WEA Day of Action 2024
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Who: 500 WEA members & staff
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What: Gather and doorbell for statewide candidates
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Bob Ferguson for Governor
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Chris Reykdal for OSPI
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No on 2109 (capital gains repeal)
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Targeted legislative races
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Where: 11 locations across the state
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When: Saturday, Oct. 26. 10 a.m. (times may vary)
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Why: To ensure that we have people in elected positions who value public education and put the needs of educators and students first.
Join us for doorbelling at a location near you!
Your action will have an impact: Our communities trust and rely on educators to tell them what candidates will make sure our educators and students have the funding and supports they need. Research has shown that face-to-face conversations are the most effective way to communicate with voters – it’s more effective than phone calling or texting!
Who we elect this November will make a difference: Elected officials have a lot of say in our working conditions and our students’ learning conditions. What happens in Olympia directly impacts our ability to bargain locally. That's why it's so important for us to elect pro-education, pro-labor candidates who will pass legislation that supports strong public schools. Our students deserve great schools and we deserve great workplaces.
We do this together: We go doorbelling in pairs, so you don't need to worry about going alone!
We're all wearing red for ed(ucation)! We’ll also have special red “educators vote” T-shirts you will receive at the event. We may run out of your size, so please wear a backup red shirt just in case! Wearing red together is how we will stand out as educators and demonstrate our collective power in a large crowd.
Can't go doorbelling? We do have texting and calling options on Oct. 26 for people who live far away from a doorbell location or need other accommodation. Coming together in person is an energizing show of our collective union power.
No on I-2109 virtual phone banks (ongoing)
Sign up here to join your WEA colleagues to talk to voters about the harm that Initiative 2109 would do to education and childcare. You'll get a briefing via Zoom and then make calls from your own phone at home (or anywhere else you want to be while calling).
Why this election is so important
As public employees, our elected officials have a huge impact on educators’ working conditions and students’ learning conditions.
- In WA, we’re fighting for:
- Better wages for ESPs.
- Supports for students with behavioral challenges.
- Increased special-education funding.
- Wage improvements for adjunct faculty & full-time faculty.
- Funding for teacher-residency program and emergency substitute teacher support.
- COLA for retirees.
- We’ve had major gains over the last decade that we need to protect:
- Increased salaries w/$2 billion and now we rank #4 in teacher pay nationwide.
- Blocked linking student test scores to teacher evaluations.
- We have 5 educators & WEA members in the state legislature.
- Increased & protected collective bargaining rights.
- Ended the COLA freeze (2008-2016).
- No more high-stakes exams as graduation requirements.
- We stood up to billionaire-funded voucher initiative and blocked it from being on the ballot in 2024
- No on 2109
- A yes vote would slash child-care and education-savings fund, cutting more than $2.2 billion over 5 years to education.
- Only 4,000 Washingtonians paid this tax — billionaires and multimillionaires like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. Let’s make sure they pay their fair share.
- Federally: We have the power to elect a high-school teacher to the White House.
Want to spread the word about this event?
Resources
- Half Page WEA Day of Action Flyer
- WEA Day of Action Flyer to Sign Up
- WEA Day of Action Information for Local Leaders
- WEA Day of Action Q&A
