September 6, 2019
MEMBERSHIP EDITION, Vol. 4, #1

New Employee Orientations
It's a great time to ask people to JOIN!
Lots of Locals held New Employee Orientation meetings or socials to kick off the new year with a bang!

Pictured here are Sheboygan EA - they had a table at the District's wellness BASH; Kiel EA - who hosted new teachers at a local restaurant; and Chilton EA - they held a pizza party in the library.

It's not too late to host a back-to-school event and invite new employees to join the union.

Send us photos!
The 10-Minute Meeting
All too often we hear, "there's no reason to hold a meeting if there's nothing to report/decide/vote on." Or, we hear, "I'm not sure we have a union because there are never any meetings." But mostly, we hear, "I don't have TIME to go to ANOTHER meeting."
 
You have an opportunity to keep members in the loop AND respect their time by holding 10-minute meetings! It's also a great time to get feedback from people in the building. 

If you feel like you're in a rut, why not try the 10-minute meeting?
For more details about how the 10-minute meeting works, click   here .
For previous 10-minute meeting topics:
December:  NEA Member Benefits
January: Retirement!

The September 10-Minute Meeting topic:

Recertification / Certification
Recertification Elections:
Tell WR3 if your Local is participating
NO LATER THAN Thursday, September 12!
Recertification is an annual process that has been forced upon us by Act 10. It requires that all members of a bargaining unit, whether they are dues-paying members or not, vote in an annual election to designate the union as the sole bargaining agent for the bargaining unit.

Example: Local A represents 35 paraprofessionals. Only 10 of these employees in the school district are dues-paying members of Local A. The 10 members get together and decide they want to recertify and then notify Region 3. We help fill out the paperwork (Local A pays a fee to participate in the election) and in November, ALL 35 paraprofessionals cast ballots. In order for Local A to continue to represent the employees, 51% of the votes must be cast "Yes," so the 10 members have to talk to the other 25 employees and encourage them to vote "Yes." Anyone who does not vote counts as a "No" vote in the election.

What are the benefits of being a certified Local?
  • The Local is the sole bargaining agent for the employees and the District is required to negotiate a CPI increase and the distribution of that increase.

  • For some Locals, recertification is an important way to be recognized by the District instead of being dismissed as "you don't have a union."

  • Remember, however, that the union DOES exist, even without certification, or recertification! (Only one-third of WR3 Locals are certified!)

  • If your Local is not currently certified, the recertification deadlines do not apply. You can participate in a certification election instead! Please contact the WR3 office for more information.

WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS in August:

70 !!
Click on the image above for a flyer that you can use to advertise the
UP Connection in your Local. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/p9oWt6yaAKrzeiQ7A
WEAC
WEAC Offers Presidents Meeting
Location: WEAC building in Madison



Friday, October 11 – NEW PRESIDENTS
7:00 p.m.  Dinner with New Presidents & WEAC Officers
8:30 p.m.  Review President Responsibilities
9:30 p.m.  Q & A with WEAC Officers
10:30 p.m. Social

Saturday, October 12
NEW PRESIDENTS
7:00 a.m.  Breakfast
8:00 a.m.  New Presidents Orientation

ALL PRESIDENTS (new and veteran)
9:45 a.m.  Opening and Introductions
10:00 a.m. “Unconference Format” – small group discussions on timely topics
10:45 a.m. Presidents Training
NOON        LUNCH
12:45 p.m. Local Collaboration Time (groups based on local size)
2:00 p.m.  “Unconference Format” – small group discussions on timely topics
2:45 p.m.  Data – Membership – Reports
3:45 p.m.  Website Review – Resources for Local Presidents
4:45 p.m.  Head to WEA Member Benefits
5:00 p.m.  Dinner at WEA Member Benefits
5:45 p.m.  WEAC Member Benefits Presentation
6:45 p.m.  Closing

To register and get more information, please contact Becky Bachman at [email protected].
Professional Development
Clicking on the image below will bring you to a state-wide calendar of events open to ALL members. Do you work in a Region 3 school, but live closer to Region 7? No problem! Sign up today for topics that interest you and are convenient to you!
The New Teacher Institute will bring members in their first 5 years of teaching together on Saturday, October 5 for a day of professional learning and networking in New London. More details and a registration link can be found here: https://weac.org/new-teacher-institute/

The WEAC Professional Development Institute (formerly the Professional Issues Conference) format allows Aspiring Educator, ESP and teacher members to select from over 30 sessions applicable to their practice. This year the Institute will be in Oshkosh, November 1-3. Details and registration can be found here: http://weac.org/calendar/professional-development-institute/

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking is a statewide virtual book study. Details can be found at: https://weaacademy.org/product/quiet/

Micro Credentials continue to be a popular option for self-directed, specific professional learning. There are 100s of options including a recent release of micro credentials specific to ESP work categories. Details can be found here: https://weaacademy.org/online-courses/micro-credentials/

National Board support cohorts in Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Brookfield, Madison, Racine, Eau Claire, and possibly Watertown. A full day NBCT facilitator training will be held on Saturday, October 12 at the WEAC Building. NBCTs interested in supporting candidates can register here: https://weac.org/forms/professional-learning-facilitator-training/

  • The Green Bay area support meetings schedule and registration can be found here.

Degrees Not Debt! is a self-guided course which provides an overview of student loan forgiveness programs. Registration can be found at: https://weaacademy.org/product/degreesnotdebt/

Defense Against the Dark Arts: The Science of Happiness continues to be one of our most popular courses. It is a blended learning course with 4 online modules and 1 face-to-face session. Fall semester face-to-face sessions have been scheduled for Madison, St. Croix Falls, Rhinelander, Baraboo, Janesville, and LaCrosse. Course registration is at this link: https://weaacademy.org/product/science-happinessfree-weac-members/

Two Courses Coming Soon: Heart Health for Educators & FoRT Preparation . Both of these courses will launch in early September on the WEA Academy website. Check out the WEA Academy site from time-to-time to see what’s new.

The WEA Academy Calendar is a resource available to all Regions and Urbans ( https://weaacademy.org/events/ ). It is updated regularly to reflect professional development opportunities around the state. You are encouraged to submit professional development sessions you are hosting using a very brief form found here:   http://weac.org/forms/wea-academy-calendar-addition/
Welcome back WEAC Region 3 members!

This is a special time of the year. Students, parents and educators are all filled with anticipation, hope and enthusiasm. Many of you spent countless hours preparing your classrooms, participating in hours of professional development and preparing lessons, and working to make sure our school buildings are clean and inviting. So let me start the year out by saying thank you for all you have done this summer, and thank you for all you are going to do to make this a great year.
 
I also want to thank you for your membership. You are the union. Unions are all about membership. We get our power through membership. By continuing your membership, you are part of shaping the future of education. We have had some successes, and as you well know, we have some fights ahead of us. With your membership, we are going to continue to move public education forward.
 
Maintaining your membership is one way to support your union, but we also need members who are willing to get involved. What do you want to change? Even the best school districts need changes. So, is it bad enough yet? Do you want to do something about it? Building power to make meaningful changes to your working conditions are what our union is all about. Region 3 can work with you and your local to organize around issues that are important to you. 

Together we can take control of our profession. Together we can move public education forward. Have a great year!

Solidarity,
Dean DeBroux
WEAC Region 3 President