The Local Connection
The Local Connection The Council and the Local Associations
What the local association does? How the local association connects to and benefits from the Council?
Local associations represent WEA members at the local school district level. They are employees of the local school district and therefore have common interests, concerns and needs based on the operations, procedures, policies and contract the employees have with that school district. Local associations work on behalf of the members in that school district. They negotiate the local contract, represent members with issues and concerns, provide legal assistance and support to members, speak out on behalf of educational issues at the local level, work with local elected officials , to name but a few of the duties of the local association.
Local associations benefit from their participation in the UniServ Council because they are able to access the services of the UniServ staff. In addition to the use of staff, local associations are able to coordinate and organize activities with other local associations in the UniServ Council. They are able to combine training, skills and expertise on various issues confronting them. They are able to support and assist each other during difficult and trying times. Ultimately, they are able to pool their resources and create a more powerful organization by the local associations working together than would be possible if they each tried to operate on their own.
The WEA-Sammamish UniServ Council determines it goals and objectives to specifically assist and support the local associations in the UniServ Council. These goals and objectives are determined by the WEA-Sammamish UniServ Council Board of Directors. This is the governing body that develops the goals and objectives with the input and involvement of the representatives from all the locals in the Council. Each local association has representation on the Council Board of Directors based on its membership. (See list of WEA-Sammamish UniServ Council Board of Directors members.
The WEA Connection The Council at the WEA Level
Benefits of Participation with WEA
WEA represents more than 79,000 elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators, and college students preparing to become teachers. The purpose of WEA is to organize and advocate for all members on the state level.
WEA has a long history of working on behalf of education professionals in the state of
Fast and accurate information
A strong voice in the state legislature
On-going training to help keep school employees skills sharp
Answers to questions about education policy
On the job liability insurance coverage and legal assistance from WEA attorneys
Ideas to help students in their classrooms
Money saving discounts to help stretch school employees paychecks.
Local associations and members benefit from their participation with WEA through participating in the training sessions, workshops, seminars, WEALA, and other presentations developed to help locals address issues and concerns identified by the members of that local association. WEA locals participate in WEA trainings about political action, bargaining, contract administration and enforcement, communications, insurance, and retirement planning to name a few. Other trainings can be developed specifically for a local association depending on the need. WEA helps locals organize its members, provides services and support to locals and individual members. WEA provides research and training on a variety of instructional issues.
Members from local associations also attend the WEA Representative Assembly where the governance decisions are made determining the direction and focus of the statewide organization. Spring 2005 there were more than 85 representatives to the WEA Representative Assembly from locals in the Sammamish UniServ Council.
WEA is the statewide association affiliated with the National Education Association.
For more information about
WEA go to www.washingtonea.org (Look under Who We Are)
WEA Member Benefits go to www.washingtonea.org/member/benefits
The NEA Connection The Council and NEA
Benefits of Participation with NEA
NEA, the National Education Association, is the largest and oldest organization advancing the cause of public education. Founded in 1857, today the NEA proudly claims more than 2.9 million members who work at every level of education, from pre-school to universities.
Locals and members benefit from their participation with NEA through participating in the training sessions, workshops, seminars, WEALA, and other presentations developed to help locals address issues and concerns identified by the members of that local association. WEA locals participate in NEA trainings about political action, bargaining, contract administration and enforcement, communications, insurance, and retirement planning to name a few. Other trainings can be developed specifically for a local association depending on the need. NEA helps locals organize its members, provides services and support to locals and individual members. NEA provides research and training on a variety of instructional issues. These training seminars, sessions or workshops are often done on the state, regional or national level. Local associations are encouraged to send members to these trainings.
On the national level, from its headquarters in Washington D.C., NEA lobbies Congress and federal agencies on behalf of its members and public schools, supports and coordinates innovative projects, works with other education organizations and friends of public education, provides training and assistance to the state affiliates, and generally conducts activities consistent with the policies set by it elected governing bodies.
Summer 2007 over 20 members representing local associations from the WEA-Sammamish UniServ Council attended the NEA Representative Assembly.
For more information about the mission and purpose of NEA go to www.nea.org
For more information about NEA Member Benefits go to www.nea.mb.org
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|