December 2, 2016 
Hello all,

Pictured here is our WEAC Region 3 "membership bell." When a new membership form comes in to our office - via the USPS or carried by hand -- we ring the bell and celebrate our solidarity.

This edition of "The Connection" is the first of a monthly publication (replacing one of our weekly newsletters) that will focus on membership. We'll be featuring not only the successes of our members and our Locals, but also sharing tips and best practices for strengthening our union.

How do we engage our members? How do we identify issues and build coalitions to solve problems? How do we work together to build the change we want to see?

"The Connection: Membership Edition" is the brainchild of Region 3's Membership and PR Committee: Greg Ubbelohde (New Holstein EA) & Kandace Larsen (Marinette EA) are the co-chairs and welcome new committee members at any time! We all hope you find this once-a-month publication inspiring and helpful!
 
Peace
--Kathy Rohde
Regional Director
Staff Liaison to WR3 Membership and PR Committee
Celebrate Success!
 
WEAC Region 3 welcomes 30 new members in November!
 
Clintonville EA Celebrates American Education Week! 

Students at Clintonville Public Schools participated in a number of activities to honor our public schools and celebrate American Education Week!

This Clintonville EA coordinated activity is one step in a Listening Project campaign, the goal of which is to help the District support an April referendum to remodel the Elementary School. 
 
The high school and middle school students were challenged to create a movie trailer or a video parody expressing pride in their school district. The top three teams were chosen and were awarded  a pizza lunch on November 29th with guests Mr. Mike Jirschele and Mr. Bill Jartz. The top videos will be displayed on the school web pages.
 
 
 
 
 
The elementary students participated in an all school hug around the school. Classrooms participated in a window decorating contest. The top three classrooms were awarded fabulous prizes! Pictures will be shared on the district web pages. Parents were also invited to spend the day with their child to experience a day in the life of an elementary student.
 
Trucker pride was seen all over the District!
 
Pulaski EA Supports Their Community Closet
 
Keep on tying...keep on tying...keep on tying!
 
On November 12, the Pulaski Education Association had a fleece tying party for district families in need. Sixteen current and retired Sunnyside staff gathered at Wauters Front in Suamico to tie 112 new blankets. All of the fleece had been purchased and cut prior to the gathering. The intentions are that each child in our district have a blanket to call their own. "When a group of friends tie blankets, each child receives a blanket to provide warmth from the cold and receives the warmth of love. It also ties the community together" stated Suanne Prestby--one more year of gathering, bonding with coworkers and making a difference for the community in which we live and work.  People that attended:  Jackie Baumann,  Judy Handstedt,  Kaye Delzer,  Marcee Gohr,  Paula Goeben,  Jen Versch,  Jane School,  Lisa Puyleart,  Suanne Pestby,  Lydia Storby,  Gail Toonen,  Mary Sturm Johnson,  Stephanie George,  Sara Pautz, and  Lori Hudson.
 
 
 
 
Tip of the Month
 
The Ten-Minute Meeting
We know how busy everyone is. We know how many meetings you are already saddled with. We know how disheartening it is to call a union meeting and have very few people show up. If the goal of a union meeting is to:
  • provide information
  • share information
  • maintain a union presence (Yes! We are here and we are active!),
then the 10-minute meeting might work for you!
 
  • THE most important rule of the 10-minute meeting is that it lasts TEN MINUTES.
  • The union needs reps at each building to conduct the 10-minute meeting - at a time most convenient for the folks at the building.
  • The 10-minute meeting is initiated by the Local's President and/or Executive Committee.
  • Potential members are sometimes invited to attend (e.g., recertification election information), but often ALL employees are made aware that the meetings take place.
 
For more details about how the 10-minute meeting works, click 
here 
.

Coming next month: ideas and templates for 10-minute meetings.
 
Progress Towards WR3's +1 Goal

The WEAC Region 3 Executive Committee has adopted a +1 plan for membership for the 2016-17 school year. Our goal is to maintain our membership numbers from last year and ADD one more to the fold. On August 31, 2016, we had 4,424 members in our Region. Our goal is to have [at least] 4,425 members on August 31, 2017. 

+1 may not seem like a big goal. But the fact is, our membership has been declining over the last three years. We can anticipate another spike downward at the end of the school year as the statistics regularly show - teachers and support staff retire and sometimes the positions are not replaced. How do we grow membership if we don't encourage NEW members and RETURNING members to our fold? 

This monthly Membership Edition of The Connection will update you on progress toward our +1 goal and provide you with ideas and strategies for adding your own Local to our +1 status.
Upcoming Membership Events
 
Click HERE to see our Region 3 Calendar. It includes WEAC and Region 3 governance meetings, Professional Development events, and many other workshops, meetings, and events sponsored by our office.
Here's the other stuff:  
 
  • Leadership Boot Camp:     the time and place to be determined BY YOU! Please read this flyer for more information about how you can bring the workshop to your area.
  • Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Pension Fund
    information presentation: Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 6:30-8:30 pm at Southern Door County school District Auditorium. See flyer for details.

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WEAC Region 3
800-472-5582
[email protected]
www.region3.weac.org