The acting General Secretary of the ASTI, John White, has urged the association to decide whether its exclusion from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and from social partnership negotiations is in the best interest of its 17,000 members.
For the past six years the ASTI has been split over participation in social partnership, while the association pulled out of the ICTU in January 2000.
Addressing the annual conference in Cork, Mr White appealed for unity.
PLC courses to get 100 new teachers
The Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, has meanwhile announced 100 extra teaching positions for post Leaving Certificate courses.
Ms Hanafin told the TUI conference in Dublin today that the new posts are planned for the next academic year.
Ms Hanafin also addressed concerns about school discipline. She told TUI delegates that a task force is due to produce preliminary recommendations by June.
The minister said that it is not acceptable that a small minority of students can interfere with the learning opportunities of others.
