STATE GOVERNMENT
College faculty score huge win in Olympia
Senate approves bargaining bill to boost pay, retain and attract quality educators
With a 27-21 vote Tuesday night, the Washington State Senate passed EHB 1237, a bill sponsored by Rep. Mike Sells (D-Everett) that will allow local funds such as tuition and fees to be accessible for bargaining wage increases. The bill already passed the House, 57-41, so after a routine vote of House concurrence and with Gov. Jay Inslee’s expected signature, it will become law.
Until now, these college faculty members were the only public-sector workers in Washington state who didn’t have the right to negotiate salary increases from local funds. Now they will have the ability to address that situation and retain and attract the best college educators.
“I’m elated,” said Carla Naccarato-Sinclair, president of WEA’s Association of Higher Education. “Finally we got a win for our community and technical college faculty members in the state… It’s a union victory at a time we’re under attack. It shows why we need to be part of WEA — we have a voice. If we didn’t stand together as WEA members this would not have passed.”
Some college administrators and the anti-worker political group Freedom Foundation fought against EHB 1237 and giving faculty the same bargaining rights as other public employees. But unlike previous years when Republicans in control of the Senate killed similar House-approved legislation, the new Democratic-controlled Senate allowed a floor vote this year and it passed with bipartisan support.
“Since the bill requires no state funding and actually enhances the transparency of the college’s local funds — characteristics the right wing usually salivates over — it is clear that their true interest is to weaken collective bargaining at every opportunity,” wrote Strickland.