I teach at Green River College and was one of those some of you may have seen picketing at the intersection of Auburn Way and 15th during our recent three-day strike.

Green River faculty haven’t had a strike since the mid-’70s, so it’s not the kind of thing we are used to doing, and I was a little nervous. I confess that before taking up my sign and my station, I was a little worried about the reception I might get from drivers and passersby.

I needn’t have worried. I was genuinely touched by the support I saw from the community – my community. Our community. Many drivers honked their encouragement, and the many who did not waved or gave us a thumb’s up. Some of the people walking by stopped to ask about the issues we were striking over. (“You mean it’s not about salaries?”), and I shook a lot of hands. I handed out fliers detailing our grievances, and was surprised that only a very few people declined to accept them.

As someone who lives in the neighborhood, I should not have found any of this unexpected. Many of us in the area work at Green River, or have friends or relatives who do so. Many of us have children or relatives or friends studying there, or have studied at the college ourselves. Many of us know firsthand that the college has been a powerful benefit to families, to local employers and to the community. We care about the fate of the college and wish to divert it from its current course of self-destruction.

And so I want to thank you for showing us your support. I feel that the strike has not only served to unite the Green River faculty as never before but has also reminded us that the community stands with us.

I am now back in class, and I am so happy to be there. However, the fond memories of the love I felt from our community will remain in my heart.

– Tim McDaniel