Union Annual Conferences

boogle

I'm no fan of the unions. While I accept them as necessary, I think they do nothing to communcate to the public the true nature of teaching and the attitudes of teachers.

This time every year I cringe. When I look at the news HEADLINES on the TV, the front pages of newspapers. Why should the annual conference of any union, in any profession, be this newsworthy? Its a media circus every year, with dinosaurs of the teaching profession blowing and guffawing on everyone's TV screen. There is no reason why the union bosses cannot have a media-free conference, and a private meeting with Dept. Education representatives about issues in the profession. Any actual decisions made would then make it to the news.

I think the whole annual conference hoopla is like putting ourselves in the stocks. It gives a horrible impression of teachers as whingers and desk-bangers. Am I alone in my feelings?

byhookorbycrook

If you are a member of your union, then you can put yourself forward to attend congress and make your views count.

dambarude

It's a slow news week... the Dáil is in recess... so it's no surprise that the conferences are major headlines. The papers have nothing else to write about. It's not necessarily a bad thing.

Teachers came across much better on the whole this year than last year. This heckling carry on is disgraceful. There was little of that this year, teachers made their point in a much more dignified manner. Granted, Minister Quinn won't be doing anything about it, but that's hardly surprising given the circumstances.

If teachers came across badly other years, it was no wonder given the way their union reps acted at the conferences.

Fizzical

boogle wrote: »

I'm no fan of the unions. While I accept them as necessary, I think they do nothing to communcate to the public the true nature of teaching and the attitudes of teachers.

This time every year I cringe. When I look at the news HEADLINES on the TV, the front pages of newspapers. Why should the annual conference of any union, in any profession, be this newsworthy? Its a media circus every year, with dinosaurs of the teaching profession blowing and guffawing on everyone's TV screen. There is no reason why the union bosses cannot have a media-free conference, and a private meeting with Dept. Education representatives about issues in the profession. Any actual decisions made would then make it to the news.

I think the whole annual conference hoopla is like putting ourselves in the stocks. It gives a horrible impression of teachers as whingers and desk-bangers. Am I alone in my feelings?

THIS makes ME cringe! Everytime!

Dinosaurs of the profession blowing and guffawing??? How insulting to people who care enough to go to Convention and actually try to change things. Why weren't you there? Why didn't you put forward a motion that the conference be held in private? These conferences set the rules for the union to work by.

If your branch is like mine, young teachers don't attend meetings. They don't volunteer as an officer of the branch, they don't volunteer to go to Convention. All they do is sit in the staffroom giving out about 'the union' - eg 'The union' doesn't do anything for young teachers. 'The union' doesn't communicate properly with the media. What do 'we' pay 'them' for?

Who, exactly, do people think 'the union' is?

doc_17

As the great Jed Bartlet said "Decisions are made by those who show up".

And surely you should be able to look past what gets reported in the media...they have an agenda.

Did you read or hear anything about topics discussed at the conference this year? Like Gender Equality? The Global Schoolroom?

The media only report what they want. Don't be fooled by it.

boogle

Fizzical wrote: »

THIS makes ME cringe! Everytime!

Dinosaurs of the profession blowing and guffawing??? How insulting to people who care enough to go to Convention and actually try to change things. Why weren't you there? Why didn't you put forward a motion that the conference be held in private? These conferences set the rules for the union to work by.

If your branch is like mine, young teachers don't attend meetings. They don't volunteer as an officer of the branch, they don't volunteer to go to Convention. All they do is sit in the staffroom giving out about 'the union' - eg 'The union' doesn't do anything for young teachers. 'The union' doesn't communicate properly with the media. What do 'we' pay 'them' for?

Who, exactly, do people think 'the union' is?

I attend branch meetings a couple of times per year, and have attended annual national union conferences for young teachers for the last couple of years. In general, I've found that the conferences for young teachers were quite informative and worthwhile. The people speaking at those conferences were not the same people I see on TV representing us.

I've just started in a new school last November and switched unions. I don't think I'm in my current school long enough to go forward for rep. At branch meetings I have raised issues facing me and other temporary/ part-time teachers. I found that although the older union members nodded and said they would take my questions further, I don't think that the union has helped young teachers as much as they could. Just look at the deal now for new graduates.