An unofficial response to ECC
In the midst of our dispute with ECC, upper management sent a letter to all teachers disparaging the union by spreading lies about our campaign to win pay increases. As well as spreading lies, the company has committed another Unfair Labor Practice by doing so. Right now, at the request of ECC, we are in non-binding arbitration over across the board pay increases. If talks fail we will be suing the company over the letter.
Berlitz Japan: automatic dues checkoff starts
This month we submitted our list of the first union members at Berlitz Japan who will be having their monthly union dues deducted directly from their salaries and submitted to the union by the company once per month. This is called a "dues checkoff system".
No more duck and cover at Gaba
After requests from the General Union Gaba branch to improve emergency preparations, Gaba finally has an answer other than "duck and cover." From late July, Gaba Corporation is placing emergency supply boxes in all lesson booths in all Learning Studios across the country.
General Union ECC Branch & Tokyo Roso ECC Foreign English Union: Together and fighting for a 100yen pay raise
This is the seventh story covering our struggle for a pay raise at ECC (see below for a complete list of stories). Feel free to download this as a leafletin PDF and send it on to your friends.
Why 100 YEN?
In a letter which the company will send to all teachers that has been shown to the union, ECC claims that the union is selfish and greedy. Basically they say that we only think about ourselves and not the company.
Well, we’re asking for a 100 YEN pay raise for two reasons.
Illegal Contract Clauses Part V - James English School
James English School, established in 1976, is a "successful chain of English schools operating throughout Northern Japan". Spread across the Tohoku region, it "offers a wide range of classes, from Kids (2 years old and up) to Adults (Groups, Private Lessons, and Company Lessons)".
NOVA - "Let Them Eat Noodles!"
Echoing the (misattributed) words of Marie Antoinette, a NOVA manager recently told a group of NOVA teachers that, instead of complaining about the basic living allowance that they were receiving, they should just eat cup noodles.
Berlitz Teachers: More Money; Fewer Classes. Brought To You By: The General Union. (Starts September 18th)
In a remarkable display of solidarity and strategy, Berlitz union members have made enormous gains for all instructors at Berlitz - both union and non-union.
The biggest gains:
- A ￥90-per-40-minute-class pay increase for per lesson (PL) teachers. For a new teacher, this is a jump from ￥1920 per class to ￥2010; an almost 5% increase! (For our non-Berlitz friends: a "per lesson teacher" is kind of like an on-call part-timer, and a major pillar of the Berlitz workforce.)
Strike Two At ECC
The General Union called for a new strike after the president of the ECC Foreign Language Institute (ECC外語学院; ECC Gaigo Gakuin) withdrew all offers which were being discussed to resolve our impasse at negotiations.
Eighty-one General Union members (nine more than there were during our first strike - proof that the movement is growing), along with more than fifty other union members in Tokyo, struck at ECC for a second day on June 25th, 2016, resulting in the closure of many ECC classes in the Kinki, Chubu, and Kanto areas.
Our demand was simple - a ¥100-per-hour pay rise for all union members.
Negotiations with ECC Collapse – Second Strike Looms
Union executive officers in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya met to discuss a resumption of strike action at ECC. It was decided that if no clear offer is made, members will take strike action on 25 June and 2 July.
Following our strike at ECC over a 100 yen per hour pay raise (in which, on April 23rd, 124 strikers in three regions picketed company headquarters), we had a strong reason to believe that ECC management was intending to move towards resolving the dispute.
Progress Made - ECC Strikes Postponed
Negotiations with ECC over an across-the-board pay increase are progressing, so the General Union ECC branch has postponed a planned second strike.
After a successful April 23 strike, the company agreed to double its original offer, and continue negotiating.
More Articles...
- The View From Ecc Branch: "One Of The Most Inspiring Moments Of My Life"
- Caveat Subscriptor: EngoEnglish.com
- Time for a pay rise at ECC!
- Can't get no satisfaction.....at Berlitz
- Peppy Dispute Comes To A Close
- Truths About Nova’s Independent Contracts - #2 Paying To Use The Classroom
- Your Rights and Amity Housing - My Story
- ECC: Join The Union, And Help Fight For A Pay Rise For Everyone
- Truths About Nova’s Independent Contracts - #1: The Non-Competition Clause
- Nova Group Action Suit – Independent Contracts
