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65-505: Berlitz started in 1878, when Maximilian Berlitz was in need of an assistant French instructor; he employed a Frenchman by the name of Nicholas Joly, only soon to discover that Joly barely spoke English. However, due to illness, Berlitz asked Joly to take over his classes, and teach by pointing at objects, repeating the French word for them, and acting out verbs. Upon his return, Berlitz realized that this improvised, immersive approach of teaching

130-717: A branch to fight contract renewals. The union was able to save all the members' jobs. In mid 1995 union members at GEOS started organising a union branch. The branch was declared to the company on 7 November 1995. Due to pressure from the General Union, in March 2005, the Japanese Government's Social Insurance Agency began to investigate English language schools in Japan for non-payment of Social Insurance ( 社会保険 , , Shakai Hoken ) . In general, non-enrollment of full-time employees

195-596: A children's language learning book was published by Maximilian Berlitz. By 1914, there were about 200 Berlitz schools; 63 Berlitz schools in Germany, and 27 in Britain. By the time of the start of World War I in 1914, there were over 200 Berlitz Schools worldwide. Maximilian Berlitz died in 1921. His son-in-law and associate, Victor Harrison-Berlitz, assumed leadership of the business. Harrison died in 1932, and control passed briefly to his son, Victor Harrison-Berlitz Jr. The control of

260-615: A company that dispatches teachers to various companies and public schools, was declared on May 25, 1993. A number of teachers who wanted to improve conditions joined the GU. Negotiations were not fruitful and the union went to dispute mode, with strikes, picketing, and the dispute received a large amount of press coverage. In 2007 the GU surveyed boards of education in Osaka prefecture, and found that 23 of them were employing Assistant Language Teachers through illegal itaku contracts. The union reported this to

325-470: A definitive agreement to sell a 67 percent its stake to the Fukutake Publishing Company, with merger to be completed by the end of the year. On January 28, 1993, Berlitz International Inc. announced a court order disengaging the language services company from the bankrupt Maxwell Communication Corporation had cleared the way for Berlitz's pending merger, while shareholders approved the merger at

390-531: A drug test. After Nova's bankruptcy, the GU sought Sahashi 's indictment over non-payment of wages. The Osaka prosecutor's office declined to do so, so the GU appealed to the prosecutor's auditors, who found the lack of indictment "unjust". After the March 11th 2011 earthquake , when embassies were urging their citizens to evacuate, Nova pressured instructors to move to Tokyo or have allowances cut. The GU members at one Nova branch protested and negotiated with Nova and

455-615: A foreign language by using that language itself without translations turned out far more effective than traditional techniques of that time. The first Berlitz language school opened in Providence, Rhode Island , in July 1878. A decade later, Berlitz moved to Boston, Massachusetts , and opened additional schools. Soon after, he opened schools in New York and New Jersey. In 1886, he moved the headquarters and his personal residence to New York City. In 1895,

520-465: A memo which states that workers who work three-quarters of a full-time schedule should be enrolled in shakai hoken. The JPS has applied this internal bureaucratic guideline to avoid enrolling workers, forcing the workers to pay such costs by themselves. The JPS also refused to enroll them citing the three-quarter guideline. The member, with the support of the GU, has now sued the JPS for negligence in not following

585-455: A number of improvements for teachers including: Unemployment Insurance and Workers Accident Compensation Insurance enrollment for MG teachers. Health and Pension Insurance (shakai hoken) enrollment for those who work over 30 hours per week. Paid holidays for MG and per lesson teachers. Premium pay of 25% overtime and 35% for work on a set rest day. The right to refuse work on set rest days or national holidays. A pre-consultation agreement with

650-619: A stockholder meeting in New York held on the same day, with merger to be closed on February 8, 1993. In 2001, Berlitz became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Benesse Corporation . In 2002, Berlitz publishing was sold to Langenscheidt . Today, Berlitz Publishing is owned by APA Publications, led by René Frey, the sale of Berlitz Publishing and Insight Guides by Langenscheidt having occurred in early 2014. On November 1, 2010, Berlitz International, Inc. announced its renaming from Berlitz International, Inc. to Berlitz Corporation, effective in

715-420: A subsidiary of Macmillan, Inc. Robert Strumpen-Darrie continued as president until his retirement in 1970, Raphael Alberola became CEO for about 4 or 5 years and then Elio Boccitto led the company through most of the 1980s. In November 1988, Maxwell Communication Corporation took over Macmillan, and just a year later, Berlitz was made public. On August 19, 1992, Berlitz International Inc. announced it has signed

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780-500: A variety of derivative methods and theories that found their beginnings in the natural and communicative elements that were pioneered by Berlitz. For the fiscal years 2004 to 2010 (in millions of US dollars): The total number of language lessons given during the year 2011 was 6,506 thousand. The number of language centers was 563 as of December 31, 2011. As of early 2013, 75% of its revenue was from English language lessons. In Japan, Berlitz teachers are represented by several unions. In

845-604: Is Dennis Tesolat who reverted to this position after six years as chair. The General Union is under the umbrella of the National Union of General Workers , which is itself part of the National Trade Union Council (Zenrokyo) one of the three major trade union federations in Japan . With the founding of the Osaka Zenrokyo (a local area affiliated to Zenrokyo, National Trade Union Council) on 2 February 1991, it

910-483: Is illegal in Japan—the Health Insurance Law and Employees' Pension Law stipulate that companies must enroll all workers who have been in Japan for over two months in both the health insurance and pension systems, regardless of nationality. Shakai Hoken cover for employees also includes sickness and injury allowance. The burden of payment is split between employer and employee, with each paying about half

975-419: Is now conducted during working hours (or else paid at overtime rates). From April 2013 teachers have the right to become seishain (permanent employees). Two employees (office staff) were promoted to seishain in 2013. On July 29, 2013 the GU and ECC signed a collective agreement that GU members would always have their contracts renewed unless there were exceptional circumstances. The GU branch of Interac ,

1040-693: The Berlitz Language Schools , the first of which he established in 1878 in Providence, Rhode Island . Born David Berlizheimer to Jewish parents in Mühringen , Kingdom of Württemberg , he and his sister were soon orphaned, and he grew up in a family of educators in the Black Forest . Berlitz was required by law to serve as an apprentice; he chose to work for a watchmaker for three years. He later relocated to France and then to Providence, Rhode Island , United States in 1872. His first employment

1105-452: The Kansai and Chubu regions of Japan. Union members work at universities such as Ritsumeikan University , and language schools such as ECC , Berlitz and Gaba . Recent years have also seen the union launching major organizing drives among South American workers in Japan , along with Filipino workers. As of the 2020 executive elections the union chair is Asari Toshiaki and general secretary

1170-983: The Private Language Industry Sector . This area of the GU is focused on workers in factories and other industrial employment. It consists of the General Branch, the South American Branch, and the Shinobu Foods Branch. The South American branch is currently active at many workplaces including Fuso and Daisen Kosakusho. This area of the GU is focused on workers employed in schools and universities. The GU has members at many workplaces, including Ashiya Gakuen High School, Himeji Dokkyo University , Kansai Gaidai University , Kun'ei High School, Osaka Gaigo, Ritsumeikan University , Kobe Shoin Women's University , and Osaka University . This area of

1235-399: The direct method and focuses on using language as a tool for communication. The direct method, as opposed to the traditional grammar translation method, advocates teaching through the target language only, the rationale being that students will be able to work out grammatical rules from the input language provided, without necessarily being able to explain the rules overtly. Today, there are

1300-412: The 18 September visit by NOVA executive officer, Anders Lundqvist, to apologize for the company's policy. The policy though abandoned would lead to later conflict as the company refused to remove the drug testing stipulation from the employment contract. The General Union founded more union branches in this year. On 17 May the union's Nichibei Eigo Gakuin branch was formed at its first collective agreement

1365-514: The Berlitz Method, for which only the language to be taught is spoken from the first day of class. Students rely on the same techniques Joly used, rather than translation , to gather meaning and learn grammar and vocabulary . After success, Berlitz opened a second language school in Boston in 1880, supplemented by others in New York and Washington, D.C. He went on to establish schools all over

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1430-510: The GU branch of the Eikaiwa Nova being founded on September 6, 1994. At the same time there was also a NUGW Nova branch founded in Kanto. The Osaka Bar Association wrote an opinion that the policy was a violation of the teachers' right to privacy. Nova claimed consent forms had been received from more than 90 percent of employees. According to the union, no instructors were ever required to take

1495-469: The GU is focused on the teaching of language in the private sector, including workers at eikaiwas and working as ALTs . Amongst other companies it has members at Berlitz Japan , Interac , Gaba , Nova , OTC, Epion , the British Council , ECC , Panasonic Excel International, Coco Juku and Peppy Kids Club . The GU branch of Berlitz Japan was founded in 1993, and since that time has won

1560-590: The GU sent a survey to all the city boards of education in Aichi prefecture. 16 replied that they used teachers on itaku contracts. On October 19, 2009, the GU sued Interac at the Osaka Labor Commission , submitted documents to the Aichi labor bureau, and visited the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education to inform the board of education that it was allowing illegal itaku contracts, the use of which breached

1625-579: The Health Insurance Law and the Employees' Pension Law. The first hearing was held in the Tokyo District Court on April 13, 2012. On March 20, 2015, the court ruled that there was no law that denied shakai hoken enrolment based on working hours, and that the worker in question had in any case been working over the limit for mandatory enrolment so it was illegal that he was not enrolled at that

1690-637: The Kansai region they are represented by the General Union , and in the Kanto region they are represented by Begunto, the Berlitz Tokyo General Union, part of Tozen, and the Berlitz Union at NUGW which belongs to the National Trade Union Council . In Germany, teachers and office staff are represented by GEW. In November 2010, management attempted for the first time to claw back the employee gains of

1755-744: The King of Spain, the government of France, and from many international expositions. He remained active until his death, aged 68, in New York City. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York. Mr. Berlitz's method of language learning is still used. Many books that were originally published during the early- to mid-1900s are still in print. There are also many schools that are still dedicated to continuing Berlitz's concepts regarding language learning. The linguist and author Charles Berlitz , his grandson,

1820-567: The Osaka Labor Bureau and the boards of education were ordered to stop. 2009 was a busy year for the GU Interac branch. Interac teachers working at Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture, approached the local board of education. They sought to be hired directly, rather than being employed by Interac and dispatched. The board of education refused the teachers, who then approached the GU. The GU took up

1885-518: The U.S. and in many countries abroad. Between 1880 and 1900 he also began writing about his ideas, developing them into a systematic method, which he then presented in 1900 at the World's Fair in Paris. As the twentieth century opened, he began travelling extensively, making headlines by teaching German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II to speak English. Berlitz's fame continued to spread as he received medals of honor from

1950-473: The allowances were repaid. In August 2013 Nova announced that they were non-renewing the contract of a teacher, in effect firing him. The teacher had a medical condition that made commuting difficult, but had never caused him to be late or affected his work. Previously the company had reduced his hours for two years in a row, which had resulted in him being removed from the Japanese government social insurance. As

2015-452: The case on their behalf, and after threats of losing their jobs and attempts to evict teachers from city-provided accommodation, the GU won direct hire for 4 out of 7 members from the Kurashiki board of education, and the other three members got dispatch positions in other areas in Okayama. The GU also demanded that Interac enroll all its teachers in unemployment insurance . In Autumn 2009

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2080-431: The class entirely in French (with no translation) by using gestures, pointing to objects and using tone of voice and facial expressions to convey meaning. Berlitz returned to the class six weeks later to find that his students, who had spoken little to no French before Joly began teaching, were conversing semi-fluently in French. Their pronunciation and grammar were also very good. Berlitz used this experience to develop

2145-452: The company and gained continued employment at 100% payment of salary while negotiations were ongoing. In 1994, after two Nova instructors were arrested on drug charges in August and September, Nova asked all 3,100 instructors to sign an agreement to have a mandatory drug test, the results of which would be reported to the police. The drug test only applied to foreign staff. This action led to

2210-408: The company should directly pay for the hotel rather than requiring the teacher to do so and then reimbursing them. The company immediately involved a lawyer, who responded to the union, and negotiations were held on August 6, 2012, with the company to respond to the union's demands in writing by August 17, 2012 The union subsequently announced that the company had agreed to prepay for hotels when it

2275-686: The company was thereafter passed to Jacques Strumpen-Darrie. Jacques' son Robert succeeded his father as president in 1953. In the 1950s, Berlitz opened its first Latin American language center in Mexico, followed by locations in Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru. In 1966, Berlitz reached Asia, starting with a language center in Tokyo. Today there are more than 90 Berlitz centers in Asia. In 1966, Berlitz became

2340-633: The dispatch law and the employment security law. In response to the Labor Commission case brought by the GU against Interac, on July 26, 2010 the Osaka Labor Commission ruled that Interac had committed an unfair labor practice by refusing to hold collective bargaining with the union. As a result, Interac was ordered to hand-deliver an apology to the union, and banned from bidding on government projects in Osaka Prefecture. Interac appealed

2405-452: The end of 1993 the union claimed 140 members, almost half of whom were Japanese, and two more language school branches; Osaka YMCA and Berlitz. 1994 saw the bankruptcies of two language schools in Japan. On 25 March Attony went bankrupt and teachers formed a General Union branch in order to deal with their lost wages. The General Union's experience with Attony was then used to help teachers at Bilingual which went bankrupt on 25 July. These were

2470-459: The fact that Japanese teachers, who are the majority of Peppy's teaching staff, were not enrolled in unemployment insurance, and also work longer hours than the foreign staff. A new confidentiality agreement was proposed which the union saw as an attempt to "intimidate JTs [Japanese Teachers] and put them in their place". Subsequently the company non-renewed the chair of the GU union branch, after eight years of employment. The company claimed that he

2535-568: The first of more bankruptcies that would follow in the 90s and ending with the major NOVA bankruptcy in 2007. Another major event of 1994 in the language teaching industry was the September arrest of a NOVA teacher for possession of marijuana. This led the school to demand the drug testing of all its foreign employees. On 6 September, the General Union NOVA branch was declared to the company. Union members refused to be drug tested which led to

2600-532: The government had turned down the request for enrolment. After a number of incidents where union members were harassed by students in their workplaces, in 2013 the union appointed both male and female sexual harassment officers to be a contact point for those who have suffered sexual harassment. The general union consists of three main areas, the Industrial and Commercial Sector , the Schools and Colleges Sector , and

2665-418: The longest and largest sustained strike among language teachers in Japan. Berlitz filed suit against the union for damages it says it suffered during the strike, but the claim was rejected by the Tokyo District Court on February 27, 2012. Within a week Berlitz appealed the ruling to the high court, with the first court date being on May 28, 2012. The final hearing was held on December 27, 2012, when an agreement

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2730-530: The monthly premium amount. The General Union (Osaka) has official consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). A GU member working a 29.5-hour-per-week contract at an ALT dispatch agency requested the Japan Pension Service to enroll them in shakai hoken (health insurance and pension) after their company refused to do so. The Japan Pension Service has

2795-595: The next month. In 2014 a Coco Juku employee who was resigning requested his pay within the seven days mandated by law, and was refused. The General Union became involved and made contact with Nichii Gakkan , the parent company of Coco Juku. Nichii Gakkan ordered Coco Juku to make the payment within the seven days, which the company did. After the closing down of the company was announced in early 2019, instructors teaching English were offered either three months severance package or to be transferred to Gaba Corporation, also owned by Nichii Gakkan. The General Union negotiated with

2860-425: The past 30 years in order to substantially reduce the conditions guaranteed in the collective bargaining agreement, threatening to lay off up to half of the contract teachers if the givebacks were not agreed to. While the situation at Berlitz is different from country to country, in Japan there has been substantial industrial action , including the 2007–2008 Berlitz Japan strike organised by Begunto, which grew into

2925-528: The ruling to the Central Labor Commission in Tokyo, and on February 28, 2011 a settlement was brokered between Interac and the GU. In July 2012 the GU founded a branch at Peppy Kids Club . The branch was formally declared to the company, and demands made for the working rules to be available to all staff, an explanation of how the company ensures all staff are enrolled in unemployment insurance , and that when teachers are sent on business trips, that

2990-528: The same day. In February 2022, all shares of Berlitz Corporation held by Benesse Holdings were transferred to Berlitz Holdings, a company established through a 100% investment by ILSC Holdings LP (which owns ILSC Education Group, a company engaged in language education businesses such as study abroad). At the same time, the Board of Directors of Benesse Holdings transferred all shares of Berlitz Japan (15.75% of all shares held by Benesse) to Berlitz. Maximilian Berlitz

3055-530: The teacher's condition was made worse by stress, he didn't pursue this. After he was non-renewed, the GU protested strenuously, meeting company representatives on August 21. Union representatives criticised the Nova for a "lack of humanity" and raised the prospect of demonstrations over the issue. During the meeting Nova withdrew the non-renewal. The GU branch of the Osaka-based English conversation school ECC

3120-416: The union before terminating, transferring or changing the working conditions of any union member. Resolving various grievances dealing with dismissals, health insurance, unfair treatment of teachers. Article 23 of Japan's Labor Standards Act states that when a worker completes work for an employer their final payment should be paid within seven days. Coco Juku does not follow this rule and pays employees

3185-455: The union's first foreign member had joined from HAL English School regarding a dispute with wages. By its founding the General Union had already started to establish itself among language school teachers and foreign language teachers. During its first year the union also became involved with study groups for civil servants' employment rights, and established links with other immigrant groups namely Asian Friends (a joint employment problems hotline

3250-401: The union's first strike. In 1993 the GU's first major language school branches were formed. Union members participated in the 1993 Shunto . One picketed employer was IES regarding a Canadian English teacher who was dismissed. By the end of August the union claimed 100 members and had four workplace branches. One branch consisted of foreign instructors working for Interac . The Interac Branch

3315-560: The union, and the GU filed an unfair labor practice with the Osaka Labor Relations Commission over the company's breaches of the Trade Union Act of 1949 . The union advised the company that they planned to push ahead with strike action, and the company counteracted by removing the branch chair from the teaching schedule, and began calling other teachers wanting to know details of strikes, which intimidated teachers and

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3380-400: The union. In 2010, employees of Berlitz language centers in Germany experienced a major labor conflict, as management planned to lay off nearly 70 contract teachers in order to economize with a staff of freelancers. Maximilian Berlitz Maximilian Delphinius Berlitz (or Maximilien Berlitz , born David Berlizheimer ; April 14, 1852 – April 6, 1921) was a linguist and the founder of

3445-604: Was a need for a larger union presence in English language schools the General Union held two public meetings for foreign teachers. On 23 March 1992 the first meeting signed up 60 new members and was reported widely in the press. 1992 also brought the first non-English speaking foreign workers to the union. The union represented Filipino workers at Tanaka Metal Works and Brazilian dispatch workers in Gunma at Takechi Rubber. The General Union's first branch representing foreign university teachers

3510-487: Was as a teacher of French and German at Warner Polytechnic College, of which he assumed control in 1878 when the owner of the school, Mr. Warner, disappeared with all the prepaid tuition money. When Berlitz became ill, and was unable to teach a French class, he quickly hired Nicholas Joly to replace him and teach the class. Since he had always corresponded with Joly in French, he did not realize that Joly did not speak any English until after he had hired him. Joly taught

3575-568: Was born in Germany in 1852, the son of a family of teachers and mathematicians. He emigrated to the United States in 1870, settling in Westerly, Rhode Island. In 1877 Berlitz moved to Providence, Rhode Island where he was an instructor of languages at the Bryant and Stratton National Business College, later to become Warner's Polytechnic Business College after an ownership change. "The Berlitz Method" uses

3640-408: Was decided that a general union type union was necessary to help both individual workers and groups of otherwise unorganized workers deal with their employment problems. On 12 June 1991, the General Union was founded at a meeting at Apio Osaka. During the preparatory period prior to the founding the General Union had already organized a union branch at ELC Junior among female Japanese teachers. In May,

3705-428: Was declared on February 26, 1996. Since then the union has achieved quite a few things at ECC, including English pay slips, flexible paid holidays, unemployment insurance , health and pension insurance, a toll-free number for Kinki district sub-teachers, improved emergency evacuation procedures, a pre-consultation agreement to consult with the union before making changes that affect union members, and mandatory training

3770-405: Was fired for poor performance and that he "failed to improve as a teacher", but according to the union the teachers evaluations had been in the 96-97% range so this reason was simply a pretext and the real reason for the dismissal was union busting . The union demanded that the firing be revoked, with a deadline of November 8, 2012, but the company declined to do so. This led other teachers to join

3835-583: Was for a time the CEO of Berlitz International . General Union The General Union ( ゼネラルユニオン , zeneraru yunion ) is a labor union founded in 1991 and headquartered in Osaka , Japan . Membership is open to all nationalities and all workers. It has members working in trading companies, factories and restaurants but the majority of members are teachers and staff who are employed in language education at private conversation schools , high schools and universities in

3900-459: Was formed in May and by August had already gone on strike against unfair labour practices regarding the dismissal of a union member. The company later withdrew the dismissal and the strike was won. This first strike at Interac would mark the beginning of a long dispute between the union and the company and would give the union its first major nationwide coverage on prime time television and newspapers. By

3965-426: Was founded at Hannan University. The union's intervention prevented the university from lowering the per class rate for teachers. In what would become a precursor to the union's campaigns over social insurance in the late 1990s and throughout 2000, the union held a seminar titled, "Social Insurance and Tax for foreigners" on 8 November 1992. A strike winning two months' bonus at ELC Junior on 17 July 1992 also marked

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4030-432: Was necessary for teachers to stay in them for one or two nights. The company claimed this was always official policy nationwide and that where it did not happen, it was a result of communication errors between head office and a branch office. The union also announced that the company would now reimburse teachers for receipts even when there were small errors with the company name written on the receipt. The union highlighted

4095-545: Was run on 2 and 3 September) and with RINK (Rights of Immigrants Network in Kansai) in which the General Union was a founding organization. While the union's attempts to establish itself among civil servants did not bear fruit, the union's work with foreign language teachers continued to expand. In 1991, the union also dealt with employment problems at Neverland English School (paid holidays, unpaid wages), OIC (Oxford), and IES (International Educational Services). Believing that there

4160-511: Was secured. In the university sector the General Union started its long battle against contract renewal limits. On 31 March a union member was fired by Osaka Gakuin University after three-year contract limits were opposed. The union's battle went to the Supreme Court of Japan and was featured in a Newsweek article. Seven teachers at Otemon Gakuin University also joined the university and formed

4225-414: Was struck between Berlitz and the union. Berlitz withdrew their high court lawsuit and new rules for collective bargaining were also established. They will again be conducted in English, after the language was changed to Japanese previously. Berlitz also promised to disclose more financial information to the union. The company also agreed to pay a base-up raise to current union members plus a lump sum bonus to

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