Blog Archives

Bargaining Survey

1/30/2016

A link to the SVEA bargaining survey was sent to members' home email this morning. If you did not receive it, please check your trash or SPAM folders for an email from sveaunion@gmail.com. Please complete the survey as soon as possible.

Your input is imperative for the bargaining process. Your responses will help direct the SVEA bargaining team in their collaborative discussions with the SVSD team. You can fill it out at home or join your building colleagues during a non-contracted time at school to work on tablets or in a computer lab.

Last bargain, 185 out of 350 staff completed the survey. This year we are looking at increasing that percentage. There is a breakfast treat reward for the school that has the highest percentage completed. Thank you from the bargaining team for being supportive.

WEA National Board Home Stretch

1/29/2016

What is Home Stretch? Home Stretch is support for National Board candidates right when they need it the most—just as they are getting ready to make final revisions to components.

Register for 2016 Home Stretch:
West Side: Saturday, April 2, 2016, Todd Beamer High School, Federal Way. 9 am – 3 pm. Breakfast/Registration at 8 am. Register at https://www.washingtonea.org/home-stretch-information/.

Nominate an SVSF Educator of the Year

1/12/2016

It's time to nominate a colleague as a Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation outstanding educator! Nominations are due February 5.

Friedrichs v. CTA: What you need to know

1/11/2016

Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association is a lawsuit filed by Rebecca Friedrichs, nine other teachers and a teacher group, the Christian Education Association. The suit challenges the authority of CTA and other public-sector employee unions to collect fair-share fees from all employees they represent. Check out this video created by Education Minnesota.

"To Friend or Not to Friend" Workshop

1/10/2016

Shelby Hopkins, WEA Staff Attorney, will present a workshop on the very important topic: To Friend or Not to Friend: Professional Boundaries and Making Smart Choices in the Digital World. It will be held on February 4 from 4:30-6:30PM at the KCLS Service Center in Issaquah. To register, contact Charlotte Cole at ccole@washingtonea.org. This workshop is a must for all members!

SVEA is Wearing Red on Monday

1/10/2016

On Monday, Jan. 11, the US Supreme Court will hear a case funded by wealthy corporate interests that are going all-out in an attempt to weaken public sector unions (the case is Friedrichs vs. CTA). Although the Supreme Court has upheld our union rights many times before, it’s uncertain how the current court will rule. And we won’t know the outcome until June. (Read more about the wealthy anti-worker political groups funding the case.)

What we do know is that our ability to advocate for our students is under attack.

Jenny-Steele,-1-6-16

Jenny Steele is #ProudToBeUnion!

“But we’re fighting back!” says WEA member Jenny Steele, a middle school counselor in Everett. “Please join me and thousands of WEA members who are wearing red to work on Monday, Jan. 11. And then, during your duty-free time, post pictures to social media using #ProudToBeUnion.”

“As union members, together we accomplish things – like smaller class sizes and higher pay – that we couldn’t do alone,” Steele says.

Download and print #ProudToBeUnion signs and stickers and more stickers and show your union solidarity Jan. 11.

Where have all the teachers gone?

1/2/2016

There's a teacher shortage in the U.S. So we got some hardworking teachers to tell us what's wrong with public education.