What's Happening?
- End of 2014, Directorate, on behalf of the Board, started negotiating with the union’s Tariffkommission (TK)
- Majority of staff, regardless of Union affiliation, expressed their desire to have a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
- After more than one year of negotiations, the TK and the Directorate reached an agreement on 3 key issues - salary, working time and the status of local/int. hires
- For the first time in BIS history, staff felt they had an appropriate voice
- However, in August 2015, immediately following the summer holidays, staff returned to learn that the board refused to sign a collective bargaining agreement (CBA)
- From the beginning, it was entirely clear that, following the one-day strike in autumn 2014, negotiations were taking place with the union’s TK, and for the purposes of arriving at a collective bargaining agreement
- 6 weeks later, the Board met with the TK but only confirmed they would not sign a CBA
- In the wake of this breach of trust, staff morale and confidence in school leadership has been materially undermined.
- After several urgent attempts to speak directly with the board, a meeting was finally arranged for 24 September. At this meeting, the board reaffirmed that they refused to sign a CBA.
What are staff asking for?
- Staff are asking for a positive and sustainable working and learning environment for the staff and our students
- Staff are not requesting a salary increase. Staff understood the financial constraints of BIS and accepted the salary increase that was forced on them.
- Staff want to secure their working conditions to avoid them being arbitrarily modified in the future, as has happened before. A Works Agreement cannot provide that security.
- A CBA provides staff with that security, regardless of who is on the Board or the Directorate.
- Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the organization and activity of trade unions as a human right. The Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work defines the right to collective bargaining as an essential right of workers that enhances their human dignity, liberty and autonomy.
What can you do to help?
- Inform yourself! Get both sides of the story by reading this blog.
- We welcome any enquiries and queries to: [email protected]
- If you support us, put pressure on the Board to sign the CBA: email, write letters, attend the Association Meeting on November 30 and ask questions!
Union @ BIS
About Ver.di at BIS
Bavarian International School is a private international school serving over 1025 students from 48 countries. The school is non-profit, and governed by a school board made up of parents. The school is experiencing growth and will open a second primary campus in downtown Munich in August 2015.
With the help of Ver.di, the Bavarian International School employees formed a union in September 2013. The formation of the union came out of a common desire by employees to influence the salaries and working conditions of all staff. The year 2013 marked a 'negotiation year' in which employee contracts and salaries are typically reviewed, changed and ratified. In the past, discussions on these issues had been undertaken by the Betriebsrat (Works Council) and a salary negotiation committee comprised of staff members. Although the Betriebsrat have always served the school well, they do have the same influence, and therefore impact, that a union can have - they can only enter into discussion regarding salary, but not negotiation. Only a union can weigh in at the negotiating table. The employees of the school felt it was time to have more of an influence on our salaries and working conditions.
Our first steps were to elect a Tarifkommission (TK) or negotiating committee, comprised of staff members who work directly with our union representative and negotiate directly with management. Once our TK was elected, they worked to establish our vision for the year and for the future of the union at BIS.
TK members have been in negotiations with management since April 2014 and have focused our work around:
Our principles are as follows:
Our belief:
Is that all employees at BIS should experience fair and just working conditions with a healthy work-life balance and feel valued for their contributions to our community.
Our purpose:
Is to provide a forum and channel for staff to determine improvements in working conditions at BIS. Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. We are committed to advancing these principles through collective bargaining and the work of our members.
Our goal:
Is to help BIS become a centre of excellence for teaching and learning through the promotion of global-mindedness and trust. We encourage humility to learn and a willingness to work together. We strive for a transparent and respectful school culture, demonstrated through consistency in word and action. We strive for a socially responsible and reflective school, built on collaboration and honesty.
Our success:
Will be determined by the creation of a caring, ethical, and professional work environment which nurtures and supports the BIS community.
Bavarian International School is a private international school serving over 1025 students from 48 countries. The school is non-profit, and governed by a school board made up of parents. The school is experiencing growth and will open a second primary campus in downtown Munich in August 2015.
With the help of Ver.di, the Bavarian International School employees formed a union in September 2013. The formation of the union came out of a common desire by employees to influence the salaries and working conditions of all staff. The year 2013 marked a 'negotiation year' in which employee contracts and salaries are typically reviewed, changed and ratified. In the past, discussions on these issues had been undertaken by the Betriebsrat (Works Council) and a salary negotiation committee comprised of staff members. Although the Betriebsrat have always served the school well, they do have the same influence, and therefore impact, that a union can have - they can only enter into discussion regarding salary, but not negotiation. Only a union can weigh in at the negotiating table. The employees of the school felt it was time to have more of an influence on our salaries and working conditions.
Our first steps were to elect a Tarifkommission (TK) or negotiating committee, comprised of staff members who work directly with our union representative and negotiate directly with management. Once our TK was elected, they worked to establish our vision for the year and for the future of the union at BIS.
TK members have been in negotiations with management since April 2014 and have focused our work around:
- Equity for all staff members, including administrative staff and teaching assistants, who have historically been neglected in past agreements;
- All employees should receive at least a 5.1%, or inflation, as wages remain the same as in 2011, plus an actual increase;
- Year two of our contract should offer an actual increase over inflation to move us toward like schools in the area;
- The establishment of a Tarifvetrag, or Collective Bargaining Agreement
Our principles are as follows:
Our belief:
Is that all employees at BIS should experience fair and just working conditions with a healthy work-life balance and feel valued for their contributions to our community.
Our purpose:
Is to provide a forum and channel for staff to determine improvements in working conditions at BIS. Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. We are committed to advancing these principles through collective bargaining and the work of our members.
Our goal:
Is to help BIS become a centre of excellence for teaching and learning through the promotion of global-mindedness and trust. We encourage humility to learn and a willingness to work together. We strive for a transparent and respectful school culture, demonstrated through consistency in word and action. We strive for a socially responsible and reflective school, built on collaboration and honesty.
Our success:
Will be determined by the creation of a caring, ethical, and professional work environment which nurtures and supports the BIS community.