At Issue
What is MEA doing to help members fight outsourcing
MEA’s strategy to help members
fight privatization includes:
• Response teams consisting of MEA staff available to help with all aspects of an antiprivatization campaign, from meeting with employees whose jobs are threatened to investigating privateers to communicating with local residents. These teams are available for shortand long-term campaigns.
• Training cadres consisting of MEA staff who will provide training to members in five key areas—10 steps to beat privatization, understanding and using district financial data, a marketing program to promote association members, school board elections, and coalition building. Training is available to local associations and coordinating councils.
• The creation and maintenance of a database with information about private companies working in Michigan public schools. This database will include corporate profiles, anecdotes about the performance of the private companies, information about the long-range economic impact of privatization and the hidden costs associated with privatization.
• A Privatization Strategy Task Force consisting of MEA staff will work jointly with the ESP Caucus to develop a long-range public relations program to promote the value of support staff employees in education and in the community.
• MEA and the National Education Association provide a step-by-step crisis action plan to help your local association stay on the offense when it comes to privatization.
• Training is available at MEA conferences— or on a regional basis—to provide information to members about privatization resources. To learn more about training options, contact your MEA UniServ director.