Raising the profile of FACE 

One year ago, educators at AFT Washington were beating a path to their statehouse to tell legislators why they needed to pass bills to strengthen the faculty, both full-time and part-time. Now, faculty and staff are keeping their political connections alive by inviting legislators to campus for events and conversations on faculty issues and other priorities of the state federation.

The legislation introduced last January in Olympia, Wash., is called Providing for Faculty Opportunities at Institutions of Higher Education. Modeled on the AFT's national Faculty and College Excellence (FACE) campaign, the bill would strengthen the teaching corps by creating more full-time, tenured faculty; increasing salaries to attract and retain highly qualified instructors and professors; and providing equal pay and more resources and support for part-time faculty. While the AFT testified at hearings in the state Senate and House, no action was taken on the bill.

But AFT Washington is not going away. It has activated Legislative Education Groups to keep the dialogue going.

At a South Seattle Community College meeting hosted by the Seattle Community College Federation of Teachers, 25 faculty and students gathered in a town-hall setting on Nov. 27 to talk about FACE and other legislative issues. On hand were state legislators, Sen. Joe McDermott, Rep. Eileen Cody and Rep Sharon Nelson. Local president Lynne Dodson explained how the higher ed system has systemic problems that need to be addressed, such as the ratio of full-time to part-time faculty, and equity for part-timers. On the same day, the United Faculty at Green River Community College also held a meeting with FACE sponsor Rep. Pat Sullivan.

Broadening the labor base, two AFT locals joined with the Washington State Labor Council to hold an event in Kirkland, Wash. Lake Washington Technical College Federation of Classified Employees president Alla Kovaleva spoke to her representative about the need to support cost-of-living increases for her members who had not had a COLA in three years. Kovaleva, who came to this country from Muldova 10 years ago, marveled at the access being in a union can provide: "Here's somebody in government who can make a real difference and you can just talk to them."

At the last event of the year, seven representatives came to a Dec. 4 meeting held by AFT Everett.

FACE isn't the only topic AFT Washington members talk about at these meetings. Also on the state organization's 2008 agenda is getting collective bargaining for early childhood educators.

For more information about the FACE campaign, go to face.aft.org.