Ciela Valle-Olguin
Hello Trustees.
My name is Ciela Valle-Olguin, and I work as the Program Coordinator for the Foundation. I am also a member of the Classified staff. Last month, I encouraged you to push for a better offer from the Office of Financial Management for the coming biennium: the offer on the table was a 0% wage increase for the next two years.
A 0% increase in this contract is demoralizing and insulting, and it becomes even harder to face when the College spends over $140,000 every bargaining cycle to pay OFM to negotiate against us. That is $140,000 that could be going towards raises for all of our staff, keeping resources where they belong and giving us a more agile contract that actually suits the needs of Edmonds College employees.
Classified staff are the backbone of this institution: we are some of the first people that students speak with, before they ever set foot in a classroom. When staff are underpaid, exhausted, and burned out, students cannot thrive. So I urge the Board to cancel the college's contract with OFM, and invest that money directly in the workers that keep this college running.
Thank you.
Eric Smith
Hi, I’m Eric Smith. I work in facilities as the Grounds Manager. There’s been discussion of the college separating from the office of financial management for bargaining our contracts, if the college can bargain directly with staff and save money than I am in support of this. Here’s what I’ve seen in my four years at Edmonds College. In that time I’ve over seen eight people, but I’ve also seen four of those people leave the college and the state because our wages aren’t keeping up with the cost-of-living increase.
It’s frustrating to hear how much funding goes to OFM instead of to our employees who have to make the decision to leave. Those people that are leaving are not just employees, but our former students and graduates of the horticulture program. One of those people was a full-time groundskeeper and part-time faculty, he taught a soil science class.
Having two jobs is not uncommon for classified staff. If they don’t have a second job already they’re probably considering it. I ask Edmonds College to think about what our messages is to current and future students. Is our message once you complete your degree would you like to work here? Or is it, would you like to work at Edmonds College as your second job?
Lia Andrews
BOT Meeting Report
WPEA/UFCW LOCAL 365
Thursday, 10.15.26
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Good afternoon, Trustees,
Campus Food and Coat Drive
First, I’m pleased to share that Edmonds staff stewards are partnering with our faculty union siblings to organize a food and warm coat drive this November.
Donations will benefit our campus food pantry, which is available to all members of our campus community, including students and employees.
Our goal is to revive a tradition of giving and mutual aid on campus. We hope this will be the beginning of an ongoing tradition of collaboration between our unions, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the resources already available to our campus community.
Collective Bargaining Agreement Training
Looking ahead to spring, we are also planning training opportunities focused on our collective bargaining agreement for both classified staff and supervisors.
Our goal is to promote a shared understanding of contractual rights, responsibilities, and workplace procedures. Clear expectations and consistent application of the CBA benefit employees, supervisors, and the institution as a whole.
State Budget and Fiscal Outlook
Finally, I want to acknowledge our workers' anxiety surrounding the upcoming state fiscal biennium.
We recognize that the college is operating within a challenging budget environment, and that decisions made at the state level will have significant implications for institutional funding and the resources available to support students and employees.
The ultimate fiscal outlook will obviously depend on several factors, including legislative decisions regarding state revenue and appropriations.
For classified employees, these discussions are especially consequential. Our members are navigating the same rising costs of housing, food, transportation, and other necessities that affect the communities we serve - without a contract that includes a cost of living adjustment.
As you’ve heard from our public comments, staff want to be here, and we are often forced to split our time and energy between multiple jobs while the college invests significant money in a bargaining process where we are offered increasingly little year after year.
WPEA’s legislative specialists will be tracking consequential bills and holding education sessions and opportunities for advocacy for members as we enter the upcoming legislative session.
As the budget picture develops, what we hope to see from leadership is continued transparency, meaningful engagement with employees, and your ongoing legislative advocacy and commitment to protecting the services and working conditions that allow our college to fulfill its mission.
That concludes my report. Thank you.