The Israel Teachers Union (ITU)
The Israel Teachers Union was founded in 1903 a group of teachers in Palestine. It has since become the largest individual trade union in Israel with over 100,000 members, teachers from all levels of education: kindergartens, elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, seminars and colleges. Throughout its years of activity the Israel Teachers Union has gained impressive achievements for its members, running many schemes to help its members job security and professional development.
The ITU established the Association of Teachers for the Advancement of Teaching and Education in January 1990, as an educational body designed for the professional advancement of teachers and teaching. The Association of Teachers, which constitutes some 65,000 members, has constructed a wide range of supportive and enriching activities to prepare teachers as educational leaders and enhance their role as professionals in education. Membership in the Association is open to members of the Israel Teachers Union with the employer paying membership fees for the current year. Its activities include: Study weekends, workshops, conventions, educational tours in Israel and overseas, theater evenings, lectures, the creation of a code of ethics, surveys and research. The Association of Teachers also hosts ‘Education under the test of time’ - a bi-annual convention of teachers and educators, participated by hundreds of well known academic lecturers from Israel and abroad.
The Foundation for Professional Advancement of the Israel Teachers Union was established to encourage and reinforce the welfare and professional advancement of teachers and their extension studies. The foundation is active in many areas, implementing projects on the following issues: Computer courses for teachers, ‘The School Menu’ a scheme for the professional development of educational staff, multimedia training, A telecommunication library, assisting teachers gain academic degrees, holds conventions, organizes professional exchanges. The Foundation for Professional Advancement also runs the Netto Club offering members cheap access to educational materials.
Ashmoret - Welfare and Cultural Services, was created by the ITU to take advantage of its economic power to obtain discounts and better conditions for its members when purchasing goods and services. By doing so, the ITU succeeds in increasing the net income of its members. In conjunction with the Isracard credit card company, Ashmoret has issued a credit card for ITU members, which also grants them special discounts at a wide range of stores.
The ITU runs a Violence Open Line, to help teachers deal with difficult issues regarding violence in the workplace. A growing number of cases involving violence in schools has lead the Israel Teachers Union to open a telephone line for its members designed to assist in the handling and prevention of this painful issue. The line is operated by volunteer teachers who received special training for this purpose, and teachers are invited to approach them on such subjects as: Violence in educational institutions, Violence in public places that are associated with the educational system, Violence in the family and its implications on the educational system.
In 1977 the leadership of Massad, the teachers savings and loan association and the Israel Teachers Union decided to establish the Massad Bank, and an agreement was signed between the Poalim Bank and Massad. The merger (Ownership: 51% the Poalim Bank, 49% the Israel Teachers Union) turned Massad from a cooperative association into a banking company, since then Massad has provided ITU members with full banking services.
The Israel Teachers Union has assumed the responsibility of taking care of its members during times of unexpected crisis. For this purpose it established its Collective Insurance Fund in 1946, based on the mutual and collective responsibility of all insured parties. The fund awards its members with maximum rights in return for a relatively small premium, compared with accepted rates in the country. Any teaching professional who is a member of the Israel Teachers Union and employed for at least one-third of a post, or any retiree, is entitled to insurance by the fund. Unlike other retirement benefit funds, the fund is covered by employee payments alone, without employer participation.
The Israel Teachers Union and the Israeli Ministry of Education established the In-Service Training Funds in 1963. In the beginning, the program was joined by 200 teachers. Today there are 100,000 members in four different funds, which include teachers from all stages and trends of education: kindergarten, elementary, junior high and high school, college, teaching colleges, school principals and supervisors. Teachers contribute 4.2% of their gross monthly salaries to the funds for six years, with the employer adding an additional 8.4% to this account. The savings period can be extended for up to 8 years. Teachers are entitled to a sabbatical following six years of work, where they receive 66.6% of their average salaries, 77.7% after seven years and 88.8% after eight years. The grant is tax free. Fund members are also reimbursed for any educational fees for sums equivalent to the cost of an academic year at an Israeli university. The funds also pay for social security benefits and pension rights, thereby including the sabbatical year in the teacher's seniority. Some 5,000 teachers take advantage of the funds each year. It is not necessary for teachers to re-join the funds after a sabbatical. Renewal is automatic.
The Fellowship of Educators to Combat Racism and Anti-Semitism was founded and established by the Israel Teachers Union in 1978. The fellowship members are Israel Teachers Union members, on the basis of individual application. It aims to cultivate awareness of the dangers inherent in racism and anti-semitism amongst teachers and pupils and offer educational, cultural and public means for combating racism and anti-semitism. Activities in the Fellowship include the promotion of holocaust teaching, the acquisition of information on anti-semitism in the past and present, the encouraging of education initiatives that clarify the dangers inherent in racism and anti-semitism.
The ITU publishes four magazines: Hed Hachinuch (Echoes of Education) is a monthly periodical concerning educational and social issues, Sada A Tarbya (Echoes of Education in Arabic) the Israel Teachers Union Arabic language monthly publication, which is distributed to subscribers, Hed Hagan (Echoes of Kindergarten) and Shiur Chofshi - The Israel Teachers Union Educational Magazine distributed free of charge to over 100 thousand members.
For more information about the ITU visit their website