WEAC, WFT
share common goals

In light of advancing unification talks at the national level, leaders of WEAC and the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers will take a more serious look this year at unifying the two state organizations.

Who is the WFT?

The Wisconsin Federation of Teachers has 15,000 members. Membership makeup is:

WFT logo
  • 27% - State employees. These include accountants, forensic scientists, physicians, attorneys, dentists, biologists and economists.
  • 19% - Graduate assistants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
  • 17% - K-12 teachers. WFT represents teachers in 14 school districts. They are Superior, McFarland, Ashland, Menasha, Maple, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Heights, Glidden, Whitnall, Brillion, Solon Springs, Butternut, Yorkville, Clayton. It also represents school psychologists in Milwaukee.
  • 16% - Faculty in the Wisconsin Technical College System.
  • 14% - K-12 paraprofessionals and school-related personnel (support staff) in 12 districts. They are Highland, Jefferson, Maple, Beloit, Eau Claire, Wisconsin Heights, McFarland, Ashland, Gilman, Solon Springs, Brillion and Whitnall.
  • 7% - University of Wisconsin faculty and academic staff.

WEAC and the WFT are currently operating under terms of an interaction agreement. Under this agreement:

  • Both organizations agree not to raid units represented by the other organization.
  • The two organizations work cooperatively on government relations and lobbying activities.
  • The two organizations work jointly to plan and develop conferences, training programs and general activities for members.

A national merger would not require unification at the state level, but state affiliates of both organizations throughout the nation would be strongly encouraged to merge.

In April, the WEAC Representative Assembly and the Board of Directors separately voted to support the Principles of Unity at the national level. Leaders said they supported the concept of creating a single unified voice for education and bringing an end to wasteful rivalry and duplication.

WEAC and WFT have been talking about the possibility of merger since 1991. That is the year in which leaders of both sides first signed an interaction agreement. In that agreement, the organizations agreed to refrain from raiding each other’s local units and to work cooperatively in lobbying and professional development activities.

There are many details involved in developing a unification agreement at the state level.

WEAC primarily represents K-12 teachers and school support staff. About 63% of WFT members are involved in K-12 and higher education, but 27% are state employees in non-education profesions.

WEAC has about 85,000 members, compared to WFT’s 15,000 members. One of WFT’s concerns is that it is not swallowed up by WEAC and that its members have a role in the new organization.

“In abstract, I think some (WFT) leaders tend to be supportive of merger, but our non-education people are cautious,” said WFT President Carol Weidel, who was a research analyst in the Department of Workforce Development before being elected WFT president last fall.

“Our interaction has been very successful over the last seven years,” said WEAC President Terry Craney. “Clearly, we have found areas in which we have common interests and goals and have found that it is beneficial for us to work together.”

However, it is a big step from working cooperatively in specific areas to merging two entire organizations, Weidel and Craney said. Both know from experience that the difficulties lie in the details.

The 1991 interaction agreement was intended as a prelude to merger at the state level, but that has not yet occurred.

When it became apparent that the NEA and AFT were serious about unifying at the national level, WEAC and WFT decided to suspend formal state-level talks pending national action. Informal talks are ongoing.

“Every time we have a meeting we’re talking about it,” Weidel said. “The AFT has encouraged us to talk about it as much as possible.”

WEAC and WFT officials are planning to talk more in May.

But the most serious discussions will await this summer’s votes at the NEA and AFT conventions.

“Action at the national level is likely to increase our incentives to merge at the state level,” Craney said.

“We believe it is in the best interests of all our members to work together through a single organization. If the details can be worked out, I believe we will all benefit.”

Posted May 4, 1998