All posts by Kevin Drager

ETEA Response to International Student Visa Cuts

The Education and Training Employees Association represents over 140 teachers at private post-secondary institutions in the lower mainland. The ETEA is also a proud member of the Federation of Post Secondary Educators which represents over ten thousand post secondary instructors throughout BC. 

The ETEA’s primary mission is to protect and enhance working conditions and wages for private sector instructors in the Lower Mainland.  ETEA represented schools meet higher educational standards are more accountable than non-union schools.

Recently, the Federal Government announced a two-year, 30% reduction in the number of international student visas.  The ETEA supports and works to ensure good learning conditions for international students.  We are pleased the government is finally taking action to improve private international education conditions. However, the approach has been heavy handed and off the mark. 

First, the visa cap doesn’t distinguish the good schools from the “bad apple” schools which exploit students and teachers; it simply lumps all private schools together, negatively impacting teachers and students at reputable, regulated, unionized schools.

Second, International students are not the reason for the housing crisis. 

Third, the Government’s harsh, top-down approach has obscured important consequences of limiting student visas including the economic impact for teachers, for communities, and the impact on the ongoing execution of regulatory enforcement.

We believe there is a better way to ensure international students have a good educational experience.  We propose:

  1. Government should work in partnership with unions, schools, and accrediting bodies in order to improve the international student experience, the student visa system, and keep Canada a premiere destination for students.
  1. There should be consideration and protection of teachers’ jobs.
  1. Include teachers’ voices in all deliberations. We have experience, knowledge of regulations and their impact, and a professional dedication to high quality post secondary education.
  1. Create a regulatory framework that protects students from bad actors in the industry. These bad actors need to be managed through enforcement of current PTIB rules and the regulations of agents.
  1. Create more robust procedures, including an ombudsman, to follow up on student complaints, non-compliance with PTIB standards, and to ensure greater oversight and enforcement for offending schools.
  1. Adjust the number of student visas allocated to Canadian schools that have been identified as currently having an unsustainable number of international students.
  1. Impose stricter regulations on agents as is being done in Australia.  Australian schools must terminate relationships with agents who don’t abide by ethical standards of conduct or who engage in dishonest practices.
  1. Foster good working conditions for teachers (wage, physical space, curriculum) including through unionization which will improve the quality of education, create more secure, less precarious work, and therefore improve the reputation of the industry.

Formal Notice of ETEA’s 2022 AGM Thursday, November 24th at 7pm

Hello Union Members,       

We are looking forward to seeing all of our members at the ETEA’s 2022 Annual General Meeting on Zoom, Thursday, November 24th at 7pm.  We request that you join a few minutes early. 

There is a call for nominations for executive positions for the 2022-2023 year:  President (responsible for overseeing the ETEA union), Treasurer (responsible for overseeing the finance of the union), First Vice President (responsible for grievances) and Second Vice President (responsible for communications). 

If you would like to nominate anyone for any of these positions, please contact our nominations officer Mike Buchan mikebu1etea@gmail.com. Nominations may also be made from the floor of the meeting.

Please see your Bargaining Unit Director for the specific zoom details, the agenda and the AGM package. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!

In Solidarity

Susan Roth 

ETEA Second Vice President

ETEA’s 2021 AGM on Zoom, Thursday, November 25th at 7pm.

Hello Union Members,       

We are looking forward to seeing all of our members at the ETEA’s 2021 Annual General Meeting on Zoom, Thursday, November 25th at 7pm.  We request that you join a few minutes early. 

A reminder: There is a call for nominations for executive positions for the 2021-2022 year:  President (responsible for overseeing the ETEA union), Treasurer (responsible for overseeing the finance of the union), First Vice President (responsible for grievances) and Second Vice President (responsible for communications).  The President position is temporarily filled until the AGM and Vice President 1 position is currently vacant.

If you would like to nominate anyone for any of these positions, please contact our nominations officer Mike Buchan mikebu1etea@gmail.com. Nominations may also be made from the floor of the meeting.

Please see your Bargaining Unit Director for the specific zoom details, the agenda and the AGM package. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!

In Solidarity

Susan Roth 

ETEA Second Vice President