Western Arkansas Human Resource Association | Affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management

Welcome to the Western Arkansas Human Resource Association

We are an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. Whether you are new to the HR field or have many years of experience, we are a local starting point for networking, information, professional development and continued support of excellence in Human Resources.

We welcome your use of this site as a resource, and encourage you to check back frequently for updated information. We also encourage your involvement and suggestions about all of our activities, on the web and off.

WAHRA monthly meetings are held at the Phoenix Expo, 4600 Towson Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72901. We meet every month except April (Arkansas State HR Conference) and October (WAHRA Leadership Conference at UAFS). Lunch starts at 11:30 and the guest speaker at Noon.

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming meeting or event!

News from SHRM

2011 Silver EXCEL Award Winner

Thanks to everyone that supported the chapter and their efforts last year. WAHRA has been awarded the Silver EXCEL Award designation for its scope of work in 2011. The EXCEL Award is the recognition component of the SHRM Affiliate Program for Excellence (SHAPE). SHAPE measures include alignment with SHRM’s overall objectives, strategic focus and initiatives as well as promoting the HR profession at the local level.

HRCI New Eligibility Standards

In keeping with best practices for certification programs, the HR Certification Institute conducted an extensive multi-pronged study of the eligibility requirements of their three core products: Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR). Based on feedback from both certified and non-certified HR professionals, business leaders, students and academicians, the requirements will now include a combination of education and experience.

These changes will go into effect in the May-June 2011 testing window.

What are the new eligibility requirements?
PHR Eligibility	SPHR Eligibility	GPHR Eligibility
• 4 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree • 2 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree • 1 year of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher	• 7 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree • 5 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree • 4 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher	• 4 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience (with 2 of the 4 being global HR experience) with less than a Bachelor’s degree • 3 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience (with 2 of the 3 being global HR experience) with a Bachelor’s degree • 2 years of demonstrated global exempt-level HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher

For more information on the upcoming changes, please see the HRCI website.

Employee Free Choice Act

VISIT: yoursecretballot.com for more information.

In 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act” (EFCA), and the U.S. Senate considered identical legislation that would change the National Labor Relations Act by:

Eliminating the rights of employees to an NLRB supervised secret ballot election about whether a union will represent them or not.
Substituting a “card-check” process whereby unions can get cards signed at work, at an employee’s home or online
Certifying a union if over 50% of workers sign card-checks, without a secret ballot election
Denying employers’ rights to refuse unfavorable proposals during collective bargaining negotiations

This deceptively named proposal would:

Overturn 70 years of precedent by taking away workers’ freedom of a government-supervised vote
Eliminate workers’ secret ballots and replace them with card-checks
Trample workers’ privacy by forcing them to publicly declare their support for or opposition to a union, and publicly sign a binding contract without knowing the consequences
Expose workers to intimidation, deception and coercion

In fact, the National Labor Relations Board records and testimony before Congress are full of examples where the card check process has been challenged on the basis of union misrepresentation, forgery, fraud, peer pressure, threats of termination and deportation, and loss of 401 (k), health and other promised benefits.

Write Your Local Legislator

ARSHRM is pleased to introduce a new feature on their website, www.arshrm.com. They’ve added a link entitled “Write Your Legislators” on our main menu, located on the left-hand side of the ARSHRM homepage. By clicking this link, you are taken to a map of Arkansas featuring our state chapters. Simply select your chapter and follow the on-screen instructions to communicate with your state senators and representatives.

Here are some tips to remember when writing to your legislator:

Identify yourself as a constituent.
Identify the piece of legislation which is the subject of your letter.
Be courteous, even if you disagree with your legislator’s position, party, or voting record.
Be concise. Make it very clear what position you are asking your legislator to take.
Be factual by pointing out the direct impact a piece of legislation might have. If you have experience in a particular area that might benefit or strengthen your position, share it.
Follow up. If you agree with your legislator's position or vote, take the time to let him/her know that. Similarly, if you disagree with him/her, politely inform your legislator.
- If you receive a personal response, respond with a letter of thanks.

In order to stay up-to-date on current proposed legislation, please visit the ARSHRM State Legislative Issues section, where you may download ARSHRM’s current Legislative Positions.

State Council Update

Are you interested in what are the latest happenings with the AR State Council? Click here for more information.

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WAHRA is a tax exempt 501(c)(6) organization