The Connection 1136 N. Military Ave. Green Bay, WI 54303 920-496-2440 800-472-5582

May 7, 2021 MEMBERSHIP EDITION, Vol. 5, #8 

Hello friends, An educator I greatly admire mentioned to me, "You know if people put as much organizing effort into racial equity as they have fighting masks, we would have fixed everything by now." Today is my three year anniversary with Region 3 and I am grateful for educators like Lauren who change our perspectives and remind us of what we should be doing when times are tough. It's been wonderful to come home to Wisconsin and work with so many inspiring educators that are reclaiming their profession. I'm honored to have organized along side so many of you on campaigns and I look forward to many more years! We've got lots of plans for summer organizing! If you want your union to be able to handle the challenges that will inevitably come with next school year, start organizing now! See you at the Region 3 RA this weekend!  In Solidarity, Kristin Lytie Regional Director WEAC Region 3

Upcoming Events:   May 8, Saturday Region 3 RA, 10AM June 9, Wednesday, Executive Committee Meeting, 6PM June 10, Thursday, Zone B Meeting, 4:30PM

This is an 11.0101(10)(b)(1) communication with WEAC members

The 10-Minute 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. Get out there and BE VISIBLE! How can we have 10-minute meetings during the pandemic? Now is probably the BEST time to reach out to your members! Facebook live, Google hangouts, Zoom...

The May 10-Minute Meeting topic: Contract Changes Unfortunately we've seen some concerning language entering our contracts. This language gives the district the right to get out of the contract, their commitment to you as an employee, whenever they want. If you see this change- hold a 10-minute meeting about it! The way we get this language removed is to withhold our contracts. According to state statute, contracts do not have to be returned until June 15th- that leaves us a lot of time to bring our collective concerns to the administrators. You can show those concerns through a survey or a petition. Your directors are always here to help you think of more ways to bring people together! For more details about how the 10-minute meeting works, click here. For previous 10-minute meeting topics: August: Planning Your New Hire Orientation September: Keeping Your School Safe October: Get Out the Vote!  November: Winning Your Recertification Election December: Organizing Around the State Budget January: Community & Self Care February: GOTV March: Early Enrollment April: Just One Campaign

MAKING EARLY ENROLLMENT WORK FOR YOUR UNION

Potential members can join their local association and pay nothing until September 2021 (receiving up to 5 months free)!   This excludes representation, but it's still a great opportunity for interested parties to learn more about who your local union is and what you're working on!   From April to May members who bring on Just One new member to their local will be entered for a chance to win one of up to 10 $50 gift cards! Above is information about the Just One Campaign! Contact your director for forms or questions about the join online feature!

Are you retiring this year? Do you know someone who is retiring this year?   The WEAC membership year is September 1st through August 31st, and even though you are "leaving" active employment in June, there is an obligation to continue paying dues through the end of August.   Not only does this commitment to membership support your active colleagues, it provides you with access to union resources and support to ensure you are treated fairly and that your employer upholds its commitments related to your retirement.    Here are some resources to share with the newest class of retirees:     Retiree Resources Cancellation of your current WEAC membership requires a signed letter sent to the Membership Department. Here is a sample letter that needs to be mailed to the address on the letter. This letter MUST include the date and your signature! Retirees should consider enrolling in WEAC-Retired. Membership can be a one-time payment. Here is a brochure detailing the benefits and an enrollment form. Term life insurance offered through NEA can be increased at a very competitive rate and remains in place as long as you are an active or retired member. If you would like to review this and other member benefits afforded to WEAC & NEA members, please visit www.weac.org/memberbenefits.

New contracts will be issued by May 15th. While we know you are excited to turn it in, please be sure to read and review it to see if there are any changes. Some districts are adding language stating that they now have the power to lay off and non-renew outside of the timelines defined by state statute.   School budgets are secured and planned the year before so to say a district suddenly does not have the funds to keep staff on for the full school year feels disingenuous. Rather, this feels like an attempt to retract their commitment to you as an employee. Especially since so many of our districts have Fund 10's in the millions of dollars.   Even though this concerning language exists in a few contracts we have not seen districts act on this language yet. However it's a lot easier to remove something from your contract before it's formally put in. Once the language exists in your contract for a few years it is a lot more difficult to remove.   If you see negative changes in your contract: Contact your union leadership and Region 3 Director Hold off on signing them Have a union meeting

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS IN APRIL: 17! We're stronger every day!

PDI Presenter Application - Call for Proposals WEAC is committed to building the knowledge and skills of its members through professional learning that is job-embedded, practical, and connected to both student learning and educator well-being. To that end, you are invited to submit a workshop proposal in an area of your interest or expertise for the annual Professional Development Institute (PDI) November 5-7, 2021, in Oshkosh. Presenters must be WEAC members or a friend of WEAC in a job category ineligible for membership. Sessions are 90 minutes long and should be interactive and engaging. Presenters typically present twice over the course of the weekend. This is an opportunity to share your favorite unit, pedagogical expertise, or unique school program with your colleagues across the state. Members selected to present will receive complimentary registration, meals, roundtrip mileage reimbursement, and a hotel room for two nights (if needed). No other stipend will be awarded to presenters. Applications are due Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Please direct questions to baasj@weac.org. Submit Your Proposal

On Wednesday, May 12, be sure to register for Trauma-Informed Pedagogy. This year children have faced a perfect storm of traumatic events including a nationwide pandemic, economic instability, racial unrest over police killings, months of anxiety, and isolation caused by school and community shutdowns, family illness, bullying, anxiety, and more. Educators will learn about the social and emotional impacts of trauma on our students and their learning, identify the signs of trauma, and how to address the underlying needs of our students.   Registration HERE.

REMINDER - Background Check Applications are Open The DPI background check application is now open for teachers whose license would have expired in 2021. Members can check to see if they are due for a background check by logging into their Educator Licensing Online (ELO) account. Background check applications are due no later than June 30, 2021. It is advised that members submit their application sooner than later. Remember this is your responsibility!

Register for Wisconsin Strong Webinars in May Webinar: College Savings Made Simple The annual cost of a four-year public college is about $22,000. That cost more than doubles for private college. This free webinar, presented by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, will help you learn how to start saving now for future college expenses using Wisconsin’s College Savings Program. The Edvest College Savings Plan, one of Wisconsin’s 529 plans, offers many advantages to you, such as tax-deductible savings and fees that are among the lowest in the country. With automatic payroll deduction, you can get a hassle-free opportunity to save for your children’s or grandchildren’s higher education costs. Sessions: May 18 at 11:00 a.m. May 19 at 12:00 p.m. Register for Session Edvest National 529 Day (May 29) special offer: When you open a new Edvest account with a $50 contribution between May 24, 2021 and May 31, 2021 (and sign up for recurring contributions including payroll direct deposit of $25 or more per month for a minimum of 6 months), Edvest will match $50! You’ll receive the promo code during the webinar. Webinar: Understanding Beneficiaries and Probate Prepare for the unexpected. Help the ones you love be less overwhelmed and provide them peace of mind by having your financial affairs in order. At this free webinar, presented by Summit Credit Union, you’ll find out what you need to know and the right questions to ask. Uncover the mystery of probate. Register for session: May 26 at 8:30 a.m. May 26 at 5:30 p.m. Wisconsin Strong DFI, Edvest, and Summit Credit Union are partners in the Wisconsin Strong: Your Financial Security™ program, which is managed by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. Wisconsin Strong is designed to empower you to maximize your Wisconsin Retirement System benefits, save for the future, and achieve financial wellness at any age. Visit etf.wi.gov/wi-strong and follow along at #WIStrongSecurity.

WEAC Region 3 region3.weac.org 1136 N. Military Ave. Green Bay, WI 54303. Sign up to receive this newsletter. Connect with us ‌ ‌ ‌