WEAC Members’ Top 5 Stories of 2024
Judge Rules State Collective Bargaining Restrictions Unconstitutional
On December 2, 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.”
Governor Signs Bill to Include Asian and Hmong American History in Schools
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.
Public Education Supporters Flip 14 Seats in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly
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.
Monona Grove Education Association Paraprofessionals Organize for Better and Fairer Wages
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.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules State’s Legislative Maps Unconstitutional
In a 4-3 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared the Republican legislative maps unconstitutional and ordered the state Legislature to draw new boundaries before the August 2024 primary election. The court also ruled that if the Legislature and the Governor do not pass new maps, the court has the right to draw the maps itself.
“We do not have free license to enact maps that privilege one political party over another,” Justice Jill Karofsky wrote in the majority opinion.
