{"id":17601,"date":"2016-05-23T16:54:46","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T23:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spiken.wpengine.com\/news\/three-day-faculty-strike-begins-at-green-river-over-proposed-program-cuts\/"},"modified":"2016-10-23T23:00:29","modified_gmt":"2016-10-24T06:00:29","slug":"three-day-faculty-strike-begins-at-green-river-over-proposed-program-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/three-day-faculty-strike-begins-at-green-river-over-proposed-program-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Three-day faculty strike begins at Green River over proposed program cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Faculty,<\/span> concerned<\/span> about<\/span> potential<\/span> program<\/span> cuts<\/span> at<\/span> Green<\/span> River<\/span> College,<\/span> went<\/span> on<\/span> strike<\/span> for<\/span> three<\/span> days<\/span> this<\/span> week.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The<\/span> 10-member<\/span> United<\/span> Faculty<\/span> board<\/span> voted<\/span> unanimously<\/span> last<\/span> Friday<\/span> to<\/span> strike.<\/span> Union<\/span> members<\/span> authorized<\/span> the<\/span> strike<\/span> after<\/span> college<\/span> administrators<\/span> announced<\/span> that\u00a011<\/span> programs<\/span> are\u00a0facing<\/span> elimination.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Administrators<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> cuts<\/span> are<\/span> necessary<\/span> because<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> $4.5<\/span> million<\/span> operating<\/span> budget<\/span> gap,<\/span> but<\/span> faculty<\/span> members<\/span> disagree<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> claim.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

While<\/span> not<\/span> all<\/span> faculty<\/span> members<\/span> chose<\/span> to<\/span> participate<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> strike,<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 100<\/span> picketed<\/span> Monday<\/span> through<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> outside<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> main<\/span> campus<\/span> in<\/span> Auburn,<\/span> satellite<\/span> campuses<\/span> at<\/span> Kent<\/span> Station<\/span> and<\/span> Enumclaw,<\/span> and<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> intersection<\/span> of<\/span> Auburn<\/span> Way<\/span> North<\/span> and<\/span> 15th<\/span> Street<\/span> Northeast.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The<\/span> union<\/span> called<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> administration<\/span> to<\/span> end<\/span> the<\/span> proposed<\/span> elimination<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> affected<\/span> programs<\/span> \u2013<\/span> business<\/span> technology<\/span> evening<\/span> courses<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Kent<\/span> Station<\/span> campus,<\/span> fingerprinting<\/span> certification,<\/span> design<\/span> drafting,<\/span> drama,<\/span> Montessori<\/span> track<\/span> of<\/span> Early<\/span> Childhood<\/span> Education,<\/span> parent-child<\/span> education,<\/span> German,<\/span> French,<\/span> geography,<\/span> occupational<\/span> therapy<\/span> assistant<\/span> and<\/span> study<\/span> skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis<\/span> strike<\/span> could<\/span> end<\/span> within<\/span> the<\/span> hour<\/span> if<\/span> RIF<\/span> (reduction-in-force)<\/span> notices<\/span> are<\/span> withdrawn,\u201d<\/span> Jaeney<\/span> Hoene,<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Faculty<\/span> union<\/span> president,<\/span> said<\/span> during<\/span> a<\/span> press<\/span> conference<\/span> on<\/span> Monday,<\/span> reading<\/span> from<\/span> a<\/span> letter<\/span> she<\/span> sent<\/span> college<\/span> president<\/span> Eileen<\/span> Ely.<\/span> \u201cWe<\/span> will<\/span> end<\/span> it<\/span> ourselves<\/span> after<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> interest<\/span> of<\/span> our<\/span> students<\/span> for<\/span> whom<\/span> graduation<\/span> draws<\/span> near.<\/span> \u2026<\/span> Our<\/span> concern<\/span> for<\/span> them<\/span> will<\/span> bring<\/span> us<\/span> back,<\/span> but<\/span> we<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> far<\/span> from<\/span> done<\/span> protesting<\/span> your<\/span> unfair<\/span> labor<\/span> practices<\/span> when<\/span> we<\/span> return<\/span> if<\/span> they<\/span> do<\/span> not<\/span> cease.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Union<\/span> leaders<\/span> have<\/span> asked<\/span> the<\/span> administration<\/span> to<\/span> work<\/span> with<\/span> faculty<\/span> to<\/span> find<\/span> ways<\/span> to<\/span> close<\/span> the<\/span> budget<\/span> gap.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever<\/span> budget<\/span> challenges<\/span> this<\/span> college<\/span> faces<\/span> they<\/span> may<\/span> be<\/span> met<\/span> together<\/span> through<\/span> authentic<\/span> transparency<\/span> and<\/span> collaboration,<\/span> and<\/span> without<\/span> the<\/span> permanent<\/span> damage<\/span> created<\/span> by<\/span> program<\/span> cuts,\u201d<\/span> Hoene<\/span> said,<\/span> quoting<\/span> her<\/span> letter.<\/span> \u201cThere<\/span> is<\/span> no<\/span> crisis<\/span> at<\/span> Green<\/span> River<\/span> College<\/span> except<\/span> that<\/span> which<\/span> has<\/span> allowed<\/span> you<\/span> to<\/span> threaten<\/span> employees<\/span> with<\/span> unemployment<\/span> when<\/span> they<\/span> dare<\/span> to<\/span> challenge<\/span> your<\/span> policies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The<\/span> college\u2019s<\/span> Board<\/span> of<\/span> Trustees<\/span> voted<\/span> 4-0<\/span> in<\/span> an<\/span> emergency<\/span> 30-minute<\/span> meeting<\/span> on<\/span> Monday<\/span> to<\/span> seek<\/span> a<\/span> court-<\/span>ordered<\/span> injunction<\/span> to<\/span> end<\/span> the<\/span> strike.<\/span> Trustee<\/span> Tim<\/span> Clark<\/span> was<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> meeting,<\/span> while<\/span> chair<\/span> Pete<\/span> Lewis,<\/span> co-chair<\/span> Claudia<\/span> Kauffman<\/span> and<\/span> trustee<\/span> Sharonne<\/span> Navas<\/span> took<\/span> part<\/span> by<\/span> phone.<\/span> Trustee<\/span> Linda<\/span> Cowan<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> participate<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIn<\/span> this<\/span> case,<\/span> the<\/span> strike<\/span> may<\/span> well<\/span> be<\/span> over<\/span> when<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> ruled,<\/span> but<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> our<\/span> due<\/span> diligence<\/span> to<\/span> make<\/span> sure<\/span> we<\/span> are<\/span> doing<\/span> whatever<\/span> we<\/span> can<\/span> to<\/span> make<\/span> sure<\/span> classes<\/span> stay<\/span> in<\/span> session,\u201d<\/span> Catherine<\/span> Ushka,<\/span> the<\/span> college\u2019s<\/span> acting<\/span> public<\/span> information<\/span> officer,<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Monday<\/span> afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Students,<\/span> community<\/span> stand<\/span> behind<\/span> faculty<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Green<\/span> River<\/span> students<\/span> and<\/span> representatives<\/span> from<\/span> other<\/span> labor<\/span> unions,<\/span> joined<\/span> faculty<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> picket<\/span> lines.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cYour<\/span> fight<\/span> is<\/span> our<\/span> fight,<\/span> and<\/span> we<\/span> will<\/span> not<\/span> stand<\/span> down<\/span> until<\/span> Green<\/span> River<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> college<\/span> we<\/span> can<\/span> be<\/span> proud<\/span> of<\/span> again,\u201d<\/span> Lynne<\/span> Dodson,<\/span> secretary\/treasurer<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Washington<\/span> State<\/span> Labor<\/span> Council,<\/span> said<\/span> during<\/span> Monday\u2019s<\/span> press<\/span> conference.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Sarah<\/span> Carlson,<\/span> a<\/span> student<\/span> from<\/span> Auburn,<\/span> wanted<\/span> to<\/span> show<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> her<\/span> professors.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe<\/span> have<\/span> seen<\/span> our<\/span> professors<\/span> grow<\/span> more<\/span> and<\/span> more<\/span> stressed,<\/span> more<\/span> and<\/span> more<\/span> anxious<\/span> about<\/span> even<\/span> losing<\/span> their<\/span> jobs,\u201d<\/span> Carlson<\/span> said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In<\/span> her<\/span> two<\/span> years<\/span> on<\/span> campus,<\/span> Carlson<\/span> has<\/span> seen<\/span> the<\/span> campus<\/span> climate<\/span> deteriorate.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWith<\/span> this<\/span> climate,<\/span> I<\/span> am<\/span> advising<\/span> people<\/span> I<\/span> know<\/span> not<\/span> to<\/span> come<\/span> here,\u201d<\/span> she<\/span> said.<\/span> \u201cIt\u2019s<\/span> no<\/span> longer<\/span> a<\/span> viable<\/span> option.<\/span> The<\/span> community<\/span> is<\/span> losing<\/span> a<\/span> resource<\/span> that,<\/span> in<\/span> all<\/span> honesty,<\/span> has<\/span> benefited<\/span> a<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> us<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> years,<\/span> and<\/span> people<\/span> should<\/span> be<\/span> concerned.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

When<\/span> she<\/span> first<\/span> heard<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> strike,<\/span> Carlson<\/span> said<\/span> she<\/span> was<\/span> worried<\/span> about<\/span> how<\/span> it<\/span> would<\/span> affect<\/span> her<\/span> plans<\/span> to<\/span> graduate<\/span> with<\/span> an<\/span> associates<\/span> degree<\/span> on<\/span> June<\/span> 10,<\/span> with<\/span> hopes<\/span> to<\/span> transfer<\/span> to<\/span> Pacific<\/span> Lutheran<\/span> University<\/span> to<\/span> pursue<\/span> a<\/span> degree<\/span> in<\/span> elementary<\/span> education.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

State<\/span> Rep.<\/span> Mia<\/span> Gregerson,<\/span> D-Sea<\/span>Tac,<\/span> attended<\/span> Green<\/span> River<\/span> College<\/span> and<\/span> spoke<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> press<\/span> conference<\/span> Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span> feel<\/span> very<\/span> connected<\/span> to<\/span> this<\/span> community,\u201d<\/span> she<\/span> said.<\/span> \u201cWhen<\/span> I<\/span> started<\/span> to<\/span> hear<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> faculty<\/span> wasn\u2019t<\/span> being<\/span> treated<\/span> well<\/span> and<\/span> that<\/span> students<\/span> were<\/span> worried<\/span> about<\/span> their<\/span> programs<\/span> being<\/span> cut,<\/span> that<\/span> really<\/span> drew<\/span> my<\/span> attention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Gregerson<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> Legislature<\/span> approved<\/span> a<\/span> policy<\/span> bill<\/span> to<\/span> allow<\/span> entities,<\/span> like<\/span> Green<\/span> River,<\/span> to<\/span> redirect<\/span> local<\/span> funds<\/span> to<\/span> address<\/span> budget<\/span> issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span> need<\/span> the<\/span> leaders<\/span> in<\/span> this<\/span> community<\/span> to<\/span> get<\/span> together<\/span> to<\/span> fix<\/span> this<\/span> program,<\/span> so<\/span> we<\/span> can<\/span> move<\/span> on<\/span> so<\/span> that<\/span> we<\/span> can<\/span> continue<\/span> to<\/span> provide<\/span> what<\/span> we<\/span> need<\/span> to<\/span> and<\/span> that<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> great<\/span> education<\/span> for<\/span> all<\/span> of<\/span> our<\/span> students,\u201d<\/span> she<\/span> said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

‘Doesn\u2019t<\/span> make<\/span> sense’<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Lynn<\/span> Reynolds,<\/span> a<\/span> Green<\/span> River<\/span> alumnus<\/span> and<\/span> adjunct<\/span> design<\/span> drafting<\/span> instructor<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> college,<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> doesn\u2019t<\/span> make<\/span> sense<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> college<\/span> to<\/span> cut<\/span> an<\/span> in-demand<\/span> program<\/span> like<\/span> design<\/span> drafting.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span> think<\/span> she<\/span> (Ely)<\/span> is<\/span> disconnected<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> 11<\/span> programs<\/span> that<\/span> are<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> chopping<\/span> block<\/span> now,\u201d<\/span> Reynolds<\/span> said<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> press<\/span> conference.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Design<\/span> drafting<\/span> supports<\/span> engineers<\/span> and<\/span> architects,<\/span> Reynolds<\/span> said<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> press<\/span> conference.<\/span> \u201cEngineers<\/span> just<\/span> don\u2019t<\/span> have<\/span> the<\/span> time,\u201d<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> \u201cIt<\/span> takes<\/span> a<\/span> special<\/span> person<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> vision<\/span> and<\/span> learn<\/span> all<\/span> the<\/span> communication<\/span> to<\/span> put<\/span> a<\/span> drawing<\/span> together.<\/span> It<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> real<\/span> science.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Lea<\/span> Ann<\/span> Simpson,<\/span> a<\/span> business<\/span> instructor<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> college,<\/span> said<\/span> she<\/span> felt<\/span> empowered<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> support<\/span> of<\/span> fellow,<\/span> students<\/span> and<\/span> community<\/span> members<\/span> who<\/span> took<\/span> part<\/span> in<\/span> picketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span> feel<\/span> closer<\/span> to<\/span> my<\/span> colleagues<\/span> than<\/span> I\u2019ve<\/span> ever<\/span> felt<\/span> before,\u201d<\/span> she<\/span> said.<\/span> \u201cWe<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> shared<\/span> message,<\/span> and<\/span> we<\/span> care<\/span> about<\/span> each<\/span> other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

It<\/span> is<\/span> unusual<\/span> for<\/span> college<\/span> faculty<\/span> to<\/span> strike,<\/span> said<\/span> Karen<\/span> Strickland,<\/span> president<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> American<\/span> Federation<\/span> of<\/span> Teachers<\/span> (AFT)<\/span> Washington<\/span> \u2013<\/span> a<\/span> labor<\/span> union<\/span> representing<\/span> community<\/span> and<\/span> technical<\/span> college<\/span> faculty.<\/span> Green<\/span> River<\/span> faculty<\/span> last<\/span> went<\/span> on<\/span> strike<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> 1970s.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Green<\/span> River\u2019s<\/span> United<\/span> Faculty<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> local<\/span> chapter<\/span> of<\/span> AFT<\/span> Washington,<\/span> which<\/span> supported<\/span> its<\/span> members<\/span> at<\/span> Green<\/span> River<\/span> throughout<\/span> the<\/span> strike,<\/span> Strickland<\/span> said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOther<\/span> presidents<\/span> are<\/span> not<\/span> destroying<\/span> the<\/span> colleges<\/span> they<\/span> lead,<\/span> even<\/span> though<\/span> they<\/span> are<\/span> dealing<\/span> with<\/span> similar<\/span> circumstances,\u201d<\/span> Strickland<\/span> said<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> press<\/span> conference.<\/span> \u201cThere<\/span> is<\/span> something<\/span> wrong<\/span> with<\/span> this<\/span> picture,<\/span> the<\/span> decisions<\/span> made<\/span> by<\/span> this<\/span> president<\/span> are<\/span> egregious<\/span> and<\/span> warrant<\/span> investigation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Since<\/span> 2013,<\/span> the<\/span> union<\/span> has<\/span> presented<\/span> the<\/span> college\u2019s<\/span> Board<\/span> of<\/span> Trustees<\/span> with<\/span> three<\/span> votes<\/span> of<\/span> no<\/span> confidence<\/span> in<\/span> President<\/span> Ely<\/span> \u2013<\/span> the<\/span> most<\/span> recent<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> board<\/span> meeting<\/span> on<\/span> May<\/span> 19<\/span> \u2013<\/span> as<\/span> well<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> vote<\/span> of<\/span> no<\/span> confidence<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> board.<\/span> In<\/span> recent<\/span> weeks,<\/span> students<\/span> and<\/span> faculty<\/span> have<\/span> organized<\/span> rallies<\/span> and<\/span> walkouts<\/span> and<\/span> packed<\/span> board<\/span> meetings,<\/span> asking<\/span> for<\/span> Ely\u2019s<\/span> resignation<\/span> and<\/span> an<\/span> end<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> proposed<\/span> cuts.<\/span><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Monday marked the beginning of a three-day strike for faculty at Green River College.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":227,"featured_media":17602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-17601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17601"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/227"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17601"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=17601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}