College Ordered to Restore Job to Adjunct

The Washington State Public Employment Relations Commission has ordered Edmonds Community College to restore the job of Margaret West, an adjunct whose contract was not renewed at just the point that she was elected to lead the faculty union, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. West was in fact the first part timer elected to that post -- and the state labor board agreed with her complaint that she lost her position because of her union activities. The college was ordered to give her back her job and back pay. The AFT is hailing the decision, while a college spokeswoman said that the college was studying it and hadn't decided whether to appeal.