All posts by Kevin Drager

ETEA Locals’ Bargaining Updates

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This year has been an active year in regards to ETEA bargaining. We’ve had up to six locals bargaining (Locals 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12) so far this year, with three of them working on achieving their first collective agreement. Two locals (Locals 6 and 7) have ratified collective agreements. Many thanks to the bargaining teams, local executives and FPSE staff representatives for helping us through this busy time.

Four locals choose to take strike votes this year in an effort to reach an agreement with their employers. Locals 9 (VEC) and Local 11 (Hanson International), each voted 100 % in favour of job action. Both these locals are attempting to reach their first collective agreement with difficult employers.  In the near future, we may be calling upon ETEA members to show solidarity and support should these locals need to commence job action in order to reach an agreement.

Local 7 ratified their agreement on May 1st. The biggest gain from their new collective agreement is an increase in guaranteed prep time (equivalent to a 4.9% salary increase for full-time employees).

Local 6’s (KGIC) collective agreement expired in February of 2015. In an effort to get the employer back to the bargaining table, the teachers of KGIC voted 95% in favour of job action. This resulted in the employer agreeing to return to the table, and after some long evening sessions of bargaining the two sides reached an agreement. KGIC teachers recently voted to ratify their collective agreement which, amongst other gains, brings improvements to the pay structure of coordinators and bumping rights.

Local 2 (EC) has been in bargaining for seven months and recently voted 97.5 % in favour of job action. They have further bargaining dates scheduled for August, and are hopeful that the employer will present a package they can work with. However, the teachers are firm in their expectations for bargaining and may be considering their options should they reach an impasse.

Finally, Local 12 (Cloud 9 college, formerly ILI) is set to resume their bargaining. At this point they are working on scheduling bargaining dates in hopes of reaching a first collective agreement.

Local 10 (PGIC) Ratifies First Collective Agreement

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After difficult negotiations that led to job action and mediation, the teachers at PGIC Vancouver have finally reached an agreement with the Loyalist Group. Though not everything the teachers were looking for, the agreement does provide an average 15 per cent increase in the first year and reduced the employers proposed six step, 15 year pay grid to a five step, 10 year grid. Local 10 members voted in favour of ratification on July 24, 2015.

Local 10 (PGIC) Collective Agreement 2015 – 2018

ETEA Turns Twenty!

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It was twenty years ago today (June 20) that ETEA started as a union. Since then we have grown to be around 350 members strong, and growing.

On this, our twentieth birthday, past president and honorary retired member, Michael Wicks, has asked the following message be passed on. I think his message captures the spirit that is ETEA, and as president I would like to thank him and all that came before for helping grow our little union.

Members of ETEA

On this June 20th, 2015 day of our 20th Anniversary, I am sending my personal congratulations to every past and present member of ETEA.
We have beaten the odds of a small union lasting 20 years, due to everyone’s commitment to our vision of a profession, to our ability to working together, and our expectation to consider all opinions before acting.
I salute the new generation of dedicated people who are moving the ETEA forward.

Remember, we are not the cost of production — WE ARE THE PRODUCERS OF WEALTH — and we deserve our share, respect, and our voice!

Michael Wicks

Private and Public Sector ESL Teachers United Against the Cuts

Member Voices

by Eric – Local 1

With the closing of dozens of Vancouver Community College’s ESL programs looming in December, ESL Matters (eslmatters.ca), organized by the VCC Faculty Association, has stepped up its campaign. 70 Union jobs and programs that have been vital to helping Immigrants and Refugees get into career training and academic programs are at stake. ETEA’s organizing committee has been out tabling in downtown Vancouver to build support for this campaign over the last two weeks and is committed to continuing support for this struggle.

Some might ask why a union for private sector ESL teachers would be opposing cuts to a publicly funded ESL program. Most of our students are not immigrants or refugees and it would seem that cuts to public funding would lead to the growth of the private ESL industry which employs us. However, a growth in the private sector does not necessarily equate to more or better jobs for private sector ESL teachers. 70 teachers at VCC will be losing their jobs and many will be forced to find work in the private sector. The number of jobs may increase but so will the number of teachers competing for those jobs. Not only have the better quality of publicly funded programs set a standard for private sector institutes to live up to but the wages and conditions for public sector ESL teachers have provided an important reference in negotiations with private sector employers. The elimination of these jobs will make it more difficult for us to argue for fair wages and benefits at the bargaining table and will make it easier for employers to push for concessions. When public sector teachers are attacked all teachers suffer the consequences.

On the flip side some might ask what we can expect in return for our support. For the ETEA the main concern is growing and bringing as many private sector ESL teachers into the union as possible. The more schools we have organized the stronger each individual local will be at the bargaining table and the better we can push for higher industry wide standards and better conditions for all ESL teachers and by extension their students. Public sector unions have a vested interest in supporting us in this effort. The better wages, conditions and standards are in the private sector the less attractive privatization becomes. Public sector unions include the vast majority of ESL teachers currently in unions and consequently have the widest dues base and the most resources with which to support drives to organize new workplaces.
The public/private divide in the union movement has historically been a weak point in advancing the interests of workers on either side. This became an issue during the province wide strike by BCTF when the Liberal government attempted to use public funds to place foreign students at Inlingua, a private ESL school, in Vancouver. Inlingua teachers are members of ETEA but were unaware of the government’s actions. We are in the midst of a massive push by governments both federal and provincial to privatize education. Overcoming these divisions and forging stronger bonds of solidarity can lay the basis for stopping all the cuts and winning better working and teaching conditions for all.