As you know, digital learning has become our new norm. As partners in this work, we are still committed to providing useful resources that will assist you and your team with planning key organizing tactics to help increase membership virtually.
NEA is launching the Digital Learning Series with the two webinars listed below.
May 12: In this webinar, learn to deploy a best-practice membership form to support organizing across different platforms. Together with C4O staff, OGC counsel Jeff Burritt and Maryann Parker will establish the urgency of the moment in terms of both organizing goals and litigation threats. We will review top priorities for membership applications, including the new NEA model form, and cover general legal principles for online membership and payment authorization systems. The webinar also will feature organizers and lawyers from state associations that have created systems for recruiting members virtually.
May 19: Now more than ever, strong public sector unions depend on their members. It is essential to meet and organize prospective members as early as possible. Accessing and maintaining up-to-date information on all employees represented by the Local Association is an essential building block to a strong and effective organization. This session will walk participants through the List Acquisition Toolkit and provide best practices that Affiliates are using in the field.
It’s not too late. Registration for the Year-Round Organizing Digital Learning Series is still open to all local leaders, state staff, and those responsible for organizing at the state and local level.
Please click the link below to register.
Below is the list of the entire series and dates:
- May 12: Resilience: We can Organize and Thrive in a Virtual
Environment (Hosted by the NEA Office of General Counsel)
- May 19: Strengthening your List Acquisition & Cleaning your Data
- May 26: Maximizing Online and Digital Recruitment Strategies
- June 2: Ensuring Success for Member Organizers in a Virtual Environment
- June 9: Digital 1:1 Conversations: Best Practices, Choosing and Using the Best
Tools
- June 16: Virtual New Employee Orientations
- June 23: Building Mapping for Power
- June 30: Virtual Issue Organizing
- Volunteer to share your ideas and plans: If your affiliate has begun to think through these issues and you are willing to share examples on a national webinar related to the topics above, please email us at Glueteam@nea.org. We need case studies, materials, and resources to share with our colleagues across the nation.
- Access our Resources: Go to www.nea.org/newedresources and request access. You will need these materials during the webinar.
- Engage and Prepare Your Locals: Begin having conversations with your UniServ Directors, Local Associations, and school districts to plan for a virtual Back to School season or at least one with social distancing limits in place. It will be essential to ensure your union’s access to any platform that school systems utilize to communicate and onboard new and veteran employees. In addition, securing your employee bargaining lists with personal email addresses and cell phone numbers will be imperative to following up with each member and potential member.
These are unprecedented times, but we believe with a little bit of planning and ingenuity, our union can thrive in this new environment. We’ve got a new reality – let’s leverage it to win for our members, our students, and our communities.
IEA Education Support Professional Council 