News

An association that offers and promotes education, advocacy, support and community, and not one that solely deals with contracts and grievances is the kind of union that Kimberly McClellan has in mind. McClellan is president of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Professional Staff Association (PSA), which is a local branch of the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the National Education Association (NEA). 

“I want to assist in making our association stronger, bigger and more relevant for our members,” said McClellan, who was elected February 2 as PSA president. She is also a project specialist teacher at the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program’s Cahokia Center. 

The PSA, which has members on the Edwardsville, East St. Louis and Alton campuses, has a membership of approximately 200, according to McClellan. The IEA has a membership of 130,000, and the National Education Association has more than 3 million members. 

Among McClellan’s goals as president are to improve morale among staff, mend relationships and trust between SIUE administration and association members, and establish a fair and balanced collective bargaining agreement. 

“An informed and motivated workforce is a more productive and engaged workforce. When morale is high, outcomes are, too,” said McClellan, who was a PSA member for eight years before being elected president. 

“I want to bring the same passion to our local association, that I displayed when representing PSA members at the state and national levels,” she continued. 

McClellan’s previous PSA job duties included: Southern Sectional Ethnic Minority representative, Human and Civil Rights committee member, IEA Minority Caucus Southern vice chair, IEA Representative Assembly and NEA Representative Assembly delegate, Special Education committee member, Educational Support Professional Council member, and Legislative committee member and conference presenter. 

“I have never been one to complain about something without taking action to enact change,” McClellan explained. “I was not satisfied with the image of our association, or the treatment of our members. I was encouraged to run for office by several members. I look forward to working with our members, SIUE administration, and others to make good advances and achieve great things.” 

All PSA members are part of NEA, which affords them the following:

• Leadership training
• Professional development training
• Liability insurance protection up to $1 million
• Advocacy services through collective bargaining such as job security, wage increases, benefit increases and improving working conditions
• IEA staff representation in employment matters
• Legislative and political representation
• Fair treatment protection 

For more information, contact McClellan at kmcclel@siue.edu. 

Photo:
Kim McClellan is president of the SIUE Professional Staff Association (PSA), which is a local branch of the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).