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Mutual Aid: In Numbers There Is Strength!

 
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visviva



Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Location: Daegu

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2003 6:34 am    Post subject: Mutual Aid: In Numbers There Is Strength! Reply with quote

[NB: "org" = "organization"]

Scattered as we are, isolated by place and language (among other things), foreign teachers are often easy prey for unscrupulous hagwon operators. Lacking the money, local knowledge and other resources to defend their rights, teachers can end up in horrific (and illegal) situations. The stories are numerous and frequently true (I've witnessed a few), and this thread is not about them.

I have been wondering lately: What can we do to improve our lot? And I've been thinking that an aggressive mutual aid society might do a lot of good.

Here's the basic idea: A membership organization (all volunteer) which gives assistance to mistreated teachers. Teachers who choose to do so will pay a (small) fee to the org annually, and thereby become members. If they find themselves in a bad situation (it can happen to anyone), they request help from the org. Priority would be given to those teachers in the direst straits (this could be decided in several ways). Help could come in a number of forms: information/counseling, arranging for a translator and/or lawyer (in those cases where it is absolutely necessary), having a chat with the director, assistance with filing government complaints, etc.etc. For teachers who have been screwed out of all their money, perhaps an emergency stipend could be provided.

I imagine this as an org which will aggressively work to inform teachers of their rights and options. Indeed, perhaps its most important role would be as a storehouse of information and knowledge. For example, the org would be in an excellent position to compile an authoritative (documented) blacklist. If we stand together, we can improve conditions for ourselves and those who come after us.

Of course, some people in Korea will try to destroy such an org as soon as they hear about it. The org's principals could be harassed by Immigration and others. I'd be willing to take that risk -- anyone else?

Many questions would have to be answered before such an org could take shape -- what the legal status of the org would be, what precautions would be taken against misuse of funds, exactly what protocol would be followed when someone requests help. Also there would be the question of whether assistance should be given to non-members. (In this world of limited resources, it seems that priority, at least, would have to go to members.)

... Ideally, I imagine this as a sort of twin org to KOTESOL, admitting both foreign and Korean teachers, since the Korean teachers often face even worse treatment than foreigners.

Maybe this is just a daydream, but it seems like a good idea right now. Any thoughts?
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Derrek



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2003 6:35 am    Post subject: Union Reply with quote

The Union issue once again shows its ugly head.
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visviva



Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Location: Daegu

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2003 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Um... I'm proposing something which is definitely *not* a union, and would not engage in collective bargaining of any kind. Rather, it would act to correct cases of illegal/grossly abusive conduct by hagwon operators, and to inform teachers of their rights. If you don't like "mutual aid" as a name, try "defense fund" -- a union this is not.

Unions would have to be formed at the hagwon level; hence unionization is not a solution on the national scale. Since most teachers are only here for the short term, and therefore don't stand to gain very much from a union victory, unionization isn't usually a solution at the hagwon level either. My hope is that a more diffuse org which demands only a nominal sacrifice might be more acceptable to most teachers.
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Zyzyfer



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2003 8:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem is that the same school can be viewed totally differently by two people. It would have to be maintained as hard facts on various hakwons, not opinions. I could slag the hell out of X school, whereas Johnny Teacher could've had the time of his life there.
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