Roles and Responsibilities: The number one goal of the Association in Wisconsin is to improve the salaries, job security, and working conditions of its members. Negotiating Team members have the responsibility to:
- Keep local members informed about bargaining goals and objectives, progress in bargaining, and the meaning of the provisions of the master agreement.
- Attend monthly Executive Board meetings, Representative Assemblies, and Labor-Management meetings.
- Explore and prepare items for negotiations as are necessary in all areas of teacher welfare based on member survey results.
- Represent the Association before the School Board in timely negotiations on wages, hours, and conditions of employment.
- Draft proposals, communicate with members and the public, and follow procedures for addressing table tactics and working through an impasse.
- Participate in available bargaining training sessions provided by WEAC or through the UniServ.
The role of the Negotiating Team occurs in three phases: pre-bargaining, during bargaining, and post-bargaining.
- The "pre-bargaining role" consists of assistance in preparing the proposals and providing information and records. The data for these records should be comprised of problems that have arisen during the duration of the last contract so that the team can propose and substantiate changes in working conditions.
- The "during bargaining role" is the time when the Team provides information on the status of bargaining, controls rumors, and establishes a dialogue between the members in frequent, brief meetings. A constant check on the attitudes, strengths, and weaknesses of the individual member is very important, especially as the bargaining becomes difficult.
- The "post-bargaining role" is also crucial. Once the bargain has been concluded, the Team must be certain that all the terms of the new agreement are thoroughly understood by the members.
The President will appoint a Negotiations Chair to lead the Negotiating Team for a term of three years. The Negotiations Chair, with approval of the Executive Board, will select no more than four other committee members.