| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Would you be willing to join a foreign teachers union? |
| Yes, definately |
|
32% |
[ 12 ] |
| Yes, but with reservations |
|
18% |
[ 7 ] |
| Maybe |
|
18% |
[ 7 ] |
| No, I don't think so |
|
13% |
[ 5 ] |
| No, definately not |
|
16% |
[ 6 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 37 |
|
| Author |
Message |
dg611
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
|
 Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 5:33 pm Post subject: UNIONIZE?! |
 |
|
| would you? It has been reported that the ministry of justice has basically said that they would not sit still for such a union although it is legally permissable. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
joe_doufu
Joined: 09 May 2005
Location: Elsewhere
|
| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 6:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Unions are for the bottom 50 percent. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Saxiif
Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam
|
| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 8:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The small number of foreign teachers at the average workplace and the MASSIVE turnover rate would make forming a big union nearly impossible.
A much more sensible campaign would be to try to get Korea to change its work visa laws to more closely mirror those in Japan (teachers can own their own visas etc.), its still a bit of a long shot but not completely impossible... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
|
| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 9:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Saxiif wrote: |
The small number of foreign teachers at the average workplace and the MASSIVE turnover rate would make forming a big union nearly impossible.
A much more sensible campaign would be to try to get Korea to change its work visa laws to more closely mirror those in Japan (teachers can own their own visas etc.), its still a bit of a long shot but not completely impossible... |
Exactly. That and many of us can't stand being in the same subway car together. How would we all get together on anything?
Add in no matter what wage a union asked for, there will always be a flood of fresh BA holders with massive student loans and zero job prospects who will come over and work for less.
Unions are good in many ways but they're there for people who want to work at one job for life, like a factory or public school. "I'll give you my life. You give me a good wage and a safe work environment."
I like the idea too of a portable visa like Japan. Good teachers won't stay at bad hagwons for long if they can move. There would be far less bitterness and feeling like one is trapped. Bad hagwons would quickly go out of business if they can't offer parents decent native speakers. It's one tool to clean up the industry.
What is more needed is a kind of trade association versus a union. Something to lobby the government. But then again, a real association needs a large collection of lifers. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mack the knife
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: standing right behind you...
|
| Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 10:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Ahhhhh! Our yearly RISE UP YE FELLOW WORKERS!! thread has arrived. Right on schedule.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FUBAR
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: The Y.C.
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 12:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
Nope. I am 100% against them in their current form. These days unions exist mainly to serve the management of the union instead of the workers. I can't think of one reason why I would support a Foreign Teacher's Union.
As one of the posters suggested, changing the E2 law allowing the Teacher to be in possession of their visa would go much farther towards eliminating the "evil" hagwon boss than any union could. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
inkoreaforgood
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Location: Inchon
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 1:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
| The benefits of a union here are obvious, but the cons really detract from any efforts a union would make here. It would possibly be to the long term benefits of lifers like me, but there aren't THAT many of us. Those here for a year (sometimes less), I doubt would be willing to pay fees and interact with such a group. I'd join, with a big maybe attached to that. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Homer
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 2:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
Nope.
The reasons why have already been stated in here and I share those views.
A FT union is simply an unfeasible project in the FT market in Korea.
There would be advantages for sure but the disadvantages would be far greater. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 2:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| "When in Rome,..." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Saxiif
Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 3:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Nope. I am 100% against them in their current form. These days unions exist mainly to serve the management of the union instead of the workers. I can't think of one reason why I would support a Foreign Teacher's Union.
|
Unions in general are good things for the workers involved, however they would only be feasible in schools that employ many foreign teachers of whom many are lifers. The number of such schools are very very small, so there's no way in hell that unions would improve the life for the average hagwon monkey (especially since the kind of school where a union would be impossible to set up, ie small schools with high turnover are exactly the schools there most of the problems are).
The main problem is the huge amount of hassle that's involved in changing jobs, which leads to people putting up with bad treatment to a far greater extent than they would back home. What needs to change is the bureaucracy, if that's fixed hopefully market forces will beat the biggest hagwon offenders into shape (or at least get Korea to the level that Japan's at, which from all I've heard is OK). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 3:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| A much more sensible campaign would be to try to get Korea to change its work visa laws to more closely mirror those in Japan |
Please suggest a way to achieve this goal. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 3:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
| for public school teachers there is always the korean teachers' union... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dg611
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 4:58 am Post subject: original poster |
|
|
I'm pleased to see a pretty good response to this question....Of course there are downfalls, pitfalls, and just plain old hardknock falls involved and the process hasn't been totally thought through. I might be interesting to talk to some of the people who formed the union in Japan.
I guess my thinking is that the formation of a 'union' might not be the best thing but definately a united front or organization that would be able to pool their resources to make some real changes to the immigration laws and to help protect the teachers and target the bad directors. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
joe_doufu
Joined: 09 May 2005
Location: Elsewhere
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 5:07 am Post subject: Re: original poster |
|
|
| dg611 wrote: |
| I guess my thinking is that the formation of a 'union' might not be the best thing but definately a united front or organization that would be able to pool their resources to make some real changes to the immigration laws and to help protect the teachers and target the bad directors. |
Perhaps a lobbying organization of some type. I don't know much about politics here but I'm sure it works pretty similarly to ours in the US. That is, politicians are not trained to run the country, they're trained to win the elections. Lobbyists exist to provide the politicians with opinions. When it comes to the education industry, I'm sure there's some organization of private school owners providing "white papers" to politicians with their views on the issues. If we could form our own policy advisory group and buy a few politicians, it might really improve our business. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Homer
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 3:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Any proposed changes to immigration would have to include better screening methods to weed out illegal teachers coming over with fake credentials.
Would this union push for this as well? I wonder....
The basic idea of a union is not a bad one. Such a union might do some good. Then again it might become one more ineffective organization.
Who would run this union?
Who would fund it?
What would the joining criteria be?
Any dues to pay? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
