United WEA members lobby lawmakers in Olympia this week
When he’s not serving in the Legislature in Olympia, Rep. Steve Bergquist is a teacher in the Renton School District.
So Bergquist had some sage advice when he met with other WEA members this week for a legislative dinner in Olympia.
“Make sure your co-workers know what’s going on down here,” Bergquist said. “And don’t be afraid to get more involved – it’s really all about our students.”
Another WEA member who serves in the Legislature, Monica Stonier, also attended the WEA event, as did Sen. Bob Hasegawa and Rep. John Lovick. They all thanked WEA members for their support and promised to continue advocating for students, public schools and educators.
“I’m not an educator, so I listen to the people who do the work,” Hasegawa told WEA members. “But, I can help get the resources you need to support your students.”
Monday was WEA ESP Lobby Day. Tuesday is WEA PoliSPARKS. And Wednesday is our annual WEA Member Lobby Day, which means teams of members from every UniServ council will be lobbying their legislators to support our Unity Agenda.
“What an amazing experience to interact with legislators and find out what is happening in Olympia!” said Noelle Uro, a special education paraeducator and WEA PoliSPARKS participant from Puyallup.
WEA President Kim Mead encouraged all WEA members to wear red Jan. 31 and to post photos on social media to show support for our legislative goals. (Use hashtags #waedu and #waleg.)
“As educators and union members, we put our students at the center of everything we do – including lobbying in Olympia,” Mead said. “As members of the state’s largest union, we’re stronger when we stand together.”