You can read a detailed timeline of the union’s history through 2013 on the UFE website. This series features select highlights! 

TESC union organizing began in 2005 with meetings of interested faculty, and a large organizing committee was established. In 2005-06 organizing and faculty deliberation continued at faculty meetings, panel discussions, etc. The organizing committee met with nearly every member of the faculty to determine interest in forming a faculty union, and by spring quarter we were confident that a majority of Evergreen faculty supported the union. 

On May 1, 2006 we filed our intention to become a certified collective bargaining unit with PERC and scheduled the vote for fall 2006. On Oct. 31, 2006 the vote results were tallied in favor of UFE/UFWS “as exclusive bargaining representative for the purpose of collective bargaining with their employer” (PERC case 20368-E-06-3150; certification document Nov. 8, 2006). Unofficial motto: “Boo!”

In the spring of 2007, the first bargaining team was formed to develop and negotiate our first collective bargaining agreement. The team began meeting during the summer of 2007 and continued throughout fall and winter quarters to complete a comprehensive first contract proposal, presented to the administration’s representatives in March 2008. Bargaining Team members were: Chuck Pailthorp, Gery Gerst, Jose Gomez, Jeanne Hahn, Allen StandingBear Jenkins, Gary McNeil (UFWS), Laurie Meeker, Zahid Shariff, Rebecca Sunderman, Edward Taub (UFWS), and Brian Walter. Negotiations continued through spring and summer.

Our first comprehensive Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified in November 2008 and remained in effect Nov. 12, 2008 through August 31, 2011. Highlights included advances in equity (multi-year contracts for adjuncts; 90% compensation for adjuncts, up from 80%; One-Time Hiring Process for Long-Time Temporary Faculty), increased compensation (10.5% increase to base for all faculty plus 2% over the next two years), strong benefits package (protection of medical leave 180 days full pay and benefits; expansion of medical leave in the form of 2 weeks paid leave for temporary faculty; expansion of parental leave – 6 weeks paid leave for a all parents, including mothers, fathers, adoptive parents), and solid union rights: a three year contract, union recognition, grievance procedures, including third-party arbitration, and discipline and discharge rules that require just cause and protects due process rights.