Winter Quarter 2021 Newsletter!

 GREETINGS FROM AFT SEATTLE PRO STAFF PRESIDENT CODY HIATT

Well, we made it through 2020!  Our democracy survived intact, effective charges for racial justice continue into 2021, and there’s a new Administration in the White House. Black Lives Matter is at last connecting more deeply with more Americans!  Highest kudos to one in particular-- Stacey Abrams for her work in Georgia that delivered a Senate that stands a chance of passing an agenda supported by the majority of Americans. 

      And closer to home, Pro Staffers still need AFTSPS to safeguard our labor from the employer’s expediency, uphold the dignity of our work, and ensure that we receive good pay for good work. Here is a short list of what we’ve been doing, and our forecast for what must be done going foward…

      At our Fall General membership meeting, we passed a medical hardship policy to help our fellows. We had masks made in a union shop, designed by our very own Pro Staff graphic designer, and distributed to members. We bargained, grieved, and resolved laundry we don't air.

      In the middle of this dark Winter, ctcLink will upend and change how we do our very jobs. “Top down" management isn’t effective  if you don't already know how transactions you perform in  our Legacy (FMS/ SMS / FAM) systems will be performed in PeopeSoft. Sadly, it’s those who never touch our Legacy systems telling us what we need to know for our core functions. 

      Alternatively, our union advocates for a "bottom up" model that empowers staff, and actively takes the initiative in looking for ways to improve delivery of student success and operational excellence. If you haven't been told what ctcLink training to take, find out for yourself at www.seattlecolleges.edu/ctclink.  At minimum, each of us must complete our timecards to get paid and that won't be in TLR anymore.

       This Spring will be a season of growth and renewal. The fruits of our labor might not bloom in the same splendor under the harsh “weather” of COVID-19 or root as easily in the new “soil” of ctcLink. While fewer tall, non-fruit bearing “trees” may allow more sunlight to reach our middle management level, excessive heat may arrive this summer in the form of drops in State budgets and enrollments, which may in turn exacerbate the threat of seasonal “wildfiring.”  

      These are challenges we must meet as a unit because retreat is not a viable option when our students are counting on us for Fall. We want to still be here when vaccines roll out and we phase out of remote operations.

     We hope, plan, and look forward to being able to elbow bump with you in person then! 

In service and solidarity, 
     Cody Hiatt,  President, AFT-SPS Local 6550

Please check out the rest of our Winter Quarter Newsletter for more on what's going on. 

 

Key Points of Our Agreement with Seattle Colleges District

We formed our union, the AFT Seattle Professional Staff Local 6550, to have a voice in our workplace and advocate for high quality public higher education.  We united to take on important issues like job security, work load, and salary inequality.  We bargained our second contract with the Seattle Colleges District in 2018 which enabled us to protect important rights like severance pay, that have recently come under pressure. Here's a synopsis of the key points of our contract: 

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Finally—it’s President-elect Biden

Patience—counseled by former Vice President Joe Biden all election week as Americans waited for votes to be counted—finally paid off Nov. 7, four days after Election Day, when Biden won in Pennsylvania and gained enough Electoral College votes to acquire a new title: president-elect. AFT President Randi Weingarten says the union’s leaders and members “can’t wait to get started” on the work ahead “with an administration that will embrace and fight for the values we hold dear.”

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Your vote is your voice

AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest column outlines the urgency of using our voices—our votes—in this life-changing election, when we will make a choice “between President Donald Trump, who has trafficked in chaos, fear, lies and division, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who seeks to reverse Trump’s failures on COVID-19 and the economy, and to unite and uplift the American people.” Besides the four crises we face—a pandemic, an economic crisis, racism and a climate emergency—democracy itself is on the ballot, as Trump continues to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.

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‘Back to school’ like never before

In her September New York Times column, AFT President Randi Weingarten says that going back to school has never looked like it does now. Weingarten explains that because of President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus, which has been chaotic, contradictory and inept, and the lack of federal guidance and funding, we’re seeing a patchwork of school reopening plans across the country.

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Member Communications Survey

The AFT Washington executive board is interested in what types of communications are most effective in reaching members. It appears that we are not reaching everyone and often hear that members have not seen certain communications. To this end, the board developed a survey to find out what your preferences are in terms of e-mail, social media, print, etc. We would appreciate it if you would please take a couple of minutes to answer this short on-line survey so we are able to be efficient and effective in our communications to you. Thank you!