Union of Education Norway was founded on 2 October 2001. Geir Røsvoll is the President of Union of Education Norway from January 1, 2024, with Ann Mari Milo Lorentzen and Thom Bjørnar Jambak as Vice Presidents.

A short description

Union of Education Norway (Utdanningsforbundet) is Norway’s largest union for the education sector and is at present the country’s second largest trade union. We represent professionals with teacher and academic qualifications within the entire Norwegian educational system. We have members working as teachers or leaders in early childhood education, in primary and secondary education and training, as well as in the college and university sector. We also have members working with the Educational Psychological Service, at special education centers, in adult education and in administration.

A provider of premises and a driving force

Union of Education Norway is a democratic organization with elected officials at all levels. Membership in our union provides our members with significant influence over their jobs and over educational policies and working conditions.

Organisation

The National Congress is held once every four years and is Union of Education Norway’s highest governing body. It ratifies the overall policies and statutes for the Union and elects the The Executive Board and Committee of Representatives. The Executive Board comprises of the President, two Vice Presidents and ten members and is responsible for following up the decisions made at the National Congress. The Committee of Representatives meets two to three times per year to take financial decisions and discuss issues of principle.

Union of Education Norway’s members are associated through five defined member groups with their own forum at the central and regional level. The Executive Board has six advisory committees. Members at the workplace level are organised through the ‘Club’ and communicate with the employer through an elected representative. A board of representatives at municipality (357) and county level (15) constitutes the local and regional level of the organization.

Core values and ethics

Union of Education Norway’s core values and ethical principles are based on human rights, essential democratic values such as freedom, equality,solidarity and on the professional ethics for the teaching profession . The basic values of the teaching profession are human values and human rights, respect and equality, professional integrity and respect for privacy.

All members and union representatives must act in accordance with the the unions’ core values and ethical principles.

Mission

Union of Education Norway aims to influence social development through visible contributions in the national political debate according to our core values and ethics. Our goal is to contribute to the development of a society characterised by tolerance and respect for differences and diversity. The education sector is an important arena for developing democracy and encouraging tolerance in a culturally complex society.

In this sense the organisation is political, but we are not tied to any particular party or political movement. The foundations for our interventions in the political debate will always be our role as teachers. Our main concern is to help develop an educational system of high quality that offers free and equal public education for all.

Union of Education Norway’s statutes

The purpose for the Union of Education Norway as stated in the statutes is:

Union of Education Norway is a politically independent organisation. It is not associated with any political party. It exists to represent professionals with a teacher education working within the education sector at all levels in the Norwegian education system.

Union of Education Norway shall strive to protect the interests of its members in issues regarding salaries, pension, working conditions, and in professional matters and in relation to educational policies.

Union of Education Norway shall strive to provide children, adolescents and adults with quality education and training and work to make education play a vital role in society.

International work

Union of Education Norway has a significant international engagement both in international solidarity work and work in or in relation to international organisations.  Much of our international work is channelled through or connected to work at Education International (EI), www.ei-ie.org.

Unio – our union centre

Union of Education Norway is a member of Unio (the Confederation of Unions for Professionals, Norway), with over 400.000 members. Unio is responsible for central salary negotiations and agreements.

Unio has thirteen member unions that include the Union of Education Norway, the Norwegian Nurses’ Organization, the Norwegian Association of Researchers, the Norwegian Police Federation, the Norwegian Physiotherapist Association, the Norwegian Ergonomics Association, the Church of Norway Pastors’ Association, the Norwegian University or College Graduate Union, the Norwegian Association of Deacons, the Association of Tax Accountants, the Norwegian Society of Radiographers, the Norwegian Union of Marine Engineers and the Norwegian Union of Librarians.

For more information, please go to www.unio.no.

Student members

Lærerstudentene, the association for student teachers, is an affiliate of Union of Education Norway.  Among other goals, Lærerstudentene works to improve the quality of the various types of teacher education and fights for the rights of its members during their years of study. For more information about student members, please visit www.pedagogstudentene.no

Information channels

Our website provides information on the union and its activities, its publications, information on salaries, agreements and issues relating to the profession.

Union of Education Norway on web

Union of Education Norway publishes a professional trade union journal called ‘Utdanning’ (Education), in addition to the professional journals ‘Bedre Skole’ (Better School – the relationship between profession and research), ‘Første Steg’ (First Step – especially for early childhood education) and ‘Yrke’ (Trade – especially for VET).

The union also arranges an array of workshops and conferences for members and non-members. Union of Education Norway can be found on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Union of Education Norway on Facebook