| SEARCH OnWEAC |
|---|
The 2003 WEAC Representative Assembly approved 12 New Business Items. These are action items that are proposed by delegates, and acted on by the assembly. Ten other New Business Items were either defeated, tabled, or withdrawn.
One of the most hotly debated items involved possible actions to win repeal of the Qualified Economic Offer law and school district revenue controls. For more on that item, read "Delegates send anti-QEO message loud and clear". The New Business Items that were approved (in the order they were approved) are:
Hortonville
The WEAC shall not consider the affiliation of the Hortonville local or its potential membership until all of the original strike-breakers are no longer employed by the Hortonville School District. This policy is to be reviewed annually by the Representative Assembly.
Mercury and autism
The WEAC delegation to the NEA RA shall introduce the following business item at the 2003 NEA Representative Assembly:
Student grouping
The WEAC will approach the DPI to develop enforceable guidelines requiring school districts to assure that disabled student classroom placements reflect appropriate grouping based on compatible academic, social, emotional and/or vocational needs.
Tyson Foods strike
WEAC urges its members to provide financial and other support to UFCW Local 538 in its efforts to gain a just contract with Tyson Foods and to consider Tyson's unfair treatment of its Wisconsin workers when considering making purchases of any Tyson products.
Spending on social needs
The WEAC delegation shall introduce the following new business item at the 2003 NEA Representative Assembly:
The NEA shall have as a key legislative priority the reduction of the US military budget and the increase in spending on social needs, particularly education. The NEA and, when possible, state and local affiliates, shall work with other labor, community, religious, and advocacy organizations to further the goal of reprioritization of the national budget. The NEA shall conduct an educational campaign among its membership to show the actual human and financial costs of the military budget.
Coalitions
The WEAC shall work with and build coalitions with parent, community,
labor, student, and advocacy organizations to expose the false promises
of the "No Child Left Behind Act," in particular the use of
the "adequate yearly progress" mechanism which will most likely
diminish the public's support of public education and pave the way for
increased privatization and vouchers.
QEO and revenue caps
If the proposed biennial state budget is passed without provisions to remove both the QEO and revenue caps on funding for public education, WEAC will take the following action to institute statewide action designed to see those laws removed in the 2005-07 state budget bill:
a. The President of WEAC will call a special meeting of all local presidents and the Board of Directors to draft a course of action to be considered by the 2004 WEAC Representative Assembly. The meeting will focus on developing a plan to initiate a statewide job action designed to end the QEO and revenue caps, up to and including a strike.
b. The WEAC Budget Committee will design a budget proposal for the 2004
WEAC Representative Assembly that will support this plan of WEAC for the
2004-05 school year.
The 2003 WEAC Representative Assembly officially goes on record in support
of and endorses Wisconsin NEA Director Mark Cebulski in his candidacy
for the National Education Association Executive Committee.
Mailing lists
I move that WEAC establish a system to bring the mailing lists up to date by November 1st and keep the mailing lists up to date each year by November 1st.
Delegate seating
The WEAC President shall direct the planners of the next year's WEAC
RA (in 2004), to seat each UniServ's delegates in a cluster fashion as
opposed to the current line or row system.
RA agenda
The agenda for the 82nd Annual Representative Assembly in 2004 will be proposed with an all-morning First Meeting and all-afternoon Second Meeting.
Funding of local presidents' meeting
WEAC will commit funding to the meeting of local presidents or the Local President's local member designee and WEAC Board of Directors that addresses the planning of a statewide job action to support repeal of the QEO and revenue caps that will provide mileage and lodging to any local president who must drive 300 miles or more round trip.
Resource page on the 2003 WEAC Representative Assembly
Posted May 5, 2003