If you’ve been following along, you know that we have made some important gains in our campaign to [Re]Invest in Our Colleges. We now have the Workforce Education Investment Account, set up by HB 2158, legislators are taking the drive to invest in CTCs seriously for the first time in decades, and we’ve only just begun to build our power. We’ve also seen gains for our K-12 and classified staff (like the ECEAP funding increase and the increase in SEBB), but we haven’t seen enough gains to fix our public education system.
The most powerful weapon in our arsenal though, is the community – the one that’s in the name of the Community and Technical Colleges. We educate the people in our neighborhoods, and we get them ready for the next step in their lives. We, every one of us, have the power to shape our communities, not only through the work we do, but also through endorsing candidates.
What’s next for ROC? Elect the best candidates!
AFT Washington would make those endorsements, but we can’t and won’t for two reasons:
- Who better to decide who represents you and your local than you and your local?
- It’s against the rules!
According to our bylaws, AFT Washington cannot make an endorsement without one of our locals officially making the request. We have candidates reaching out to us daily for our support, but our hands are tied. Across the state, there are 877 candidates currently running to represent their communities. This is a huge chance to build our coalition and make some strong allies in the process. We need you and your local to take that first step. We have a step-by-step guide on how to move forward and we’re here to make this as painless and easy as possible. We just need you to get it started!
You can also contribute to COPE, the Committee on Political Education. I cannot stress enough how important you and your fellow members’ contributions are. Campaigns are expensive, and our chosen candidates need all the assistance they can get. COPE funds are by voluntary contribution only, your dues cannot and are not used for political contributions.
You can start contributing to COPE one of two ways: 1) filling out a contribution form, or; 2) electronically through the link above. We are also looking for people to join COPE as the committee members who make the endorsement recommendations and guide this process. Please contact me if you are interested in joining the committee.
Want more information or to lead this effort at your local? Check in with your local’s executive board, your Union Organizing Representative, or reach out directly to me, your Political Organizer, at stoussaint@aftwa.org or 206-427-8107.
If you want to stay in the loop, you should head over to our website, wa.aft.org and sign up for alerts!