I am from New York City. I joined NOVA in October of 2006 in the MM Center and currently work as a branch instructor at various schools in southern Osaka.

I joined the union in fall of 2014 because like many others, I worry about job security. Each year, our working conditions have been incrementally worsening and there has been a severe lack of disclosure and communication between management and employees. No matter your work contract, gender, age or citizenship, I feel the company needs to stop treating us as second-rate workers. I will do the best that I can to fight on your behalf.

 

Greetings from Tokyo. I moved here from New Zealand in 2000. I’ve been teaching at various Nova branches in the Tokyo area since 2007.

I joined the General Union and declared my membership in 2014. Why? Because I feel that the company is treating its teachers unfairly. I hear lots of negative and inhumane comments from colleagues about the abuse they encounter from the company and its students. I believe that if we all work together, we will achieve better working conditions and positive change in a safe and professional manner.

I am from San Francisco, CA but have lived and worked in Japan since 1992.  I have always worked no more than part-time for Nova, beginning in 1994, and joined the General Union after Nova attempted to initiate mandatory drug testing upon all teachers in order to save face with the public.  I joined the current company, then called G-Education, when it took over the ruins of Nova, and was immediately reminded of the importance of having a union when the Company reneged on its promised contract before I was allowed to teach a single lesson.

I continue to be a General Union member due to the need for protection from a Company that has shown little regard for their employees on any issue, but also to encourage the Company to change toward more thoughtful, positive and productive policies.