We are proud to announce that the teachers at Hanson International Academy voted overwhelmingly to join the ETEA. On July 20, 2015 the Labour Board granted the certification making the instructors at Hanson Academy ETEA local 11. Hanson Academy is a career college offering business and hospitality and tourism programs. The instructors at Hanson ran a highly efficient organizing drive that garnered nearly unanimous support. We look forward to working with this motivated group and wish them success in negotiating their first collective agreement.
ETEA Turns Twenty!
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
Standing up for Standards
Changes to the ESL industry have been a major issue in both the public and private sectors this past year with cuts to the public sector and regulation changes to the private sector. ETEA is hosting a panel-speakers event bringing together speakers from a range of public and private ESL institutions to speak about the challenges they face with growing privatization and how we can work together to improve the industry. We encourage the public to come and join the discussion. This a free event at SFU Harbour Centre room 1700 April 2 2015 at 7 pm.
Private and Public Sector ESL Teachers United Against the Cuts
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.
VEC joins ETEA
ETEA enthusiastically welcomes Vancouver English Centre (VEC) as its newest local. Teachers at VEC organized themselves quickly in response to increasing privacy issues and job security concerns. On December 1, 2014 90% of teachers voted in favour of unionizing. As ETEA President Kevin Drager noted, “With a strong vote in favour of joining the ETEA, teachers at VEC have come together to show they care about their profession and their workplace. VEC can only be better for having such a committed group of teachers. I am proud to welcome them into the ETEA.”