Join the union!
When the workload increases, you are wondering about your salary or you need help in a problem situation, you are not alone. OAJ defends your rights and supports you through all stages of working life.
The union fee is approximately 1 per cent of your salary and includes advocacy, legal services, insurance and membership benefits.
Who can join OAJ?
You can become a member if:
- You work as a teacher or in a comparable position in the education or research sector
- You work as a principal or in another managerial position in the teaching or research sector
- You are in charge of other tasks related to education or training, such as administration, planning or research
- You do not currently work in the teaching sector or have no employment relationship, but you have a teacher’s qualifications
- You do not have a teacher’s qualifications, but you are primarily under an employment contract that is valid for a school term.
In early childhood education, the union accepts as members persons who work as teachers or in supervisory duties in early childhood education and have completed degrees in social education and the Bachelors of Social Services.
Membership does not require citizenship of Finland.
The process of becoming a member
- Authenticate your identity with your bank credentials or mobile certificate and go to the membership application
- Fill in your personal information, educational information and employment information as instructed
- Choose your association according to your region, profession and duties
- After association selection, check the amount of your union fee
- Indicate whether you also want to join the unemployment fund
- Submit the application. You will receive a confirmation e-mail
- Wait for confirmation of membership approval.
Your membership starts on the date you specified on the membership form. We process the forms in the order of arrival. Especially when a school term starts or ends, the processing times may be long. Even if the processing of applications takes a while, it does not postpone the date of approval of membership.
Your membership depends on the field of education and educational institution in which you work or where you have the most teaching hours. If your workplace or teaching hours are transferred to another educational institution, you will change your association accordingly.
You can join OAJ through a teacher association, if there is one, or a local association operating in your employer’s area of activity.
If you are not in an employment relationship, your membership is primarily determined by your place of residence and your teacher education. The decision to approve a membership is made by the executive board of OAJ’s local association in accordance with the Association Act.
Do you need help with joining the union? Almost every school, educational institution and ECEC centre has an OAJ contact teacher or person who will advise you on how to join.
When you switch to OAJ from another trade union, you can use the joining form to provide an authorisation for resignation. OAJ will submit the authorisation for resignation on your behalf to the trade union and the unemployment fund once your membership has been processed.
You must change your trade union and unemployment fund membership within 30 days of leaving your previous union. This ensures that the months of employment, i.e. the insurance periods, accumulated during your previous trade union or unemployment fund membership are transferred to the Ote unemployment fund with your membership.
If you want to handle the transfer yourself, you should not resign from your previous trade union and unemployment fund until you have received confirmation of your membership.
Please note that you can only change your unemployment fund while you are employed. You cannot change your unemployment fund if you are unemployed, laid off, on child care leave or study leave, for example, even if your employment relationship is valid.
Benefit from membership – benefits worth thousands of euros
We protect your interests wherever decisions are made about you and your work. As a member, you have access to the services of a local union representative trained by OAJ.
Through local and regional associations, members can also influence what kind of things we strive to improve. Through the activities, you will meet colleagues and be part of an inspiring community.
Have things been organised in a smart way in your municipality or workplace? As a member, you can rely on the help of a trade union representative, an occupational safety and health representative and OAJ’s lawyers whenever there are problems related to your work.
The legal expenses insurance taken by OAJ covers legal expenses in disputes and criminal proceedings arising during an employment relationship. The expenses ceiling for the legal expenses insurance is EUR 50,000.
Learn more about the professional liability and legal expenses insurance for members
Your OAJ membership includes traveller insurance, luggage insurance and travel liability insurance. The traveller insurance also covers children and grandchildren under the age of 20 travelling with a member.
Read more about the traveller insurance for members
All OAJ members are insured with Turva’s leisure-time accident insurance. It includes cover for accident-related medical expenses, permanent disability and death.
How about a snowy holiday in Lapland, a refreshing cruise or a spa weekend? Or do you prefer exercise and reading for relaxation? As a member, you get many valuable benefits on various products and services.
A Holiday Club holiday week draw is organised twice a year. Members are notified of this in good time in the member newsletter sent out every month. You can get a last-minute holiday at Holiday Club destinations for a discount of up to half the price.
Synsam, Instrumentarium, Nissen and Keops offer OAJ members a 30 per cent discount on regular-priced glasses.
The discount also applies to family members!
Are you buying a new apartment? Or is it time to put your current mortgage out to tender?
As a member, you get a Danske Bank mortgage at a lower margin than without a membership, and you do not need to pay a service fee or commission.
In addition, if necessary, you can get an instalment-free period of 4 to 12 months without service fees – you save EUR 200 at a time!
Read more about Danske Bank’s mortgage and investment service benefits
The annual subscription of the Opettaja magazine, which is published every month, is free of charge. For other subscribers, the annual subscription costs EUR 103.