Justice Doesn't Take a Holiday

The May 21 Region 6 Representative Assembly was not our "last meeting." It is sometimes called that because it comes close to the end of the school year, but the fact is that just as we do not stop being teachers during the summer we also continue being union members and community activists.

 

We have to. The anti-public education movement doesn't take the summer off, and neither can we.

 

"Summers off" is a myth in the first place, as we all know. Like most teachers, I am involved in lesson planning, professional development, classroom preparation and contractual in-service throughout much of June, July and August. And many Region 6 educational support staff members continue to work throughout the summer whether there are students in the schools or not.

 

In addition to the work I do throughout the summer because of my role as a social studies teacher at Oregon High School, I will continue to serve as the president of Region 6. Indeed, without students coming into the classroom every day I have more time to contact legislators and school board members, and to work with local union leaders and Region 6 staff on plans to increase our union's membership and effectiveness.

 

The delegates at the Region 6 RA on May 21 passed a budget and set a course for the next 12 months. We talked about how we continue to work more closely with other organizations in our communities and increase the influence that we education employees have over our work. Because educators' voices are strong, our public schools are still great places to get an education. Our unions deserve much of the credit, but our successes do not happen by accident. They happen because we don't give up and we don't let up.

 

I invite you to join us in these efforts. You can start today by reaching out to your local leaders or contacting the Region 6 office directly by emailing me at   [email protected] or calling the office at 1-800-397-2287. You don't have to wait until the start of the next school year.

In Solidarity,

Mark Lindsey

President of WEAC Region 6

Register Now for a Member Benefits Financial Consultation in Beloit or Janesville

WEA Member Benefits is scheduling free financial consultations for Region 6 members on June 23 and June 28 in Beloit and Janesville, respectively.

 

Sign up now for a free 30-minute consultation with a certified financial planner who can answer questions about a wide range of financial topics, including:

• Reasons to start a 403(b) or IRA savings account and how to enroll

• Wisconsin Retirement System basics (Bring your WRS statement)

• Retirement Savings strategies; Pre-tax vs. Roth, 403(b) vs. IRA

• Investment/Account Fees

• Budgeting

• Tips for purchasing personal insurance

 

The Thursday, June 23, sessions in Beloit will be held at the Kolak Center Building, 1633 Keeler Avenue, Room 203, Beloit - click here to register. The Tuesday, June 28, Janesville sessions will be held at the Region 6 Janesville office, 1215 Suffolk Drive, Janesville - click here to register.

Region 6 Training for New PDP Reviewers is June 22

WEAC Region 6 will host a PDP New Reviewer Training in Madison on Wednesday, June 22. Region 6 members who want to become certified PDP reviewers can attend the training at no cost.

 

Members with professional educator licenses who complete the training will be qualified to serve as reviewers for fellow Region 6 and WEAC members who are participating in the PDP licensure process. This is another great benefit of union membership.

 

To register, send an e-mail message to Rachel Schendel at [email protected] by Monday, June 6. Please include in your message your name, school district, e-mail address, phone number, and DPI license file number.

 

David DeGuire from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will lead the training at the WEAC Region 6 offices, 33 Nob Hill Road, Madison.

 

If you are already a PDP reviewer and wish to renew your certification, you can now do so online through the DPI website. The June 22 training is only for new reviewers.

 

If you have questions, contact Michael Walsh at [email protected] or 1-800-397-2287.

Janesville Gazette: Union is Strong Here

In an April 30 editorial, the Janesville Gazette claimed the Janesville School Board's decision against a proposal to assess a health insurance coverage surcharge against the spouses of teachers was a product of "union influence."

 

The authors of the unsigned editorial wrote, "Five years after Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10 supposedly devastated public employee unions statewide, union influence is still clear in Janesville."

 

The proposal would have penalized school district employees whose employed spouses choose the district's health insurance coverage over their own employers' health plans. Some of Janesville's school board members spoke against this proposal on the grounds that it could discourage talented professionals from working in Janesville's schools at a time when it is getting harder to attract and retain teachers and staff. They want Janesville's students to have all the advantages they can give them, and thought it unwise to give teachers and prospective teachers a reason to take their talents somewhere else.

 

The proposal failed on a 6-3 vote. The Gazette editorialists were not specific about how they believe unions influenced the vote, but they implied that the decision went the way it did because some members of the school board have belonged to unions or have been supported by unions in their elections.

 

The editorial writers said the "no" vote sends a message to taxpayers that public employees deserve better health insurance than the general public, but a survey by the National Business Group on Health shows that only 29 percent of employers assess these spousal surcharges. The board chose not to be an outlier on this issue, and for good reason.

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