The ASTI looks set for another damaging internal row with some members demanding that it rejoin the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Several Munster branches of the union have put down a motion for its annual conference early next month urging the union to rejoin Congress. The ASTI left the body over two years ago because it claimed Congress had not done enough to advance the issue of teachers' pay.
The motion has been tabled by five branches, mainly in Limerick and Cork. These branches are loyal to the ASTI leadership, some of whom are believed to support the motion.
The wording reads: "That this Convention decides that it is in the interest of members that the ASTI seeks to reaffiliate to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions."
The motion is likely to be fiercely resisted by hardline members of the union who regard the idea of rejoining Congress as an admission that its 30 per cent pay claim has failed.
This group is also opposed to the ICTU because of the serious involvement in Congress of INTO general secretary Senator Joe O'Toole, who has sharply criticised ASTI tactics.
Two years ago several attempts were made by senior Congress representatives, including general secretary Mr Peter Cassells, to persuade the ASTI to remain members. This included Mr Cassells addressing leading members in ASTI headquarters in Dublin's Winetavern Street.
However, the union's standing committee voted to leave and since then the union has become detached from the broad trade union movement. This included not taking part in talks on the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
The union's conference, in Bundoran, Co Donegal, is expected to be contentious but not as strained as last year. Many ASTI members are awaiting the publication of the benchmarking report before they decide what kind of action should be taken next.
Meanwhile, the union said yesterday the teaching and learning of Irish at second level was in need of a "radical overhaul".
The union's president, Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, said teachers were extremely concerned about the lack of support and resources for the teaching of the language.