“If the Legislature reduces the funding, the stipend amounts will be reduced proportionately to the funding reduction.”
Read together, these provisions make clear that renegotiation is required only if the Legislature withdraws, reduces, or materially alters the underlying funding itself.
That has not occurred.
The Legislature did not withdraw or reduce WEIA funding. It simply removed a proviso (a budget note that once directed how those funds should be spent. A proviso is not the funding itself; it is a legislative instruction. Removing it did not change the underlying appropriation or its purpose. The same dollars remain, at the same level, and for the same purpose: supporting compensation in high-demand and high-wage programs.
The administration may argue that this shift means the funding was “modified.” However, both our labor law attorneys and I (a 31-year labor law attorney myself) all agree that this interpretation is very weak. The term “modified,” when read in context with the MOU, refers to a legislative reduction or withdrawal, not an administrative reclassification of budget categories. No such legislative action has occurred, and therefore, the renegotiation clause has not been triggered.
Under RCW 41.56.140(1) and established Washington labor law, the college must maintain the status quo on wages and benefits during any bargaining process. The administration cannot lawfully suspend payments under a valid agreement while the underlying funding remains intact.
To summarize as clearly as possible:
- The WEIA funding still exists.
- Its purpose has not changed.
- No legislative action has been taken.
- Therefore, the April 25, 2025, MOU remains fully in force.
When the college honors one contract, the nursing pay provisions, but disregards another, the MOU covering other high-demand programs, it undermines both faculty trust and the integrity of the college’s agreements.
We respectfully ask for the Board’s partnership to ensure that:
- The April 25, 2025, High-Demand MOU is honored in full.
- All eligible faculty receive the pay they have earned.
- The college complies with its contractual and statutory obligations.
Finally, thank you for your continued service to Edmonds College and to our community. Faculty remain committed to collaboration, transparency, and mutual respect. Through those principles, we can restore confidence and continue moving this college forward together.
Thank you, and GO MARINERS!