Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wylies99]

ATEK is giving advice to E2 teachers, who are having problems with their schools, to talk to Migrant Workers Councils and the Seoul Global Center and to NOT file with Labor, except as a "last resort" because filing with Labor makes schools "upset."

Take it from someone who's been through the process two times- ATEK's advice is not gonna work and, in fact, this will only lead to MORE E2 teachers being cheated. What is incorrect about this advice? Three big things.

1) ATEK wants E2 teachers to first discuss broken contracts with Migrant Councils and the Seoul Global Center. These kinds of boards are nice to talk to for advice, but what kind of help do they REALLY offer? If a hagwon or school is blatantly violating a contract, why would they comply after you talk to a "Migrant Workers Council"? Can the councils and help centers order a school to let you back into an apartment, turn on utilities, or honor a contract in any way? A council or help center may give good advice, but they can't actually DO anything concrete for you. That's what the Labor board is there to do.

2) E2 teachers file with Labor when contracts are violated. Filing with Labor starts the clock on the legal process. That is the legal entity that deals with Labor issues between E2 teachers and schools. Once you file with Labor, a hearing is scheduled and, at this hearing, both sides have chances to present their cases. Filing with Labor gives legal protections and you can also deal with Immigration. Many dishonest hagwon owners and school officials lie to Immigration and get E2 teachers thrown out of the country. If you have proof that you have a pending Labor hearing, Immigration can help protect you from this practice.


3)How long should you wait to file with Labor against a school that breaks a contract? If your contract is broken,you need to file with Labor as quickly as possible. ATEK is giving advice that filing with Labor should be a "last resort" and that you should talk to Migrant councils and help centers before you pursue your case at Labor. That's not true. All of these legal procedures take TIME. Time is on the side of the bad schools because, once you leave Korea, the case just goes away.
The process of getting the hearing and collecting your money can take many months or years. Also, any delays could mean that you can't work and you may not have a place to stay, in Korea. Bad schools love these situations because they can avoid honoring contracts by playing a waiting game.

It's very disappointing that ATEK is giving E2 teachers such bad advice. It's obvious that none of the ATEK leadership has ever had to confront a school over a broken contract.

[TheUrbanMyth]

OP:
JFYI, the news that ATEK gives teachers bad information...isn't exactly "news". They are up to their same old tricks of slander and disinformation.


And we shouldn't file with Labor because it makes schools upset?

Hmm I may have to re-consider my previous stance on ATEK being a shill for the hakwons after all.

However this should be on one of the two ATEK sticky threads above

[Milwaukiedave]

I'm glad someone is seeing the light.

ATEK should be ashamed of themselves for doing this.

What's sad is it may take someone getting royally screwed by taking their advice to bring down ATEK.

[sinsanri]

My question is: How did you find this out?

[sinsanri]

again sorry another double post due to the weird loading times here.

[Dimitris Stylianos]

Keep it in the sticky.