Educators Win Together

Educators throughout Wisconsin celebrated the re-election of Dr. Jill Underly as State Superintendent and the election of Judge Susan Crawford as Supreme Court Justice. In earning the recommendation, educator-members cited Underly’s extensive education experience and Crawford’s strong record of protecting fairness and impartiality. In local elections, the overwhelming majority of school board candidates and Vote Yes referendums recommended by WEAC local associations also prevailed on April 1.

On December 2, 2024, a Dane County judge ruled that the 2011 state law eliminating most collective bargaining rights for public education employees and other public employees unconstitutional. WEAC and four other unions filed suit to challenge the law. On the day the ruling was announced, WEAC President Peggy Wirtz-Olsen said, “Today’s news is a win and, while there will likely be more legal legwork coming, WEAC and our allies will not stop until free, fair and full collective bargaining rights are restored.”

Under new legislative district maps, WEAC-backed, pro-public-education Democratic candidates won back 14 seats in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate in the 2024 election, setting the stage for a close contest for majorities in the 2026 vote. Wisconsin Republicans held on to their legislative majorities in the November 5 elections, but the flipping of 14 Senate and Assembly seats from red to blue, in an election environment strongly favoring Republicans, provided the clearest evidence yet that the 2011 partisan gerrymander was one of the most extreme in the United States.

After many years of starts, stops and disappointments, and with much support from WEAC members, Senate Bill 240, known as the Asian American and Pacific Islander History Bill, passed both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature and was signed into law by Governor Evers. The law will amend current law and add “Hmong Americans and Asian Americans” to the list of groups that schools are required to include in teaching lessons.

In preparation for bargaining, the Monona Grove Education Association paraprofessionals discovered the District hired a male education assistant, with no prior experience, and paid him a starting hourly rate higher than many female education assistants, some with decades of experience. After many attempts to resolve the issues, the MGEA worked with WEAC legal to file wage discrimination claims through the Equal Rights Division of the State of Wisconsin. After a hearing presenting compelling testimony highlighting the District’s discriminatory practices, MGEA’s paraprofessional members prevailed. The victory included adjusted wage rates, backpay with interest, and required the District to pay WEAC’s legal fees. Building on the success of the wage claim, the paras organized a living wage campaign during bargaining for the 2023-2024 school year, focusing on the critical support paras provide for students and teachers. MGEA packed board meetings with supporters, and parents and community members shared stories and called on the board to increase wages for paras, achieving a bargaining agreement in January.