Thank you for the article about the efforts to unionize staff at Cornish. In the list of unions operative at the school the article left out a major one that represents ALL faculty whether Core and Instructors (adjuncts), and is the Cornish Federation of Teachers Local #4169 of AFT (American Federation of Teachers) since 1979! The CFT represents over 113 faculty and is the only private college represented by AFT in the state of Washington. CFT needs public awareness and support and also proudly supports the new staff union efforts!

Some updates are needed here. Three of the people featured in this photo who were work place organizers (including one of the interviewees) have since been let go, along with some other folks not featured. Such a tragedy that Cornish is resorting to union busting and running afoul of the NLRB.

Also, the author linked to the wrong NLRB finding. The one linked to is and IATSE case that was recently won. I know it's confusing, with so many NLRB cases being filed against Cornish for unfair labor practices recently. Here's the link to the current OPEIU case if you want to updates: file:///C:/Users/nicol/Downloads/Request%20for%20Review%20of%20DDE.pdf

They're not "let go". They're kicked out the door.

It's illegal to fire people for union organizing, but employers routinely do it. The PRO Act (promised by Biden and currently stalled in Congress oc) would help.

There is some serious misinformation coming from Roy Brown. Upper level college administrators took salary cuts in the range of 5-10% last year. These administrators (VPs and President) are paid well above the national average for their positions; most make at least 3-4 times the salary of the average core faculty member at the college. The statement in the article about having to raise tuition in order to pay faculty and staff a living wage is ridiculous. Cornish employs multiple people at high salaries to raise money for the college; the fact that we still do not have an endowment (in a city of billionaires) and that we are so reliant on tuition lies squarely on the shoulders of these upper level staff members, the board, and the president. Cornish core faculty make starting salaries that are about $10K less than peers at the community colleges and many staff do not make a living wage. Is Seattle willing to lose the only college in the PNW devoted solely to visual AND performing arts? Are we willing to let a 100+ year old college, founded by a radical woman just disappear? I would like to see the city rally around this treasured institution that is part of the soul of Seattle.

lol none of them knows how to make a fist.