CCC Bargaining Update #5

These are the final five days to complete the survey.

The bargaining survey is a crucial tool for our team to know what you need the most, so we can amplify those needs and fight for them at the bargaining table.

→ Please help us by taking the survey!

Yesterday our CCC bargaining team met with management for our fifth session. We showed up to do our part: we prepared, researched, and carefully debated each point of our proposals. Management did not match us in effort.

Class and Compensation

This session we gave OFM our targets for bringing our people up to appropriate compensation. This is a highly technical portion of the bargaining process. We review each job class and as a team, we advocate for the job classes that have fallen furthest behind in compensation. This process is one important way that we fight the constant drain of recruitment and retention issues at our colleges—turnover and loss of employees in a job class is one of the main criteria we evaluate for each. We're continuing to fight for the support staff and trades classes and for all of us to be fairly paid.

Watch the video update from CCC bargaining team member Scott Beals here.
 

Why won't they meet us halfway?

We're looking at every possible way we can make our members' lives better. We're fighting for economic gains, but knowing what a tough budget cycle we're facing, we're not stopping there.

We're putting proposals forward that would give us all tools to fight bullying. We're asking for fairness in leave policies and trying to make sure our members can take breaks and rests during the work day. And as we put forward all these carefully thought out proposals, management's response has been consistent: No, let's not make those changes. Let's stick with status quo. We're seeing a dismaying lack of effort to reach us halfway or to simply try to make things better for the workers that keep all the colleges running.

"I’ve never heard so much absurdity in one fell swoop," said Kimi Hanson, communications consultant at Everett Community College.

We’re trying to get basic rights for people. It shouldn’t be as hard as the employer is making it.

We're looking for ways to collaborate with the employer. To create clearer, more defined benefits for our members.

Our contract is a guide for how we work and behave as state employees. We have a lot of ideas of how to make things better, and they just discard them, without even offering input on why they’re throwing our proposals out. There's been no acknowledgement that the contract could be better, that it could be clearer.

The continued rejection of proposals aimed at clarity, equity, and workplace behavior leaves our members facing the same unresolved problems.
 

“I don't want status quo. I want there to be improvements to this contract. I want it to move forward. Our members deserve to have clear language, a more equitable contract for everyone, and a contract that works for everyone.” —Scott Beals, Green River Community College

We need you!

We need your voices, your stories, and your activism to hold management's feet to the fire. We're about halfway through this bargaining cycle and there is a ton we still have to cover. Here's what you can do to make this process successful.

• Your bargaining survey closes this coming Tuesday, June 30.
  This process is about you, our union siblings! We're grateful to everyone who has filled out the survey. If you haven't yet, please take a few minutes to share your priorities with us. Your voice and your needs matter to us. We need to know what we should push the hardest on.
  
  It's your input that's let us know workplace bullying is one of the top issues you need to see addressed in our next contract. Please keep your responses coming for this last push.
• Share your story with us so we can elevate your voice.
  College employees' stories help us move the needle in bargaining. Help us remind management that each of us is a real person who deserves respect and fairness.
• Keep looping our community allies into our fight for a fair contract.
  Visibility is a powerful tool! Management has shown in the past that public attention can push them to do what's right. Let your favorite coffeeshop, restaurant, or bookstore know that just like you support them, we need their support.
   
• Our next bargaining session is July 16. Show your solidarity by wearing your WFSE green to work and use the Teams/Zoom background every bargaining day. Download backgrounds here!

Find more on the Community College Coalition landing page.

In solidarity,

AFSCME Council 28/WFSE
Speaking Up for Our Jobs, Families & Communities
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