With the elections behind us, and most races decided, it looks like we’ll have a very friendly legislature come the 2019 legislative session. What does that mean for our [Re]Invest in Our Colleges (ROC) campaign? We’re just that much closer to getting an infusion of much needed funds in to our CTCs. This was the first step in making sure we get the funding we not only need but deserve!
We’ve been working hard to make sure we write the bills that will best support you and our CTCs. We still have some details to iron out, in order to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind, but we are well on our way!
With most elections handily decided, the next step is to meet with all the new electeds, in order to gain their unwavering support. A coalition of unions, students, and community members will help to win that support. Have you taken steps to make this coalition on your campus?
The ROC Campaign is easily the biggest endeavor AFT Washington has ever attempted. It requires more coalition building than we have ever attempted. This means we need more members to take an active role, than we have ever asked, except of course since your locals were formed! We in no way want only you, the leaders, to take on the brunt of this work, we need your membership to take on a bigger role than they have in the past.
We need members at student council meetings, board of trustee meetings. We need members to do outreach with other unions and bring this issue to their community and religious groups. We need members to host postcard parties, and to travel to Olympia to lobby. We need a wide reach, and your members are the ones that will make this happen!
So, what are the steps we need each college to take you ask? Funny, we have that right here!
Step 1
- Get your local’s board to endorse the campaign
- Announce this endorsement, and recruit volunteers, at your all member meetings
- Begin gathering signatures for the ROC petition at your campuses, and in your social networks
Step 2
- Start outreach, gain buy-in, and active
participation with these groups:
- Other unions on your campus and working in the CTCs
- Student groups on campus, not just the student council, but the Asian Student Association, Black Student Union, the Gay-Straight Alliance, even the Anime Club. Whatever groups or clubs you have access to on campus, gain their support!
- Your boards and various administrators
Step 3
- Start outreach, gain buy-in, and active
participation with these groups:
- Your Technical Advisory Committees (TACs)
- Your college foundation
- Community groups working on or with your college
- Different constituencies on your campus
- Really, any other group you can think of!
With this work in place, we can gain the groundswell of support we need to not only get the $500 million we’re asking for, we may be able to bring funding for CTCs up to 2019 standards.
The communities we serve are with us, we just need to bring them in to the fold. Let’s get to work!
Need resources or have questions? Reach out to your Political Organizer, Sandra Toussaint at 206-661-3623 or stoussaint@aftwa.org.