Wisconsin Education Association Council
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| Full name | Wisconsin Education Association Council |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1853 |
| Head union | Betsy Kippers, President |
| Affiliation | NEA |
| Key people | Ron Martin, Vice President Arlene Braden, Secretary-Treasurer |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) is an education Public-sector trade union representing the public policy, labor and professional interests of its members. It is affiliated with the National Education Association. Its headquarters are located in Madison, Wisconsin.
WEAC began as a statewide educational organization of teachers and administrators in 1853. After passage of a collective bargaining law for public employees, it evolved into a pro-active teachers union and in 1972 changed its name to the Wisconsin Education Association Council. Later, WEAC expanded its membership to education support staff, as well as UW, technical college and State of Wisconsin education and information professionals.
WEAC represents its members in areas such as collective bargaining, legislation, professional development and support and public relations. WEAC states that it advocates on behalf of the 865,000 children in Wisconsin public schools.
WEAC also created the WEA Trust in 1970 to "provide an independent alternative to commercial insurance companies" "offer[ing] group health insurance to Wisconsin public schools. Currently, the Trust provides public school teachers, state health plan members, and local units of government with group insurance." The WEA Trust is not owned or financially tied to WEAC in any way, but the two organizations have worked closely together in the past. WEA Trust is regulated by the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. In 2012, 45 Wisconsin School districts sued WEA Trust for withholding district funds after collective bargaining contracts with WEAC concluded, and to reclaim funds from the Early Retirement Reinsurance Program. WEA Trust counter-sued against 14 School Districts, announcing they would drop litigation if the School Districts dropped their litigation.
In 2011, Act 10 was signed into law by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. This law limited collective bargaining for public employees, excluding state patrol troopers, firefighters, and inspectors, on all issues except for base pay. This change to Wisconsin law had a profound effect on WEAC and all other public-sector unions in the state.
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