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Pink Friday: March 19, 2010

Next Friday (March 19) some of us will be in Chicago as delegates to the annual IEA Representative Assembly.  The candidates for Governor (Pat Quinn and Bill Brady) will be at our meeting that day to answer our questions about what they intend to do to fund education in Illinois.

The delegates to the Assembly are planning to wear pink that day to demonstrate our solidarity with the thousands of teachers across the state who are being RIFed (and getting “pink slips”) because of the budget crisis in Illinois.

We would like to urge ALL our members to join us in a show of solidarity and wear pink on Friday, March 19.

It would be great if we could get some pictures of our members wearing pink to post on our BEA website and send to our legislators to ask them to do the right thing and fund education.

Please help to get the word out in your building to WEAR PINK ON FRIDAY!

If you plan on participating, please let IEA know by following this link and voting in the poll!

BEA NEA Representative Assembly Voting Results

The BEA membership has elected Mike Riley and Dava Zschau as our representatives to attend the national assembly in New Orleans,  July 1st through 6th. Alternates are Gigi Ehrlich and Brenda Weir.

Update from June 1, 2009

President Ken Swanson gives the most recent updates from Springfield regarding the Legislative Session.

Update Sunday, May 31, 2009

President Swanson updates IEA members regarding the latest developments from this Legislative Session, including a call to action in support of HB 174.

Update from Springfield: May 29, 2009

President Swanson provides the most recent update from Springfield:

Update from Springfield: May 27, 2009

Watch and listen as IEA President Ken Swanson updates members on Statehouse matters.

Two Weeks and Counting …

This is a repost from the IEA website (http://www.ieanea.org/page319703931.aspx)

IEA MEMBER “TO DO” LIST

1) Circle May 29th May 31st, the General Assembly’s adjournment date, on the calendar.
By midnight on May 31st, it is expected the legislature will make key decisions that will affect IEA members, including whether to offer future members inferior benefits.

2) Go to the IEA Website and click on “My IEA Profile” and make sure your Association has the proper information on you, including the email address you check most often.
There could be a last moment “call to action” in which members are asked to contact their senators and representatives.  In that case, you would receive an email with an alert and talking points.

3) Circle May 23 and 24 on your calendar. On those days, your local legislators will be in their home districts participating in Memorial Day public events in your community.  They might also have home district office hours.  Call their offices, find out where they will be on Saturday and Sunday. Get a group of your colleagues together and plan to meet with your legislators to talk to them about your issues and how you expect them to vote.

Specifically, tell them to:

• Oppose any proposal that would reduce benefits for future education employees.  Education employees didn’t cause the problem and the current benefits are reasonable and comparable to those in other states.
• Oppose any proposal to under fund the state pension systems.
• Support an income tax increase that will provide adequate funding to all public schools at all levels, preK through higher education.

4)  Make a mental note to keep checking the IEA Website.
It will be updated regularly as new developments occur.

The following video contains an important message from IEA President Ken Swanson and Interim Executive Director Patti Hodges, recorded May 16, 2009.

Lobby Day: May 6, 2009!

BEA Ratifies new Collective Bargaining Agreement

Tonight, members of the Bloomington Education Association overwhelmingly voted to approve a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with District 87.  Details of the agreement will be released pending ratification by the Board of Education.

Region 14 IPACE Dinner

Please join us October 23 from 6-8 at the Ozark House for the annual Legislative Dinner.  Please RSVP to the office: karen.hancock@ieanea.org or 309-663-6400.