In the aftermath of the Wisconsin recall election, many public sector unions are still licking their wounds—and apparently leaving their internal documents out in the open.

In an internal memo obtained by the Center for Union Facts, the Wisconsin Education Association Council outlines the communications strategy for messaging against “Walker and his right-wing allies.”

A few interesting “Dos” and Don’ts” (emphasis added):

DO

Stay focused on students – voters care about schools because they care about students.

Use parents as messengers when possible – while educators themselves can also be good messengers, parents’ motives are seen as less self-interested.

DON’T

Use cuts to teacher/education support professional benefits or pay as an example of the negative impacts of cuts – many voters still view educators’ benefits as overly generous.

Use the “union” entity as a messenger – making this about WEAC vs. Walker causes many voters to tune out and dismiss communications as “politics as usual.” Keep a face on this issue by featuring members/parents to tell about the impact of cuts.

You can view the document below in its entirety. Enjoy!