Becoming an OAJ member is worth it

OAJ carries out diverse advocacy work and influencing, for which it is difficult to calculate a precise price tag. Safeguarding the basic terms and conditions of the collective agreement and the professional status of teachers requires continuous negotiation and influencing work. In addition, OAJ offers its members a comprehensive range of services and benefits to support both work and leisure.

Did you know that labour union fees are fully tax deductible? While the average annual union fee of an OAJ member is EUR 395, the calculated value of the tax deduction for the union fee is only approximately EUR 160.

A member of OAJ receives many monetary benefits with their union fee. By paying a few hundred euros, you can save thousands of euros. For example, membership benefits can be converted into benefits counted in euros.

With the membership fee you can save thousands!

Example: A teacher's monthly salary is 2 573, and they become unemployed for the summer. As a member, they receive a total of 3 016 in earnings-related daily allowance for the summer. If they were not a member of the Education and Science Unemployment Fund, they would receive a basic daily allowance of 1 452, which in this example is less than half of the earnings-related daily allowance.

Example: Errors can sometimes occur in salary payments. If an employee or an OAJ shop steward notices that salary supplements have not been paid to everyone, they can contact the employer to rectify the issue. After the correction, the member receives the salary they are entitled to.

Example: A member has had to rely on OAJ's legal team for assistance due to their work. An OAJ lawyer reviews written documents for three hours and consults with the member for an hour over the phone. Obtaining this help externally would have cost at least  700 euros.

OAJ is one of the most active providers of training among professional organizations. A diverse range of training is organized for members by the OAJ office as well as by local, regional, or national associations.

Example: A member participates in two webinars annually. One is organized at the regional level, and the other by the central organization. The estimated cost is based on the speaker's fee, staff, and IT system expenses. The estimated cost per participant for one training session is 20 euros, making the total cost 40 euros.

A yearly subscription to the Opettaja magazine is free for members. For other subscribers, an annual subscription costs 103 euros.

Explore the Opettaja magazine online

OAJ membership includes a comprehensive insurance package through Turva. The package also includes professional liability and legal protection insurance, which cannot be directly purchased by individuals. Additionally, OAJ members are entitled to significant discounts on other Turva insurance products. Members are also eligible for the most affordable life insurance on the market from Kaleva.

OAJ members are entitled to a comprehensive insurance package through Turva, which includes leisure-time accident insurance, travel insurance, baggage insurance, travel liability insurance, travel legal protection insurance, as well as professional liability and legal protection insurance.

The travel insurance also covers children (living in the same household) and grandchildren traveling with the member.

Example: A member falls ill during a trip abroad in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
One day of hospitalization in Dubai cost a total of 1 540 euros.

Example: Holiday Club organizes annual draws for affordable vacation weeks for members. For example, the savings on a vacation week in Lapland are at least 400 euros compared to the regular price.

Example: The estimated value of the discount is on average 40 euros per night. If a member stays at a hotel twice a year with OAJ member rates, they save a total of 80 euros.

Example: The estimated savings from Member+ service benefits is 20 euros per used service or product. If a member takes advantage of a Member+ service benefit twice a year, they save 40 euros.

Example: A member participates once a year in a cultural event organized by their local association, such as a theater trip. The costs include the theater ticket, travel expenses, and possible refreshments, which in this example amount to 50 euros per member.

The Educa fair, organized by OAJ and the Finnish Fair Corporation, is the largest event for the education and training sector, held every year at the beginning of the year. These popular fairs are free for participants. On average, tickets for expert events like these cost around 20 euros.

Learn more about the annual Educa fair

All OAJ associations hold official meetings open to members, such as annual meetings (spring and autumn) and meetings for the board and other possible bodies.

Example: A member attends the annual meeting once a year, which includes a meal. The benefit the member receives covers the cost of the meal, venue rental, and other related expenses. In this example, the costs were 40 euros per member.

Example: A member has compared mortgage offers and received the best offer from OAJ's partner, Danske Bank. They took out a loan of 200 000 euros and automatically received a better interest margin, which decreased from 0.5 % to 0.4 % due to their membership. 

This results in savings of approximately 200 euros per year in loan costs. Additionally, they received the loan without a processing fee, which would have been 1 200 euros (normally 0.6 % of the loan amount).