To the members of ETEA – 7:
It is with a heavy heart that we see the closing of Inlingua today and the loss of work for all of you. These are sad times that we are all facing and it is a shame to see such a wonderful group of teachers lose their jobs. I recall eight years ago being asked to attend a “birthday party” to speak about my own experiences in joining the ETEA and an organizing drive. Not many union members actually have the experience of organizing a union into their workplace, and you were an inspirational group.
As president of the ETEA I have had the good fortune to attend a few of your bargaining unit meetings. I was immediately struck by what a close cohesive group of dedicated professionals you were. Since joining the ETEA many of you took on roles within the ETEA to help us grow and further our interests. Some shoes will be difficult if not impossible to fill. Of course, unions are about all of us – I feel so fortunate to have met and worked with each and every one of you. As a group you stepped up and showed solidarity for other ETEA bargaining units. You were a great and important part of the ETEA and it is sad to see this day come.
As you move forward I wish you all the best. I hope many of you will find work at other ETEA unionized schools in the future. Many of you may choose to take this moment to move into other areas of work, and as you do I hope you take your union experience with you. While we are losing you as members, your contributions have made our organization stronger and you will always have a place within the ETEA. To help with this transition and any issues that may arise as part of your employment after the school closes, both Graeme and John will still be available to offer support in the coming months. We would all like to be here to support you as best we can.
The ETEA is local 21 of the Federation of Post- Secondary Educators. Several of you have taken on roles within some of the FPSE committees and have not only supported the work of our union, but post-secondary unions across the province. I’d also like to share with you the following statement from FPSE as well as direct you to a media release from FPSE on the closing of inlingua.
FPSE President, Terri Van Steinburg’s statement – https://www.fpse.ca/news/presidents-comment/last-day-work-inlingua-workers-respect-and-appreciation-their-contributions
Media release – https://www.fpse.ca/news/fpse-news/media-release-private-post-secondary-layoffs-continue-union-concerned-about-what
This year is the 25th anniversary for the ETEA. We had planned a barbeque this June to celebrate, but of course have had to postpone those plans. Once we can reschedule, know that you are still welcome to attend. In fact I hope you do and we and we can all share a moment of camaraderie. Feel free to reach out to me any time.
In Solidarity,
Kevin Drager
ETEA President
Please leave a solidarity message for the workers from Inlingua:
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fpsebc/photos/a.1483797841915909/2286842624944756/?type=3&theater
On Twitter https://twitter.com/FPSE/status/1266379939902701568