Inside the “Voice” W5 Agreement Shane English School Tezukayama University New Union Branches in SAC W i n t e r News
from
the
General
Union
Part-time teachers at Osaka Univeristy (Handai) got a shock in October when the university administration unveiled plans at an information meeting to cut the number of part-time teachers in their faculty to zero in three years. The plan would have reduced the number of classes (koma) taught by part-time teachers next year from 915 to 610. It provoked outrage not only from unions representing part-time teachers, but also tenured teachers who saw it as an attempt to gut the foreign language faculty which was originally part of the old Osaka University of Foreign Studies. This was seen to be a breach of the merger agreement between the two universities. Even diet members were involved in questioning the plan. While the plan has since been withdrawn, the administration succeeded in getting the number of koma reduced from 915 to 836 next year and plan to cut further in the next few years. Representatives of the Hijiokin Kumiai (Part-time Teachers' Union) have told the
NUGW Tokyo Nambu Tel: 03-3434-0669 Fax: 03-3433-0334 nugw_ts@jca.apc.org www.nugwnambu.org
(Kansai
&
Tokai),
NUGW
Tokyo
General Union that they believe the University was never serious about the original plan, but were using it as a tactic to railroad the faculty into supporting substantial cuts in the part-time teachers' budget. The General Union submitted demands for no reduction in the number of koma for its members in July. This year none of our members have faced a reduction. We plan to work together with other unions to oppose cuts in the future. Non-union teachers at Handai should seriously consider joining the General Union. The General Union and W5 Staff Services (ALT Dispatcher), have Even though many acollective boards of recently signed education covering (BoE) recognize their agreement* the following. legal obligation to negotiate with the Unionsystem some try escape i)General Grievance – Atosystem their legal duty. Okayama BoE which helps membersCitysolve is one suchproblems place. individual that they may The facing. union submitted demands towill the be The company BoE on three occasions the investigate grievances filed but by the board and continually to accept union report refused back within a negotiations. In theThe course of has our two week period. union investigations it turned with out that the this type of agreement many BoE had underhandedly employers and we findchanged that it the is teachers’ fromway directto hire the most status efficient helpto independent The BoE members withcontractors. their problems. had changed the teachers’ contracts and Insurance tricked them signing ii) - Theintocompany something its obligation they had no confirmed to enroll understandingonof. Tohealth/pension make matters teachers worse, the (shakai new contracts obscured insurance hoken) and the employment status in language unemployment insurance. W5 teachers not currently enrolled General Union – Kansai & Tokaiin unemployment insurance or Tel: 06-6352-9619 Fax: 06-6352-9630 ShakaiTokai Hoken should contact the Tel/Fax: 052-561-8555 union@generalunion.org union for more information. www.generalunion.org
The union looks forward to a
South,
Fukuoka
2 0 1 1
General
Union
The General Union and W5 Staff Services (ALT dispatcher), have recently signed a collective agreement covering the following. Grievance system – A system which helps members solve individual problems that they may be facing. The company will investigate grievances filed by the union and report back within a two week period. The union has this type of agreement with many employers and we find that it is the most efficient (see ‘W5 agreement’ pg. 3) so vague that even native Japanese speakers could not determine the teachers’ status. Fed up with the Board’s attitude, the union decided to lodge an unfair labor practice case with the Osaka Labor Commission. After examining the duties of the teachers, the commission sided with the union and recommended mediation on the basis that in refusing to negotiate, Okayama City BoE would be breaking the Trade Union Law. As part of a settlement brokered by the commission, a labor agreement was signed and the Okayama City BofE issued a formal apology to the union. We hope that this will send a message to other boards of education – fulfill your legal obligations and come to the negotiation table. Fukuoka General Union Tel/Fax: 092-473-1222 fukuoka@generalunion.org www.fukuoka.generalunion.org
N a t i o n a l U n ibetter o n o flabor-management General Workers relationship with W5 and expects e r s w w w . g e n e r a l u n i o n . o r g