Why I'm Not Afraid of a Union

1.     The Newspaper Guild does not charge us any money until a union contract has been made, approved by a vote from the teachers, and approved by Kaplan. So, if Kaplan refuses to accept our proposed contract, nobody pays any dues, and our financial situation stays the way it is now.

2.     A union contract will only set required minimums, not a universal set of salaries/benefits for all employees. So, if I get paid $21.30 per hour now, and the union sets a minimum of, say, $20.00 per hour, I will still get $21.30 per hour. The same is true for insurance, paid sick days, etc.

3.     The “union officers” and “bargaining committee” will consist of Kaplan ESL teachers elected democratically by the teachers at all 3 centers. Those who are elected will collect information about what the teachers want in a contract, via online survey. Without a union, teachers are not currently being consulted as part of the decision-making process for setting pay, benefits, or terms of employment. I’ve been here 4 years and have seen no changes in this regard.

4.     The union has no initiation fee. The union dues are 1.3846% of pay, when we get a paycheck only, and only if there’s a contract. I’m willing to pay 1.3846% of my wage to get a decent wage for prep-time, paid sick days, a better and more affordable health care plan, and job security, to name a few.

5.     As I understand it, a union will give teachers more of a voice, and Kaplan corporate less of a monopoly on power. This is why upper management has asked supervisors to inundate us with ani-union rhetoric.

6.     Because we are currently “at will” workers of Kaplan and can be fired without just and sufficient cause, we are all in an environment of fear that we will lose our jobs if we vocalize support for a union, thus all the secrecy leading up to this point. This situation is undemocratic. The existence of a union will require accountability from management so that everyone is free to voice their opinions on our working conditions without fear of losing our jobs.

But don’t take my word for it. Go talk to the guild and read this report.