Read the update article:
http://www.thepulse.cl/2009/10/12/update-work-stoppage-continues-mass-firings-loom-near/
As of Wednesday evening, October 7th, the Sam Marsalli Audio-Visual Institute of English has suspended its classes throughout Santiago as well as Concepción due to a massive teacher strike. Classes are scheduled to resume Tuesday, barring further action by the school’s director or the teachers.
The administrative campus of the Sam Marsalli Institute (Providencia) sat open but devoid of students today.
The school, well-known in the English teaching community as a provider of English courses for over 30 years, has been plagued with strike issues due to non-payment of salaries in the past year. Although verbal agreements have been reached between Mr. Marsalli and the teachers in the past regarding the timely payment of salaries – by Chilean law, workers must be paid by the fifth business day of a new month for the previous month’s work – they have apparently not been honored.
The strike was announced yesterday afternoon after many of the teachers in Santiago, and all teachers in Concepcion, did not receive their paychecks. When a group of approximately 25 teachers congregated in the institute’s administrative campus to talk to the director, Mr. Marsalli initially declined to address the group, and then abruptly announced that his wife had just been in a car accident and left. He has not returned to work since the incident, and none of the remaining teachers has been paid as of presstime.
Asked about the grievances that led to the strike, an unnamed teacher commented, “You have a deadline to pay your bills at the end of every month. In general, they’re supposed to be paid the last day of the month. You will get a grace period until the 5th of the month, but that’s it. He [Marsalli] knows that.” He explained further, “Some of the teachers have ended up having to pay lots of penalties, and i’ve even heard of one teacher getting evicted because he couldn’t pay his rent on time, and getting utilities cut off and things. These things are vital! There are even some teachers who have contacted lawyers about this.”
Because the institute hires almost exclusively foreign teachers from the U.S., Canada and the UK, their workforce is especially vulnerable to being taken advantage of: not knowing the law, not being able to change work visa paperwork, and not speaking much or any Spanish is a common complaint when asked why more teachers don’t take legal action.
Another employee, former supervisor Keith Harrington, went on record with his statement about his former employer. “[In the approximately 3 years that I worked there]… we have had two strikes including now, but basically every month you had to beg for your money.” When asked about the possible motivation behind canceling classes for an entire week in response to the strike, he continued, “I think he does it to show the teachers who is ‘in charge,’ and to avoid embarrassment. He… doesn’t deal with confrontation well.”
Though the administrative offices of the school were functional today, Mr. Marsalli did not go in to work and therefore was unavailable for comment. The strike will presumably continue until all teachers are paid.
[Editor's note: in the interest of fair reporting, it should be noted that several employees of our media organization, I Love Chile, have worked as teachers in a contractor position for the Sam Marsalli Institute. This includes the author.]
by Zoë Vercelli, Editor
zoe.vercelli@thepulse.cl
Finally a publication that has the cojones to speak out about Sam Marsalli and this very sad operation that has permitted him to take advantage of foreigners and Chileans alike with his dubious administrative practices and patheticaly outdated methodology and materials. Down with THE SAM!!
Great article! Finally the truth will be known!
He still owes me money and I quit at the end of August!!! DOWN WITH THE SAM, Don’t let anybody waste their time working there or their money studying there!
I was informed by many teachers at different English schools that when I was at Sam Marsalli I was the lowest paid teacher in Santiago and I was getting ripped off. Countless times my landlords were chasing me for rent and I had to explain that I didn’t know when my pay was coming. People need to start refusing to sign up to work there and stop him from treating his teachers like he does.
I agree with all of you, I’d personally thought of taking this to the news, but what about the older teachers?? the ones who have a lot of trouble getting a job in another place and really need the cash?? and the people in administration??
All of the teachers and people that have money owed to them need to get together on a set date…and go to the inspecion del trabajo..this is abuse,he expects us to be on time to class, he expects us to hand in our hours, he expects many things, all the teachers expect is to be paid on time…!!!, and the full amount, not with some hours that have mysteriously dissapared as in my case and many other teachers cases has happened.
In interviews with Mr Sam Marsalli himself, teachers were promised:
1. a salary high enough to put you in middle class
2. to be paid before the fifth working day of each month
3. a training bonus, to be received after working for four months
(as you don’t get paid for your training sessions)
4. a yearly bonus, which calculates to be an average months salary
5. a letter of recommendation and a certificate stating how many hours you worked
Everything here is large stretch of the truth.
What he doesn’t tell you is that
1. If you make an attempt to confront him about any of those promises mentioned you will lose your classes, hence a large decline in your salary.
2. He doesn’t actually pay on time, and in some cases, he doesn’t pay you at all.
3. There is no attempt on his behalf to relate to his employees, which fosters a feeling of ill will.
4. If you wish to leave the Institute, for any reason, Sam Marsalli, will do his best to make your life difficult. Not paying on time, making you have to change your travel plans, threatening to jeopardize your visa.
Ensure to pack your bags, as your going on a guilt trip! To get your owed monies, you will have to sit in his office for days, maybe even weeks until you receive something.
This was the situation when I was working there a year ago, and by the sounds of these teachers comments, it’s still happening.
Just want to let you know that tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 10am, there will be a demonstration of numbers by all the teachers, and CNN Chile has been invited to cover it. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY JOINING US!!!
When: Tuesday, October 12, 10am
Where: Providencia Campus – Los Leones 1095
Why: Sam Marsalli has threatened to FIRE ALL TEACHERS INVOLVED IN LABOR STOPPAGE, even though many of us have not been paid
Please help us spread the word and join us!!!!
This looks really serious!!!!!!! I am a Sam Marsalli student and I’m worried about this. because there’s a clear thing: Mr. Sam Marsalli is not being honest and respectful with the teachers. I hope he change his mind because this course it’s really important to me!!!! I want classes… but I support the teachers I understandt how does it feel to be in this situation …. IN CHILE…. you know… What I mean..
Someone can tell us tommorow october 12 some news????
We are very grateful to have the support of the students. Ultimately, it is the students’ complaints that will change things for everyone. None of us wants our students to suffer because of this work stoppage, but obviously we cannot work for free!
Just want to let you know that tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 10am, there will be a demonstration of numbers by all the teachers, and CNN Chile has been invited to cover it. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY JOINING US!!!
When: Tuesday, October 12, 10am
Where: Providencia Campus – Los Leones 1095
Why: Sam Marsalli has threatened to FIRE ALL TEACHERS INVOLVED IN LABOR STOPPAGE, even though many of us have not been paid
Please help us spread the word and join us!!!!
[...] Daily News: Teachers’ strike shuts down English school [...]
Sam and Peggy are both major scumbags and liars.