This is the WPEA report that was given to the Pierce Board of Trustees on Sept. 9, 2026.

Good afternoon. 

My fellow Shop Steward, Kelly Gardner is normally the person who gives the WPEA report at the board meetings. Today, Kelly is participating in the last day of bargaining for our 2027-2029 contract which has been very challenging. For those who don’t know, Pierce is part of a coalition of 13 colleges. WPEA representatives, HR and the Office of Financial Management meet together to bargain our contract. Kelly has been the Pierce WPEA representative for the past 4 contracts (the last contract could count as 2, giving her a total of 5) and she brings a moderate voice to what can be a lively process and seeks to promote what is best for everyone. 

Labor Day was on Monday of this week, reminding us all of the Labor movement. I was mulling over the word “Solidarity”  and looked up the definition. One that I found talked about “mutual support within a group”. It takes all of us, Administration, Faculty and Classified to do this incredible work we are called to.  

Because I’m here to represent the classified staff,  I’d like to take just a moment to highlight some of the valuable work they do here at Pierce College.

• Our grounds crew does a tremendous job at keeping up with the mowing, blowing, trimming, edging, of a total of 269 acres at Fort Steilacoom and Puyallup campuses. They work in the heat and the cold keeping the campuses’ looking beautiful. Think about them when you start to see the leaves falling in the coming weeks. 
• Lights are on, tables and chairs are set up in all the classrooms, meeting rooms and shared spaces around campus because of the facilities crew. 
• Speaking of lights. . . they are also on because of our classified in accounts payable who pay the bills.
• Payroll – because of our payroll dept, we will all receive a paycheck tomorrow. 
• Classified staff are the employees that prospective and new students first encounter at Pierce. 
• Lastly, I want to recognize our custodial crew. We all receive the emails that there will be limited services because of staffing. From what I’ve learned from HR, these are difficult positions to fill because they are the lowest wage positions at Pierce. In the afternoons, when you see one of the custodians working, take time to thank them for being here. 

I know the weight that all of you at the head table carry as you lead the institution and I suspect there are some challenging times coming. As we start a new academic year, I want to encourage my co-laborers to take great pride in their contributions to Pierce College and see their part in the mission  – to create quality educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners to thrive in an evolving world. 

~Becky Amner