SVEA Partners
The members of the Snoqualmie Valley Education Association do not stand alone. Our Association cooperates closely with the Sammamish UniServ Council, Washington Education Association, and National Education Association.
Sammamish UniServ Council
SVEA belongs to the Sammamish UniServ Council. WEA's UniServ councils are the direct link between local members and programs available at the regional, state and national levels. The Sammamish UniServ Council includes: Bellevue EA, Issaquah EA, Lake Washington Educational Support Personnel, Mercer Island EA, Riverview EA, Snoqualmie Valley EA, Snoqualmie Valley Secretaries Assocation, and Tahoma EA.
- UniServ (short for Unified Service) councils are the regional offices and staff members who deliver the expertise and programs available through the statewide Association to members at the local level.
- Each UniServ council -- in partnership with the WEA and NEA -- hires staff members to assist local members. A UniServ council's staff is likely to include a mix of former classroom teachers, lawyers, labor law experts, organizers, mediators, bargaining specialists and support staff.
- Those staff members help local associations in their region with bargaining, contract enforcement, grievances, professional growth seminars, community outreach, political action, public relations and numerous other areas.
- Each of WEA's 21 UniServ Councils has its own governance leaders, with members directly electing their local officers. Council leaders make major policy and spending decisions in conjunction with the policy directives set by member-delegates at the annual Representative Assembly.
Washington Education Association
The mission of the Washington Education Association is to advance the professional interests of its members in order to make public education the best it can be for students, staff, and communities. The WEA has a long history of working on behalf of education professionals in Washington. Only public education employees are eligible to be WEA Active Members. Members can depend on the WEA for:
- A strong voice in the Washington Legislature
- Ongoing 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 classroom
- Money-saving discounts to help stretch school employees' paychecks
National Education Association
The National Education Association, the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.