--------------American School in Japan -----------------ASIJ Teachers' Union---Protecting Our Rights

Jan 25 Reply to our questions of Dec 15 -- Updated February 2003
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Letter to the Board--January 2004
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4th DANKO -- Feb 27, 2003
Jan 25 Reply to our questions of Dec 15 -- Updated February 2003
3rd DANKO - November 2002
2nd DANKO--September 2002
1st DANKO-- May 2002
Examples of Past Practice -- March 2003
Our Concerns --May 2002
History of the Situation -- Updated April 2005
Letter of Agreement--April 27, 2005
Letter to Board President, April 2, 2005
Retirement Policies at ASIJ
We Get Letters -- Updated February 2003
Letters written by Union Members -- September 2002
Age Discrimination -- May 2002
FSCC Final Statement on This Issue -- May 2002
Union letter to School -- April 2002
Letters to Faculty/Staff -- April 2002
Letter sent to the Board -- March 2002
Some ASIJ Teacher Statistics (Some 2002 hires not included) -- May 2002
ASIJ Policies with adoption and revision dates -- May 2002
Information About the Union -- May 2002
Laws of Japan -- March 2003

 The following (in blue) was faxed to Fukuyama-san.  The reply in the fax was in Japanese (as it probably should be) and the translation is by native Japanese speakers.

 

 

To: Dr. Tim Thornton (representative of the Board)

From: ASIJ Teachers' Union

Re: Requests

 

 

We request specific information regarding financial, managerial, rejuvenation and evaluation aspects of your concerns regarding the retirement issue, cited as reasons for the new retirement policy.

 

1. IF it is financial, what is the extent of the school's financial concerns regarding the retirement issue? Clarify the meaning of "partially financial."

 

With the new policies, it is axiomatic that the financial burden will be reduced.  "Partially" means the new policy was not just (only) to avoid the burden of financial expenses.

 

 

2. IF it is rejuvenation, what are the parameters in the Board/Admin view of a rejuvenated faculty? Show us the statistical documentation supporting your perspective for the current faculty and for the next school year.

 

In order to have a balanced education, it is more ideal to have teachers' ages in different age levels.  Presently, and also the future perspective, is that the ages are getting older.  We think that should be corrected.  We cannot reveal detailed numbers.

 

 

3. IF it is evaluation, what is the process of evaluation as it relates to forced retirement? Who makes these evaluations? Those of us who have been forced to retire have never been given a negative evaluation.

 

The evaluation is not part of the non-regular contract that we are in the process of negotiating with the union.  Therefore we are choosing not to answer this.

 

 

4. Clarify the meaning of "managerial." Show how your definition relates to the changes in the retirement policy that the Board/Admin have put in place.

 

As an educational institution, it is necessary that the school be maintained in a healthy state.

 

5.  A listing, by year, of how many people were not offered a new contract, what was their age, how many years they had worked at ASIJ, reason for not extending contract.

 

This is related to privacy.  We cannot reveal this.

 

 

6. We request permission, should we find it necessary, to use school facilities for the purpose of explaining our position to interested Faculty and Staff.

 

We refuse to allow use of this facility.

 

 

7. We also request permission to have an email account of asijtu@asij.ac.jp for continued communication on this issue. (The school blocks outside use of non-ASIJ email addresses.)

 

No, we cannot accede to this request.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

ASIJ Teachers' Union