General Union ECC Branch

The General Union is an organization that negotiates with employers, mainly English conversation schools and other educational institutions, to improve its members' working conditions.

Who can join the ECC Branch?
Union membership is open to all ECC workers: Teaching Staff, full time workers (Jokin Koshi), part time workers (Hijokin Koshi), and staff. People working at: the Foreign Language Deparment, CRD, and ECC Junior. Most members are foreign workers, but anyone is welcome to join.**************What has the union done for ECC Workers?
While the union can only represent its members, our victories are everyone's victories. This is what the union has won for all ECC workers:

  • Flexible, paid holidays (ALPs)

  • Improvements to ECC's leave policy for sickness

  • Employee's Health and Pension, Unemployment Insurance

  • Special paid leave (marriage and bereavement)

  • A reduction of 4 EQ Days (an increase of 4 Rest Days) for Teaching Staff

  • Contract completion bonus for Teaching Staff past their 3rd year (negotiated yearly)

  • Abolition of the "no pay raise rule" for Unlimited Term Contract workers

  • The guarantee of a pay raise over the next 3 years (2024-2026)

  • And much more

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Why should I join the union?
Being part of a union gives you:

  • Job security through our "pre-consultation agreement" with ECC

  • A grievance process that allows us to bring problems at work directly to the top management

  • A community of hundreds of teachers in various workplaces all across Japan

  • Access to workshops, seminars, and other events so you can learn your rights and how to exercise them

  • A voice in a democratic organization, allowing you to create the changes you want to see

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What's New?Right now, the ECC Branch is working on:

  • Negotiating for up to 3 days of continuous excused unpaid "sick leave" with one receipt from a medical institution

  • Negotiating for members who are currently 65 years old to be able to continue working full-time from April 2025

  • New demands for 2025

  • Strategies to increase the branch membership

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Members Updates: We have new General Union business cards, which have a link to this ECC Branch websiteIf you'd like some business cards to distribute to coworkers or friends (while not on ECC property), email me at [email protected] Thanks to everyone who contributed their opinions and ideas for the demands list for 2025. The proposed list has been finalized by the Executive Committee. Members must now vote on whether to accept or reject the demands - find the vote link in your email (deadline: January 4th) Have you taken the 2024 Membership Information Update Survey?Have a work-related question or problem?
Email us at [email protected] ********************

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Problems at Work? Need Advice?
Here's how the union can help you:**************

  • 1. Answering your questions about labor laws in Japan (contracts, health insurance and pension, retirement, and more.

  • 2. Sending a union representative (either in person or by Zoom) to join you during any difficult interviews with management.

  • 3. Filing a grievance with the company on your behalf if you have trouble at work:

  • -Step 0: Contact the company directly about your problem. Keep a record of your interactions. If the issue is not resolved during this step, and requires union assistance, any emails or other communications you can forward to us will help us to know what actions need to be taken.

  • -Step 1: Consultation: we gather the relevant information from you by email, google survey, in person, or in a Zoom interview

  • -Step 2: We send an email or make a phone call to management outlining the issue and requesting a solution to a problem.

  • -Step 3: The union shares management's reply with you, and works together with you and management to find a solution that benefits you.

You can also get advice and information from fellow union members on our private Facebook group or Discord - email us if you are a member and want to join*****************Have a Question?
email [email protected]**************

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Email the ECC Branch
at [email protected]

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