Seattle Colleges Deserve Better: Vote of No Confidence
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WFSE's Statewide Executive Board endorsed WFSE Local 304 members request to run a vote of no confidence in Seattle Colleges District Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap.
Read the message below from WFSE Local 304 to see how we got here.
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Message from WFSE Local 304 Members at Seattle Colleges: How We Got Here
Timeline of Events Leading to No Confidence Vote for Seattle Colleges Chancellor Rosie Rimando- Chareunsap
WFSE members at Seattle College District members have done everything in our power to work with Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap to address the out-of-control budget deficit. To date, Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap has not released any financial audit information. To our knowledge, there has not yet been an audit.
The effects of the Chancellor’s mismanagement are widely and deeply felt around the district. College buildings are falling apart. Water is contaminated in the buildings. Students wait timesfor simple services have increased exponentially because our departments have been cut down to the bone.
We have tried to work collaboratively with Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap and her cabinet to no avail. It is not possible to discuss ending a financial crisis when Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap refuses to answer simple questions about where the money has gone. Lacking all other options, we believe a Vote of No Confidence is necessary for keeping our colleges afloat.
- May 2, 2025: WFSE received a notice that the Seattle College District will engage in furloughs due to budgetary shortfalls. The Seattle College District did not provide any supporting financial information.
- May 19, 2025: WFSE received a secondary notice that the Seattle College District will engage in layoffs, in addition to furloughs. The Seattle College District did not provide any supporting financial information.
- June 7, 2025: WFSE Local 304 members engage in a mass email action to draw attention to the budget deficit and ask for Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap and her cabinet to work collaboratively with WFSE to resolve it. We send over 930 emails to Chancellor Rimando-Chareunsap and the Board of Trustees.
- June 13, 2026: WFSE meets with Seattle Colleges Management in a Demand to bargain on the topic of layoffs and furloughs. The Colleges Management did not come prepared with budget or other financial information to answer WFSE questions.
- June 25, 2025: WFSE Local 304 members stage an informational picket at Seattle Central College. Local 304 members engaged the public with flyers and asked for solidarity signatures demanding that the Seattle Colleges provide WFSE with needed financial information.
- July 1, 2025: Seattle Colleges employees begin taking furloughs. Employees are required to take 12 furlough days if they make over $87,000 a year. Employees are required to take 8 furlough days if they make between $67,001 and $87,000. Employees were scheduled to receive a 3% raise on July 1. This raise was negotiated into the 2025-2027 Community College Coalition Collective Bargaining Agreement. The furloughs meant that employees did not receive the same raise that all their counterparts at other colleges within the Coalition received. The impact of the furlough meant that employees received close to a 5% pay cut.
- July 1, 2025 -- June 30 2026: Seattle Colleges employees are required to take their allotted furlough days. The Seattle College Management incorrectly entered furlough information into employee accounts, causing mass confusion. Several of the lowest paid employees who did not qualify to take furloughs were instructed by their Management to take furloughs, at a financial loss in their paychecks. Despite submitting an information request for a list of employees that took furlough days on May 19, 2026, the
- February 12, 2026: WFSE Chief Shop Steward was removed from the Seattle College District Board of Trustees meeting during the union speaking portion of the meeting. The steward was asking questions about the budget and urging for a full financial audit of the district finances. After removing the Steward from the meeting, the Chancellor ended the Board of Trustees meeting.
- March 12, 2026: WFSE President Mike Yestramski attended the Seattle College District Board of Trustees meeting to deliver the union address. WFSE President Yestramski demanded financial transparency from the Board of Trustees. During the open comment portion of this Board meeting, every single commentor delivered a message of solidarity and support to WFSE. Every commentor demanded to know where the money in the Seattle College District had gone. This was a show of student support, public support,and support from other unions at the Seattle Colleges campuses.
- April 9, 2026: WFSE Local 304 picketed outside the Seattle College District Board of Trustees meeting. Students of the Seattle Colleges joined our picket and carried our picket signs in the meeting room. We delivered a Petition of No Confidence to the Chair of the Board of Trustees.
- April 23, 2026: WFSE Local 304 passed a resolution to support an official Vote of No Confidence against Seattle College Chancellor Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap. This resolution is sent to the Statewide Executive Board for deliberation.
- April 28, 2026: WFSE discussed the budget and mistaken furloughs at our District-wide UMCC. WFSE asks for answers on the budget and whether further cuts will be necessary. WFSE does not get comprehensive information in return.
- May 19, 2026: WFSE submitted a Request for Information after hearing reports that employees were mistakenly directed to take furlough days even though their salary did not qualify them to take furlough days. Despite following up with Seattle Colleges Management on June 22, June 29, August 6, and September 23, WFSE has still not received any Requested Information.
- June 6, 2026: WFSE Statewide Executive Board supported the Local 304 resolution for a Vote of No Confidence against Seattle College Chancellor Rosie Rimando- Chareunsap.
After the Statewide Executive Board approval in our Vote of No Confidence, WFSE Local 304 leadership have organized behind the scenes to make this vote possible. We ask now for your support in passing this Vote of No Confidence. Once we have over 66% of WFSE Seattle College Members’ support, we will take our conversation above the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor. We will go directly to the Governor.