Our theme for 2011-12, “Building Our Future by Stepping Forward”, has been activated by Local #1 joining the Vancouver and District Labour Council as a way to link our efforts with other unions. The ETEA Professional Development committee held its first event successfully and is planning next year's activities. The Human Rights and Solidarity Committee supported a very successful province wide campaign to bring awareness to The Cuban Five. The organizing committee has spearheaded the protection of our members working at Greystone College, establishing a Common Employer declaration in order to do this. It is currently planning a new initiative for 2012. The Private Sector Local and Organizing Committee has made contact with PCTIA, the regulatory body for the private educational sector, as well as having discussions with Michelle Mungall, NDP MLA for the Kootenays regarding educational issues. We have much more to do, but our first steps forward have been productive.

 How does our democratic collective work? How do people learn to make collective decisions? This year,  ETEA Local #1 has demonstrated that our Constitution works: members, unhappy with the fact that they had given up ground in the last contract in order to help the employer, which had, indeed, benefitted from a subsequently strong economic market, as well as extra work by the teachers in larger classes, used the Constitution special meeting provision activated by a petition of 20% of the membership. The executive, whose duty it is to support the process, advanced the requests from that meeting, at which more than half the membership attended. This request resulted in additional compensation from the employer.

 Without a union, there would have been little chance to organize for and request this compensation, and  an even more remote chance of receiving one. A union gives voice to the membership. We are calling for other private education institution teachers to join the four other schools having already done so. The ESL field will be more productive for all when teachers have a voice, and take their power to improve their careers.

PLEASE JOIN US!

Best wishes for 2012.