The Point: December 2015 - Independent Education Union

Contracting out
VIT and TRB
A new contract?
Looking back on the year and wishing
all our members a happy holiday season.
Page 3
Page 7
Page 9
Pages 1, 4, 9 & 20
PRINT POST 100010937
VOLUME 5 NO 6 DECEMBER 2015
Reviewing our year
It was great to see around 70 Conference delegates and IEU officers gathered at the IEU
Conference Centre in mid-November to receive the annual report, hear from two guest
speakers and endorse the activist and union achievement awards.
GENERAL SECRETARY
DEBRA JAMES
UNION POWER
2015 has been a great year for the IEU
and I want to thank our members and
reps for their commitment, support
and solidarity.
I
t is only through the strength and
determination of members that we are
able to achieve so much together. The
long-running bargaining dispute in Tasmanian
Catholic schools was resolved earlier this year –
the culmination of a union-wide effort to vote
down an inferior employer Agreement, stand
up for a better deal and finally support a fair
outcome. Members also voted down inferior
Agreements in individual independent schools
across both states this year, standing their
ground for fairer outcomes.
We’ve been instrumental in getting
Agreements up in 27 schools so far this year,
and we are at the table at another 28 schools.
There are five schools in the process of making
their first-ever Agreement, thereby ensuring
wages and conditions above the minimum
standard of the relevant modern awards and
reflective of standards across the industry.
In Victorian Catholic schools we are in the
last year of an Agreement which saw rates
for teachers at the top of the scale hit $94,961
and a restructure of the Education Support
Staff classification structure delivering further
incremental movement and reclassification
opportunities for the hard-working and
dedicated support staff in our schools.
Through the power and resources of the
collective, we have the capacity to protect
and defend the rights of individual members.
2015 provided plenty of opportunities to help
hundreds of members with workplace issues.
Organisers were also kept busy working with
reps and sub-branches on issues affecting
members in workplaces, protecting and
defending their rights.
The only resources available to the IEU
come from our members and the fees they
pay. It’s teachers, education support staff and
principals who enable the IEU to be the voice
speaking out for members both individually
and collectively. Our strength comes also from
their engagement and commitment.
Season’s Greetings to all our reps,
members and friends, and best wishes for a
well-deserved break. Rest up for 2016 because
we’ll be back on deck in January ready for the
year ahead!
M
ark Williams, President of the
Union, opened Conference by
acknowledging and thanking
all IEU reps for their work throughout
the year. The Conference had two guest
speakers who talked on the issue of
climate change and on a new program
organised by Victorian Trades Hall Council
to provide legal advice and support to
young workers throughout the state.
Debra James, General Secretary, spoke
to the annual report which featured the
achievements of the union over the last year
and looked forward to a campaign year in
the Victorian Catholic sector next year.
A snapshot was provided of the
outcomes and implementation of the
Tasmanian Catholic Agreement which
took over 2 years to achieve and was the
result of the ongoing commitment of
our members in Tasmania. Significant
achievements for support staff and
recognition of teachers’ duties in relation
to homeroom and pastoral care were the
highlights of the Agreement. Progress of
the merger with TISTA and an increased
presence in bargaining in independent
schools was also discussed.
Reports were made on the progress
of bargaining in Victorian independent
schools, as well as the work currently
being undertaken on the new ES
classification scale in Victorian Catholic
schools. Other work in this sector include
the publication of the Occupational
Violence guidelines, the review of fixedterm contracts and the resolution of
a number of implementation issues
from the last Agreement.
Conference also presented delegates
with a summary of the union’s activities
in the areas of training, campaigning,
communications and lobbying around
education issues.
For more details including Award
winners, see pages 10-11.
A new classification structure in Tasmania
In preparation for the negotiation of a new
classification structure for school support
employees in Tasmanian Catholic schools,
the IEU Victoria Tasmania undertook a
survey of its members to gain a picture
of the pattern of classification and to get
feedback on the current structure.
How does the current
structure work?
The current classification
structure for school support
staff in Catholic schools is
a complex and differing
picture. There are a number
of different occupational
groupings of employees
including Teacher Assistants,
School Counsellors,
Teaching Support staff
(Laboratory, Library, ICT),
Clerical Administrative
staff, and Utility employees,
who include cleaners,
bus drivers, building and
maintenance staff.
Each of these groupings
has a different classification
structure. For example,
Teacher Assistants have one
pay level only, while Clerical
Administrative staff have a
seven level structure which
relates to specific kinds of
duties. Each level has two
steps only which allows
one annual progression.
Progression between
the levels however only
occurs if the duties of the
employee change.
In contrast, Teaching
Support employees have a
12 level structure which relates
purely to qualifications and
a certain number of years
of experience. An employee
with a particular qualification
is classified on a specified
step and progresses through
the levels based on years of
experience. However, those
with certain qualifications
cannot access the higher levels
of the structure, regardless of
the duties they perform.
School Counsellors do
not currently appear in
the classification structure,
and schools appear to be
classifying School Counsellors
with different tertiary
qualifications differently.
For example, those with a
teaching degree are paid
as teachers, those with
Psychology qualifications
might be paid in accordance
with the teaching scale,
and those with have a Social
Work degree seem to be
paid somewhere on the
School Support (Lab,
Library, ICT) scale.
How does this all
compare to the
Department of
Education?
The key difference is
that Teacher Assistants,
Clerical Administrative
staff and Teaching Support
staff in the Department
are all classified in
accordance with the same
10 level structure under the
Tasmanian State Services
Award – General Stream.
This structure is similar
in nature to the Victorian
Catholic Education Support
Staff structure in that
classification levels relate
to both levels of general
work descriptions such
as competence, decision
making, expertise and
qualification; as well as
types of indicative duties.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 >
2
THE POINT December 2015
Member Update For 2016
CONTACT US
/IEUvictas
@IEUnews
IEU Victoria Tasmania
You will shortly be receiving a new membership card and information
about updating your membership details for 2016.
EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES
T: (03) 9254 1860 FreeCall: 1800 622 889
W: www.ieuvictas.org.au
F: (03) 9254 1865
E: info@ieuvictas.org.au
CONTRIBUTIONS & LETTERS from members are welcome and should be
forwarded to: The Point PO Box 1320, South Melbourne 3205, or by email
to: ThePoint@ieuvictas.org.au
MELBOURNE OFFICE: 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank 3006
HOBART OFFICE: 379 Elizabeth Street, Nth Hobart 7000
You can check and update your details and fee category by visiting ‘Member Access’ on our
website at any time.
The Point is published by the Independent Education Union
Victoria Tasmania.
EDITORIAL CONTENT: Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by
D James, 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank 3006. Views expressed in
articles reflect those of the author and are not necessarily union policy.
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT
General Secretary: Deputy Secretary: President: Deputy President: Ordinary Members:
Patrick Bennett
Earl James
Andrew Wood
Debra James
Loretta Cotter
Mark Williams
Elisabeth Buckley
Andrew Dunne
Heather Macardy
School Officers:
Christine Scott
Catholic Secondary Council
President: Stephen Hobday Deputy: Ruth Pendavingh
Independent Council
President: Cara Maxworthy Deputy: Coralie Taranto
Member Access
Login to check and update your details in the ‘Member Access’ section of the website:
1
Visit ieuvictas.org.au and click ‘Member Access’.
2
Enter your username (your membership number) and
your password (your postcode).
3
Check your fee category and personal, payment and workplace details
and make any changes you need to make.
4
If you have any questions, or difficulty changing your details,
please get in contact with us on 9254 1860 or info@ieuvictas.org.au
Pay your 2016 membership in full before 31 January and you’ll receive
the Early Bird discount!
COUNCIL PRESIDENTS & DEPUTIES
Catholic Primary Council
President: Maree Shields
Deputy: Rachael Evans
We are proud to have a progressive fee scale designed to keep fees affordable for those on lower
incomes – but as your income increases (whether from increments, pay increases or change
to part-time hours) it’s vital that you ensure you are in the correct fee category. This helps
us to keep our fees low and fair, and will ensure that you are entitled to our full support and
representation as a financial member. We have introduced a new category at the top of the
scale for those earning over $105,000, and also a new category for those on parental leave.
Tasmanian Council
President: John Waldock Deputy: Jeremy Oliver
Principals’ Council
President: John Connors Deputy: Greg Lane
IEU OFFICE SUMMER HOURS
The IEU Victoria Tasmania Offices in Melbourne
and Hobart will be closed from 4.00pm on
Tuesday 22 December for the summer break.
The IEU Office will re-open with reduced hours of 9.00am
to 4.00pm from Monday 11 January and a Duty Officer
will be available to assist with urgent member enquiries.
Regular office hours (8.30am – 5.00pm, Mon-Thur,
8.30am – 4.30pm Fri) will resume Wednesday 27 January.
DECEMBER
22
For all non-urgent enquiries during the holiday period, including regarding
your membership, please email info@ieuvictas.org.au
Victorian Catholic Schools
Planning for the new Agreement
Page 3
Behind the Whiteboard
Advice and issues in brief
Page 4
Rep Profile
We meet Emma Rhodes
Page 5
Bargaining Roundup
Review of bargaining in independent schools
Page 6
New Organiser
Welcome Jeremy Oliver to the team!
Page 8
Annual Conference
We hear from the ACF and Young Workers Centre
Page 10
Principals
Retiring colleagues farewelled
Page 13
Student Teachers
Review of the year in universities
Page 17
International Roundup
A look at union activity around the world
Page 19
Summer Break
What are you doing over the holiday season?
Page 20
GRADUATE TEACHER INFORMATION
Kick Start Your Career
Get your career off to the right start by converting your student membership
to IEU graduate membership.
Why Become a Graduate Member?
■■ protection at work - all members are entitled to advice and representation
■■ expert legal support
■■ professional indemnity insurance
■■ publications and email bulletins to keep you up-to-date
■■ professional development opportunities
■■ Beginning Teacher conference.
The Special Graduate Offer
Student members who convert their membership before 31 January will get
their 2016 annual membership for $159.60, which can be paid in instalments
(half-yearly, quarterly, monthly, twice monthly depending on payment method).
First payment will be processed on 15 February.
Check your inbox for further details on converting your membership or
contact us on: info@ieuvictas.org.au
3
December 2015 THE POINT
Contracting out:
Are you insecure?
DEPUTY SECRETARY
LORETTA COTTER
In the last few weeks
there have been
notifications from a
number of Victorian
Catholic secondary
schools about decisions
to contract out canteen,
maintenance or
cleaning staff.
I
n one case, the school
presented a summary of an
external review at a staff
meeting that had mainly positive
recommendations, with one
sentence about the need for
further review of maintenance
and cleaning. Two days later, the
IEU and six staff were notified of
the College’s decision to outsource
their work. In another school, a
member with over two decades
of working in the school canteen
was called in to the principal’s
office and informed that canteen
operations would be run by an
external company next year.
We can certainly have a lot to
say, and we do, about breached
Victorian Catholic
Agreement update
timelines and lack of appropriate
information or consultation.
We can ensure compliance
with notice and redundancy
payments. We can represent and
advocate for members. What
we can’t often do is compel the
employer to make a different,
ethical and better decision. And
what makes my blood boil is
the way that these members of
a school community, with their
years of service and loyalty, can
be consigned to the scrap heap
in workplaces that promote an
ethos of justice and values.
Even if employees get picked
up by the new company, their
wages and conditions are no
suffer. Women and migrant
workers are usually affected more
seriously because the areas they
work in are more vulnerable – for
example, cleaning and catering.
We need to reduce, if not
eliminate, all forms of insecure
employment in non-government
education. In addition to our
increased vigilance about the
validity of fixed-term or casual
contracts, it is time to also
make contracting out an issue
for our Agreements and our
sub-branches. The number of
employees affected might be
small in overall figures, but we
have to hold true to our charter; a
union for all, not just the majority.
4 YT TEACHERS’ WAGE COMPARISONS – CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
No. of years
Teaching (4YT)
As the year winds to a close, the planning begins
on engaging with reps and members early next
year in the consultation and claim process for the
next round of bargaining in Catholic schools.
T
he current Agreement expires in October 2016, the
same date as the government sector. The Victorian state
government’s public sector wage policy is 2.5% with an
additional 0.5% available if there is an agreed service delivery
partnership. The IEU expects to kick off next year with member
and sub-branch consultation and then formally endorse the
new claim at May Council meetings.
A pressure will be to articulate a claim around workload
intensification that, if achieved, will actually result in better working
conditions in schools. Workload intensification has become the
sticking point for all members – principals, leadership, teachers and
education support staff. The other key areas will no doubt include
contract employment for graduate teachers and teacher aides,
stronger fences around part-time variations, and secure part-time
provisions when transitioning from full-time to retirement.
longer linked to the Agreement.
It is almost entirely predictable
that their overall conditions
will be inferior. There is no
guarantee at all that a company
will achieve greater efficiencies
and also produce a higher quality
of service. What seems to be
attractive to some schools is that
they no longer have to manage
the employee – he or she is
someone else’s responsibility.
The ACTU argues that cost
shifting by contracting out does
not necessarily result in savings,
the often used argument that
more flexible service delivery can
be achieved also doesn’t wash,
and standards of service generally
^
VIC
NSW^
ACT
QLD^^
TAS
SA ^^^
NT
WA ^^^^
1 Aug 15
1 Jan 15
1 Oct 15
1 Jul 14
1 Mar 15
1 Oct 14
3 Mar 15
6 Dec 15
1
63,356
62,447
66,504
61,636
61,088
65,289
65,792
68,598
2
65,694
65,659
69,864
63,100
64,228
68,888
69,095
71,307
3
68,118
67,352
73,326
66,400
67,537
72,520
72,395
76,199
4
70,631
72,100
76,589
69,708
71,013
76,184
75,692
81,051
5
73,238
75,317
79,951
73,037
74,678
79,879
78,993
86,994
6
75,940
78,534
83,311
75,805
78,552
83,604
84,455
92,632
7
78,742
81,479
88,914
78,586
82,519
87,360
87,755
94,685
8
81,648
84,972
94,517
81,352
86,348
91,749
91,057
96,744
9
84,661
93,138
84,279
90,007
94,357
100,535
10
87,785
11
94,961
NSW systemic schools receive another 2.5% increase on 1 January 2016, bringing the 4YT graduate
rate to 64,008 and the top of the automatic scale to 95,466
^^ QLD still in negotiations
^^^
SA still in negotiations
^^^^^ WA teachers have two years at top step before accessing another step which will be 105,625
4
THE POINT December 2015
The artist known as ‘Behind the Whiteboard’ is hiding behind the staffroom
Christmas tree, peaking through that parasitic vine, the berried mistletoe,
sometimes used for kissing beneath. None of that kissing stuff allowed at
the staff Christmas function. This is ‘Behind the Christmas Tree’.
TO ALL OUR ES MEMBERS, a card
with a cheque enclosed, very handy
for the Rosebud foreshore holiday,
as compensation for all the unpaid
overtime accrued over the year.
BTCT has been watching whether
you’ve been naughty or nice.
TO ALL OUR FIXED-TERMERS,
those on contracts for the second
or seventeenth time: a beautifully
wrapped envelope, lovely
Aldi ribbon, a revised Letter of
Appointment inside, you’ve been
declared ongoing. BTCT had a word
and a nudge to the boss, you can
now go out and get that mortgage
for the dream home in Doreen.
OUR TEACHING MEMBERS,
from VCE Accounting down to
pre-prep, as of 18 December (or
earlier for some), BTCT gives pupilfree lunchtimes on the Sunshine
Coast, meetingless afternoons and
evenings on European vacation,
the couch watching T20 free of a
pile of corrections, and the blessed
sleep-in without the pressure of
briefing and prayer at 8.25.
TO ALL PRINCIPAL MEMBERS,
a couple of buckets of love and
understanding, free of the concept
of global budgeting, at least 3
weeks clear of the pressure of
pleasing everyone all the time.
Christmas bliss!
TO OUR SUB-BRANCH REPS,
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS, ACTIVISTS AND
MEMBERS, all the joy you
get from belonging to an
organisation, a Union like ours.
Have an egg nog on me.
Christmas kisses and hugs
to all members from the BTCT,
and just an incidental glance in
the corridor for those charitably
known as non-members.
GO HOME ON TIME
Unfortunately, this is the most
infrequently used term in the
modern education setting. These
days, even if you do manage
to sneak out of the school car
park before 5.30pm, and begin
the daily conflict with cars,
bikes and pedestrians, ‘the drive
home’; you’re still faced with
the inevitability of home duties
and more school work after the
dishes are done. How much easier
would it be if your workload
was managed properly at the
workplace, preferably by you,
if there wasn’t a meeting every
night of the week, and if you could
leave the school grounds at a
reasonable hour?
This problem faced by school
staff is not dissimilar to many
sectors of the Australian work
force. Overwork, unpaid overtime,
stress at work, stress at home.
Thus, the Go Home on Time Day,
an initiative of the Australian
Institute.
The IEU Rep at St Patrick’s
College Launceston, Paul Mannion,
decided to get on the front foot
about the initiative. He emailed
all members at his school, noting
that the Consultative Committee
had already been discussing
issues around work/life balance.
‘Go Home On Time Day’ was
scheduled for 18 November,
employer reps supporting the day,
encouraging staff to participate.
Great work, Paul. Most member
families enjoyed slow cooked
lamb or a night at the movies on
this night, rather than a hastily
constructed pasta dish and
grumbles about more work.
Compare and contrast this
with some Catholic principals
in Victoria who still get uptight
about Clause 55, the ‘Hours of
Work’ clause, or some employer
reps in independent school
bargaining – ‘staff must be on
site for 38 hours a week, and are
forbidden to leave school grounds
during set hours of attendance’.
More info on this refreshing
approach to managing
workload can be found at
www.gohomeontimeday.org.au
FIXED-TERM SCOURGE
REQUIRES A FULL-TIME
PURGE
BTW has been reflecting on
his work this year. ‘What is the
thing about employer behaviour
that has annoyed me the most?’
Not incorrect salary assessments,
although they can take hours to
fix, parental leave questions about
when, how much and sometimes
if, ‘can they make me teach RE?’
All can be addressed objectively.
The bullying behaviour of some
employers is a very difficult area;
what a principal might regard
as reasonable management
direction to an employee often
manifests itself as a clear
pattern of bullying behaviour.
Recent access to the Fair Work
Commission in bullying cases is
providing greater opportunity
for member and union action to
address such behaviour.
Getting members off fixedterm employment into ongoing
positions is a challenge.
Employment should be of an
ongoing nature except in specific
situations, such as where specified
term employment is required
because approved leave has been
granted to another employee. How
can a member be compelled to
fixed-term employment because
of ‘funding’, ‘special project’ or the
‘possibility of redundancy’ when
they have been on contracts,
rolled over, for up to 15 years?
That’s been the experience of IEU
organisers in their travels.
In many situations, principals
have conceded that if an
employee was on a fixed-term
contract for 3 or 4 years or more,
and that for whatever reason
their employment could not
continue beyond their current
term, they would compensate
by paying a redundancy. Why
then would the principal not
have granted ongoing status in
the first place? The only potential
cost in granting any employee
‘ongoing status’ is the price of a
redundancy.
The degree of control that
can be exercised by keeping
someone on fixed-term is
patently obvious, especially
when all the employee wants
is a job with some sort of
security. Unfortunately, it often
boils down to the classic case
of the employer exercising
unreasonable control over the
worker. Balancing the books
becomes an argument of
convenience.
Monash College now has
18 (yes, 18) teachers on fixedterm employment, with no
reason given for this temporary
status in their contracts. When
questioned, the employer
responded by saying that there is
currently a peak in enrolments.
It turns out the College’s own
forecasts reveal a predicted 8%
enrolment growth. Go figure!
Seems like every peak requires
a downside. This one could be
headed off to Fair Work.
THE DRONE HAS LANDED
Seems like the drone referred to
in the previous BTW has crash
landed, brought down either by an
active sub-branch, or a renegade
bunch of Year 9 soccer players in a
PE class. Management is sourcing
another, something more robust
and capable than the previous
model. They are also looking for one
so multi-talented that it will handle
leave applications, provide standard
letters summarising parental
leave entitlements, and writes a
timetable that gives every parttimer exactly what they want. They
should visit a leading independent
school which is now employing
‘Cobots’ to handle all things
‘security’ among other things.
SPEAKING OF SOCCER
Remember the media reports earlier
in the year about the school that had
denied girls access to cross-country
participation? Pretty controversial
stuff as part of the larger debate
about independent school funding,
girls’ access to a rounded education
and decision-making in faith-driven
schools. From memory, the VRQA
became involved.
Turns out that at the same
school more recently the girls
soccer team was withdrawn from
competition the day before the
comp commenced. The squad
had been training for a month or
more, more than 50 participating
in the squad. Much chagrin and
disappointment. Reckon we will
not be short of stories about this
school near the ring road.
BTW has got to go. Phone’s
ringing. Can’t wait for the 18th to
see what the boss has got for me
for Chrissy. Have a good one!
Is your membership following you?
Have you got a new job in 2016? Are you moving to a new school? Following our recent article on the
importance of keeping your membership up to date, we thought it timely to remind those of you who
might be moving school in 2016 to make sure your membership fees are moving with you!
T
his applies even if you are moving from
one Catholic school to another. If you
pay your membership fees via payroll
deduction (PRD) at your current school then
remember that if you are no longer on the
payroll (because you have left the school)
then your membership fees are no longer
being paid. If you want to continue paying
via PRD you need to confirm that your new
school provides this method of payment
then let the payroll department know that
you wish to pay by this method.
Every year we discover a number of
members who have been paying their
fees via PRD but who have not made
any payment for some time. Some have
left the sector or retired (but did not let
us know – please remember to keep us
informed of changes in circumstances!)
and some have moved schools but not
changed their payment details. These
people are no longer financial members of
the Union. We make several attempts to
contact you if you fall in to this category,
but if we have no response you will
be resigned from the Union.
And while we are on the subject
of keeping up to date with your
membership as we move into a new
year, please check you are paying in the
correct fee category. Those working in
Catholic schools had a pay increase in
August this year and this may have put
some of you into the next fee bracket
on the scale. Most independent schools
will have a percentage pay increase
in January or February 2016. In the
interests of equity and fairness our fee
structure is on a sliding scale according
to how much you earn. We rely on you
to let us know when there is a change to
your annual salary.
You can keep us up to date with your
membership details and fee payment via
the Member Access area of our website
www.ieuvictas.org.au/memberaccess
or contact the office on 03 9254 1860 or
Free Call 1800 622 889.
5
December 2015 THE POINT
REP PROFILE:
Emma Rhodes
The Point spoke with
Emma Rhodes from
Clonard College on
her brand new baby,
nurturing children
to question the
world around them,
mathematics, and how
her passion for solidarity
began as a young girl
handing out sandwiches.
Discovering
Nothing prepares you for
parenthood. Holding Lily in my
arms for the first time was the
most wonderful moment in my
life. I still look at her in everyday
in amazement – I have daughter.
My heart melts each and every
morning when she smiles at me.
As the weeks have gone by
and Lily has started discovering
the world around her, I have
found myself reflecting (if only
for a few minutes at a time)
on my teaching. Children are
born wanting to learn – yes
they all have different interests
and passions – but there is an
underlining willingness to
question and to understand. As
educators it is our job to get to
know our students, to help them
find the key that will allow them
to unlock their true potential.
The beauty of
mathematics
As a Maths and Science teacher I
can see the beauty of mathematics.
Mathematics is fundamental to
our understanding of the universe
and all that it encompasses. For
many students, however, studying
maths is something that they
can’t see any point to. Every year,
without fail students ask, ‘When
are we ever going to need this?’
It makes me think about how do
we help students see the value of
the skills we are teaching them?
How do we breakdown this idea
in broader society that Maths is
somehow more challenging than
English or History? The idea that
mathematics is confined to the
Maths classroom or Numeracy
block is the first myth that needs
to be broken. Mathematics is
not something that needs to be
feared but embraced across the
curriculum. This is something that
all teachers can do.
Getting more students to
take up Maths and Science at
University is complex and I am
sure that is a problem worthy of a
PhD thesis. As a union rep I often
hear teachers discussing the many
challenges that we face every day.
There are not enough hours in
the day to plan, teach, correct, and
most importantly, inspire.
I was born union.
Both my parents
were union reps or
shop stewards, as
they would say.
We as teachers need time; time
to share best practice, to learn
from our colleagues, time to
work together to create thinking
opportunities for our students.
If we can allow our students
time; time to question and time
to wonder, we might just ignite a
spark of passion for the sciences.
For what is science if not the
search for answers?
On her union roots
I was born union. Both my
parents were union reps or shop
stewards, as they would say. I
remember my mum making
a truck load of sandwiches for
the factory workers at her
work. They were protesting
against the unfair firing of a
fellow comrade. It was there
as a young child handing
out sandwiches while my
mum explained to me the
importance of such an action
and why she could not cross the
picket line. It is that solidarity
and passion for fairness that
has stayed with me.
Planning for maternity
When I became pregnant with
Lily, I didn’t really think about
maternity leave. As her due
date drew closer and my belly
grew, I took time to fill in the
paper work that the school
provided me with. I had no idea
how maternity leave worked.
The booklet that I reserved
during rep training in regards to
maternity leave was amazing.
It had all the answers to the
questions I had and believe me
I had many. It outlined my rights
and responsibilities. So, please, if
you are a rep let the staff at your
school know about this booklet,
and if you are a member ask
your rep for a copy.
Hume Anglican
Grammar get
their first EBA!
Three years after the campaign to negotiate
an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement at Hume
Anglican Grammar first kicked off, and after two
years of intensive negotiations, staff will now be
returning to work in 2016 with the protections
and benefits of a comprehensive, all staff EBA.
B
argaining reps and
IEU officers attended
15 formal bargaining
meetings as well as
numerous member meetings
and staff briefings in order
to negotiate an Agreement
which received 93% support
from staff when it was put
out to vote in November.
It has been a long road
to get here, however:
negotiations broke down
in late 2014 over five key
issues, at which point the
school took the step of
putting a draft EBA which
was not endorsed by the
IEU sub-branch out to
vote. The five controversial
issues were:
1. Paid parental leave
2. Accident make up pay
3. Maximum days of work
4. Teacher workloads
5. Leave entitlements for
general staff
Members and bargaining
reps jumped into action
and ran a hugely effective
‘Vote No’ campaign – in the
end, this non-union EBA was
defeated with 79% of votes
against it.
Negotiations resumed
in 2015, and over the
course of the year
significant improvements
were won in each of the
five outstanding areas.
In principle agreement was
finally reached between
the parties at the end of
term 3, and following
the successful vote the
Agreement will be sent to
the Fair Work Commission
for approval.
All IEU members at
Hume Anglican should be
immensely proud of this
Agreement – it contains
highly competitive
wages, very significant
improvements to conditions
(perhaps most notably an
increase from 10 days of
personal leave per year to
15), and a wide range of
important protections, and
it was made possible only
by the strength, unity and
patience of the sub-branch.
Particular congratulations
should go to sub-branch
rep Shirley Kutin and her
bargaining team Koula
Laleas and Emma McKenzie
for their tireless efforts
and the huge amount
of time and energy they
poured into their crucial
roles representing their
fellow members. Shirley’s
extraordinary commitment
over the past three years
was formally recognised
in the form of an Activist
Award presented at the
2015 IEU Conference.
Victorian Catholic Schools: Contract Insecurity
Some of the most vulnerable employees in our schools are teacher aides.
M
any are placed on rolling fixedterm contracts because of a long
term historical usage of the
fixed-term provision in the Agreement
that refers to ‘limited term funding’. The
current Agreement requires the production
of data about fixed-term employment
to the IEU, and the development of
proactive processes to address the issue.
The data was unsurprising but dismaying.
The greatest areas of concern were the
numbers of graduate teachers across the
sector on fixed-term contracts, and ES
members in the area of classroom support.
The incidence of fixed-term employment
is approximately twice as high in Catholic
primary schools compared to Catholic
secondary schools.
In terms 2 and 3 a number of primary and
secondary schools across the dioceses were
jointly visited by Denis Matson, our senior
industrial officer, and John Jordan from the
CECV IR Unit. These visits were part of a
trial based on having open dialogue on a
‘without prejudice’ basis with principals
about the numbers of contracts in their
schools, the reasons for having them,
and the unpacking of the rationale about
‘funding’ used to deny employment security.
In most of the schools, the visits resulted in
positive commitments from principals to
change the employment basis of many if
not all of their aides.
With only a year left before the expiry of
the current Agreement, it is important that
a more general change of practice can occur
across the board in Catholic schools. The
IEU is still discussing with the CECV ways
to address this, but insecure employment
remains a high priority for the next round
of bargaining and, there will be a lot more
news about this in 2016.
6
THE POINT December 2015
BARGAINING ROUNDUP
Achievements and Challenges
Bargaining in independent schools in Victoria has moved at a steady pace throughout 2015.
T
his year has seen a number
of both challenges and
achievements. Challenges
have included moving to being
required to make a claim for
Accident Make-up Pay following
it no longer being an award-based
entitlement. Providing for the
right to request part-time work
after a period of parental leave
in Agreements continues to be
strongly opposed by many schools
and by Independent Schools
Victoria (ISV). Our experience is
that members often find it difficult
to return to meaningful part-time
work after parental leave and
this can end in frustration and
sometimes even force a member
to resign. Having an enforceable
entitlement to request parttime work in Agreements can
provide both the structure for
discussing return to work and the
means of ensuring the process is
transparent and fair.
Bargaining continues to
deliver improved wage outcomes
for teachers and general staff.
For teachers with Agreements
negotiated between September
2014 and August 2015, the average
of graduate wages was 2.23%
above state wages and just
above parity for the top of the
scale. When negotiated increases
for 2016 become effective,
the margin above state rates
increases to 6% for graduates
and 4.85% for teachers at the
top of the automatic scale. The
IEU was very proud to be part of
the negotiations at East Preston
Islamic College (EPIC) that resulted
in teachers reaching parity with
state rates effective from 1 October
2015. For some teachers, this meant
a salary increase of up to 25%.
We have continued to work
to improve general staff salaries
and have had some success
in highlighting that wages
are often well behind those
offered for comparable work
in government schools. This
has resulted in substantial
increases in wages in a number
of Agreements or commitments
to improve salaries over time.
General Staff at EPIC all received
a salary increase of 25% effective
from the commencement of the
Agreement.
Ensuring that general staff
receive the same conditions of
employment is an important
part of our claim. For example,
staff at Tintern worked hard
to ensure school assistants
received a wage increase
that was comparable to that
being offered to teachers, with
Tasmanian Roundup
2015 has been a busy year for the IEU Victoria Tasmania in Tasmanian independent
schools with the union for the first time deeply involved in negotiating Enterprise
Agreements for teachers in a number of schools following the amalgamation with TISTA.
T
his increased involvement in
bargaining for Agreements
covering teachers has flowed
on to greater levels of involvement
in negotiating Agreements
covering the General Staff at
several schools. At Launceston
Grammar, negotiations on a new
Agreement covering General
Staff are close to completion with
several members of the General
Staff joining the union in recent
months.
At St Michael’s Collegiate the
IEU has begun negotiating a new
Agreement covering the General
Staff. The union has worked with
members to develop a log of
claims which seeks improvements
around classifications, wages and
redundancy pay. Negotiations are
close to complete at Leighland
Christian College with a draft
Agreement currently being
considered by the IEU.
At The Friends’ School the IEU
is hopeful that negotiations can
conclude with the school making
an improved pay offer. The parties
are still to agree on a suitable
clause covering teacher attendance
time with IEU members concerned
that the form of words that slipped
through in the last Agreement
allows the school to require
teachers to attend work for up to
205 days a year, including during
school holidays.
At Tarremah Steiner a new
Agreement covering teachers and
support staff is close to complete,
with the parties still to finalise
arrangements around performance
and conduct provisions. EBA
meetings have begun at The
Hutchins School where following
extensive consultation with staff,
the IEU has tabled a log of claims.
teachers refusing to accept a
wage offer until it was matched
for assistants. Ensuring other
conditions such as long service
leave and personal leave are
the same for all staff working
in schools is also part of the
IEU claim. Other issues of
concern for general staff are
reducing unpaid non-term time
weeks. This can be achieved by
increasing annual leave, not
including shut down periods in
annual leave or increasing paid
school holiday time.
Agreement Data
In the period from
November 2014 to November
2015 thirty-three Agreements
have been approved,
which includes six schools
covered by the Seventh Day
Adventist Schools MultiEnterprise Agreement. Of
these Agreements the IEU
campaigned to achieve a
first time Agreement at the
Islamic College of Melbourne
covering teachers.
At the time of writing, the
IEU is currently bargaining
for first time Agreements
covering all staff at Christ
Church Grammar and
Cornish College, while Yarra
Valley Grammar will have
a first time General Staff
Agreement. Congratulations
to Shirley Kutin who received
an Activist Award at our
annual conference for her
great contribution to a first
Agreement at Hume Anglican
Grammar. The hard work paid
off with a resounding vote in
favour of the new Agreement.
As at reporting, there are
currently 108 Agreements
operating in Victorian schools.
Agreements covering all staff
have increased, with a total of
42 Agreements covering both
teachers and general staff.
Bargaining is currently underway
at 25 schools.
Bargaining Support
In 2015 bargaining has been
supported by a number of
measures. We are now collating
comparative data in relation
to a range of key entitlements,
including salaries, parental
leave entitlements, dispute
resolution, redundancy scales
and Agreements that include
definitions of face-to-face teaching.
This information is very valuable
in identifying benchmarks and
assisting negotiators in presenting
claims. Support has also been
provided by in-house bargaining
workshops and strategic planning
for the next four years.
In 2016 the IEU will continue
to work within the office to
provide support to organisers to
assist in the bargaining process.
It is appreciated that it is often
difficult work in an environment
that can be stressful.
When all of the year’s work
is put together, we can see that
there is a whole range of activity
around bargaining – from
attending negotiation meetings
to collating data and working
towards obtaining equitable
conditions for all staff working
in independent schools. None
of this work is possible without
the dedicated time of our
bargaining reps in schools. It is
their inside knowledge of what
makes a school tick, who to talk
to and what the issues are, that
is key to all of our bargaining
achievements. Huge thanks to
all who have been involved.
Personal Leave
T
he NES provides for 10 days personal
leave a year that can be used either
as sick leave or to care for a member
of the employee’s immediate family or
household who is ill or injured or because of
an unexpected emergency.
Under the NES, personal leave accrues
pro-rata with service throughout the year.
Leave is cumulative and can be taken on
provision of notice. If requested by the
employer, the employee must provide
evidence that would satisfy a reasonable
person that the leave was taken for the
stated purpose.
In bargaining, we aim to improve on
the basic entitlement in a number of
ways. Prior to the introduction of the NES,
personal leave entitlements for teachers
and educational support staff were set by a
number of pre-modern awards. For teachers
and school assistants in Victoria, the premodern awards provided for 15 days a year.
This is the standard for the vast majority of
teachers in independent schools in Victoria
and also the standard in government
and Catholic education. Many education
support staff also receive 15 days leave a
year, however, this is not across the board, as
historically a number of pre-modern awards
only provided for 10 days. Our first aim in
bargaining is to ensure all staff in schools
are entitled to 15 days personal leave a year.
The rate of leave accrual is also subject to
bargaining. For teachers in Victoria, under
the pre-modern award, leave accrued at the
rate of 6 days during the first term worked
and 3 days at the commencement of each
term after that, followed by 15 days up front
for each subsequent year. The benefit of
this up front accrual is that in the event of
becoming sick at the beginning of the year,
employees have enough leave without going
into leave deficit. The IEU aims to preserve
this method of accrual in bargaining and
avoid the fall-back of permitting employees
to go into deficit on condition that leave
paid in advance of accrual is deducted from
any money outstanding on termination of
employment. In Tasmania, the teachers’ premodern award provided for 20 days personal
leave up front in the first year of service and
10 days a year after that. Maintaining the
generous first year of service accrual is an
important claim in Tasmania.
The NES provides that notice and
evidence requirements can be specified
in Agreements. In many independent
schools, evidence will be required after
more than 2 consecutive days of absence,
more than 5 days of absence in the course
of the year, or if the leave is adjacent to a
holiday, commonly in the form of a medical
certificate. The IEU seeks to provide for the
option of a statutory declaration, and also
seeks to limit the instances where evidence
will be required. In addition, Agreements are
also being negotiated that provide for more
flexible use of personal leave accruals.
7
December 2015 THE POINT
IEU at
VIT and TRB
YES AT CHRIST
CHURCH
In the course of the year, it is inevitable that
a small number of our members are reported
to either the Victorian Institute of Teaching or
the Teacher Registration Board in Tasmania for
matters arising out of either concerns about
fitness to teach or misconduct.
At 4pm on Friday 21
November, the ballot box
was opened at Christ
Church Grammar, and a
positive vote endorsed
their new all staff
Agreement, their first since
1995, with 98% voting up
the Agreement. Staff and
IEU Reps Bill Garland (left)
and David Colvin flank DP
Sandra Holland (left) and
Principal Sophia AshworthJones in the counting
process. Off to the Fair
Work Commission now
for approval.
B
Hall of Shame 2015
As you know, the Hall of Shame recognises the highest achievements
in workplace abuse in our sector. Only the most cruel and unusual
treatment of our members earns a nomination.
W
e reward only the very best for
mistreating school employees, abusing
their rights and taking advantage of their
commitment and good will.
We emphatically reject recent criticism of the Hall
of Shame Awards. Mealy-mouthed lesser lights of
the Education Industry are simply jealous of others’
brutality and shamelessness. It’s like the ARIAs: It’s
only those who never win who say that the Hall of
Shame is glitzy, vapid industry self-congratulation.
2015 has been a great year, though not without its
disappointments. For the second time in three years,
the Catholic Education (Melb) IR Unit failed to score a
nomination. While there were many skirmishes and
messes to be cleaned up, the IR Unit disgraced itself
by working through some thorny issues – with the
Union, but without the need for legal action. It then
thoroughly let us down by issuing joint statements
with the Union on interpretations of the Catholic
Agreement. If that were not enough, it then engaged
in a joint project reviewing the use of fixed-term
employment. Representing, as it does, more than
half of our sector, this has reduced the talent pool
for the 2015 Awards. With the Tasmanian Catholic
Education Office having decided that picking fights
for no reason is no longer their preferred approach,
we might have been starved for nominees. But fear
not. Some entrants among independent schools have
filled the void – handsomely.
After nearly 3 years of denying it, the AIA finally
‘fessed up to having too many teachers on fixedterm contracts. What has been obvious to us for
three years apparently only became evident to
the AIA when the full glare of the Federal Court
was applied. There are many more issues to be
decided (allegations of falsified records, hindering
the Union’s inspection, and so on) and we expect a
judgement from the court in early 2016 on these.
But an honourable mention is long overdue for
the AIA’s capacity to keep their teachers hanging
onto their jobs by a thread. No doubt AIA will be
contenders again in 2016.
2015’s Runner-Up is the leadership of a large
co-ed College who, in late 2014, decided to radically
reform their Health and Sport department.
What had been a reasonably-sized department
comprising highly-skilled and experienced PE
staff was shredded. The sport skills program is
now staffed by predominantly (surprise surprise)
much less experienced casual and contract staff.
The big changes took effect in the middle of 2015,
leaving four redundant teachers without jobs for
the remainder of the year. The Hall of Shame judges
understand that recent attempts to appoint a Head
of Health and Sport Curriculum have failed to attract
sufficiently skilled and experienced candidates, so
the position is still unfilled. A case of what goes
around comes around?
And now to our winner … Once again, schools
have found a way to get real talent to the top. While
some principals might struggle just to ‘raise an
issue’ with a staff member, a small number could
tick all the boxes for ‘organisational psychopath’.
Many principals are disappointingly good people,
but this year’s winner has achieved a standard
of Machiavellian plotting that makes Napoleon
look like a kid at a candy bar. Manipulating loyal
deputies for evil ends and keeping staff in constant
uncertainty and fear– it’s like Sesame Street meets
the Coen brothers. Needless to say, staff are leaving
in droves (unless they ARE one of the loyal deputies)
and the school is set to blow like the fourth of July.
It has been suggested that we could have skipped
the award, because the fireworks will be more than
enough. ‘NEVER ENOUGH!’ we say. Such behaviour
demands as much attention as we can give it – and
the Union will give plenty.
Congratulations to all our 2015 nominees.
Not everyone can win, but we are in awe of the
lengths some schools’ leadership will go to just
to be contenders for this prestigious award.
Good luck for 2016!
oth VIT and TRB are
statutory authorities,
tasked with ensuring that
teachers meet the appropriate
standards expected of the
teaching profession and are fit to
teach. Once a matter is referred,
it is usual for a teacher to be
given an opportunity to respond
to allegations and the matter
may be investigated. IEU officers
provide advice to members about
how to respond to allegations,
how to prepare for an interview
with an investigator and assist
in putting any relevant material
together. In a number of matters
this year, VIT determined that
no further action was required
after conducting an initial
investigation. This means the
teacher involved was free to
continue teaching without
restriction.
In some instances, we
recommended a member try
to resolve concerns by entering
into an agreement. For a
number of Victorian members
this year, this proved to be
the best option. Agreements
commonly involve accepting
special conditions be attached
to the teacher’s registration.
For example, teachers have
entered agreements with VIT
to undertake a certain amount
of professional development to
address concerns about things
such as student management
and appropriate studentteacher relationships. The
parties agree as to what type
of professional development is
appropriate, a time-frame for the
PD to be completed, and what
assessment will be put in place
before the special conditions are
removed.
In some instances, it was
apparent that the conduct
leading to a complaint
happened because the teacher
was experiencing mental
distress or illness at the time
of the incident. In these cases,
the matter will be treated as
health concern rather than a
disciplinary matter. A health
assessment can be arranged
where the teacher is assessed
by an independent medical
examiner to determine whether
the teacher has an impairment
that means they are not fit to
teach at all, or whether with
appropriate management the
teacher can continue to work.
Again, an agreement can be
entered into whereby the
teacher agrees to maintain
regular treatment and for
the treating practitioner to
provide updates advising on
the teacher’s current fitness to
teach. Once the conditions of
the agreement are met, then the
teacher’s registration is restored
without conditions.
While the majority of
matters have been resolved by
agreement or with no further
action being taken, the IEU also
assists members where the facts
leading to the complaint are
contested and an agreement is
not appropriate. It is anticipated
one current matter will go to
informal hearing. Informal
hearings are conducted in a
closed room, where the teacher
responds to any questions
the panel may have. Teachers
can have a support person
from the IEU present, but not
representation. Again, IEU
will help the teacher prepare
thoroughly for the informal
hearing. The outcome of an
informal hearing can range from
no further action to a caution or
reprimand. Registration cannot
be cancelled or suspended as a
result of an informal hearing.
The most serious matters
will be sent to formal
hearing, where both parties
can be represented and the
outcome can be cancellation
or suspension of registration.
Fortunately, none of our
members have been required to
go to formal hearing this year.
What is clear when looking
at the matters IEU has dealt
with this year, is that a whole
range of circumstances, from
experiencing a period of serious
ill health to a momentary loss
of control, can lead to a long
and difficult process that may
have a very significant effect
on a teacher’s capacity to work.
It is vital to have support in this
complex process to achieve the
best possible outcomes. The
IEU has the experience and
ability to provide that support
for members in Tasmania
and Victoria.
8
THE POINT December 2015
> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
A new classification structure in Tasmania (continued)
Different occupational groups start and
finish at different points of the 10 level
structure, with Bursars being at Level 10.
School Counsellors find themselves
classified dependent on their qualification,
but essentially all access the teaching rates.
Teachers and Psychologists are covered by the
Teaching Agreement, and Social Workers the
Allied Health Professionals (Tasmanian State
Service) Agreement.
Another respondent very aptly summed
up the key problems ‘The current lack of a
progressive pay scale fails to acknowledge the
increasing work value of a Teacher Assistant
as they gain qualifications, training and
experience. A beginning Teacher Assistant with
no qualifications is currently paid the same
as a qualified Teacher Assistant with years of
experience and professional development.’
Clerical Administration
What do IEU Members say?
Respondents to the survey from
this occupational group wanted better
recognition of higher duties and the
opportunity to progress; complex roles and
responsibilities were not being recognised.
Lack of career path and no recognition of
experience were other common issues
identified. Others referred to the lack of
modern up-to-date descriptions of the work
undertaken in schools today.
Teaching Support members
One of the comments most frequently
given by the survey respondents in this
group relates to the need for a classification
structure which acknowledges or reflects the
duties, and particularly the responsibilities
of employees, not just the qualification.
Respondents commented on the anomalies
between the different occupational
groups – that is the different pay scales,
and classification structures. Respondents
wanted clearer library/lab specific
classification and pathways for advancement
that are attainable.
Utility staff
The two most common issues identified
by utility staff respondents were the lack of
training /professional development; and the
problem that higher responsibilities were
not visible nor recognised adequately in the
current structure.
Teacher Assistants
Overwhelmingly the comments of
Teacher Assistant respondents were about
the current lack of structure for them. The
current arrangement does not reflect their
work and responsibilities, nor qualifications
or skills. There is no reward or recognition
for expertise and level of job difficulty. As
one respondent put it – ‘there is no difference
between one year of experience and 25
years’. Others commented on the current
arrangement not recognising the complex
skill set that is needed to work with the
levels of student disability.
Meetings with TCEO
The IEU has now had two meetings with
the TCEO examining the current employment
classification data, and differences between
occupational groups in Catholic schools
and in the department. This examination
will continue at the next meeting to be
held in December, and it proposed that
the negotiation parties undertake a joint
indepth examination early next year of the
work/duties being undertaken in schools by
particular occupational groups.
As a teacher assistant I am grateful for the united and inclusive effort of
the Union members and negotiators for standing strong together and not
leaving anyone behind. The new Agreement negotiated with the IEU and
TCEO has given job security to teacher assistants and shows them respect
and dignity and validates the important role of these hard working lower
income workers.
Currently there is one classification and pay level for teacher assistants and
this does not recognise years of experience, training, skills or professional
development. Due to the Union negotiating on our behalf we can now look
forward to a fair and just reclassification structure for teacher assistants that
recognises the important and diverse work that we do.
■■
■■
■■
For teacher assistants it will mean a long overdue recognition of skills
and qualifications and it will provide a career pathway for young people
considering training for this important role in education.
To retain these dedicated staff in our schools and to attract newly trained
staff – with whom professional development has been invested or attained
– we need the recognition that the reclassification and structure for
teacher assistants will provide.
Children in educational settings with special needs or particular impairment
– be it physical, mental or social – require individual education plans. To
implement this we need trained staff to work alongside teachers to facilitate
programs with good learning outcomes. Then these children have the best
opportunity to reach their true potential. Many teacher assistants have years
of experience, training and professional development that is invaluable and
work with the most vulnerable in our educational system.
Roz Richardson Teacher Assistant
St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School Launceston.
The classification structure for School Support staff at present does little to
properly recognise modern industry certifications, all of which are currently
treated in the same manner. Also, it could be greatly improved by recognising
that increased size of an IT environment brings increased complexity and
higher expectations, which in turn puts pressure on the staff responsible.
We appreciate the union negotiating and ensuring we get a fairer, newer
and better structure reflecting the diverse work we do.
Hal Douglas School Support ICT Marist Regional College Burnie.
Welcome Jeremy!
The IEU Victoria Tasmania would like to welcome Jeremy Oliver as our
new organiser to be based in Tasmania.
J
eremy has been teaching for 22 years:
four years in the state system and 18
years in Catholic education, including
St Virgil’s Junior School and St Cuthbert’s.
For the last six years Jeremy has taught at
St John’s Richmond, 20 minutes from Hobart.
Jeremy has been a union member
since he started teaching, firstly with the
AEU and then with the various unions
representing staff in Catholic schools
(TCEEA, IEU Tasmania and IEU Victoria
Tasmania). He has been on the Committee
of Management of the IEU for over 10 years
and has also been Deputy President of IEU
Tasmania and of the Tasmanian Council of
the IEU Victoria Tasmania.
Jeremy is looking forward to being an
organiser as ‘…it gives me the chance to learn
new skills in a different type of workplace.
I am looking forward to growing our union
and to assisting people with any questions
or concerns they have regarding their
employment. I am also looking forward to the
opportunity to help staff to negotiate fair and
equitable Agreements in their workplaces’.
Jeremy recognises he will face challenges
as he assumes his new role. ‘One of the
things I know I am not good at is learning
new names and this seems to be getting
harder as I get older! I think that getting
to know new people and workplaces and
the issues from these different locations
will be the biggest challenge in the first 12
months. I also need to become even more
confident with the Catholic Agreement and
the Agreements of the various independent
schools so that I can give accurate and
timely advice to members’.
Jeremy is confident he will make a
smooth transition from union rep, activist
and COM member. ‘I believe I bring excellent
communication skills to the job, especially
the ability to listen well to others to find
out what they need when they are facing
difficulty. I am also confident in my ability
to think analytically and solve potential
problems before they become big issues’.
Jeremy is excited about the IEU
movement in Tasmania and optimistic
about its future: ‘I aim to help the union
in Tasmania to continue its growth. I
want to continue developing the positive
working relationship the Union has with
the TCEO and with the other independent
schools it has begun dealing with in 2015.
I intend to keep working strongly for our
teacher support employees so that they
feel they have secure employment in our
sector and know they are a vital part of
our Union. I grew up in Launceston, lived
in Queenstown for 3 years, Bicheno for
3 years and now live in Lindisfarne. Think
this means that I am qualified to represent
members in the whole of Tasmania!’
Outside of teaching and union work
Jeremy has many interests. ‘I am a bit
sports mad and will watch almost anything
(too much if you ask my wife and kids!).
I am now officially a long-suffering
member of the Carlton Football Club. I am
currently involved in over-35s football with
the Lindisfarne Football Club and I also
love mountain bike riding and play golf
occasionally. Recently I started playing the
ukulele and am a member of the 9th best
country and western uke band in Southern
Tasmania – The Ukes of Hazzard.’
Jeremy is married to Marita and they
have two daughters: Megan (15) and
Georgie (12).
Welcome Jeremy – we are looking
forward to you working for our members
and to benefiting from your unique
knowledge of Tasmanian education.
9
December 2015 THE POINT
What you should
know before you sign
So you’ve been given a new contract.
Before you sign, consider this …
Understanding why?
The Award and most Enterprise
Agreements put restrictions on precarious
forms of employment, especially ‘fixedterm’ or ‘limited tenture’ contracts. The
most common reasons are that you are
replacing someone on leave or undertaking
a project with limited funding. For a
contract to be silent on the reason for it
not to be ongoing is concerning. Even if a
contract does provide information about a
reason, it is also important for the validity
to be transparent. For example, if it is a
leave replacement position, do you know
who you are replacing and when they are
expected to return?
Two golden rules apply:
■■ If you have been ongoing, never sign a
contract for fixed-term employment
■■ Once you have done a year or two as
a fixed-term employee, it is time to be
made ongoing.
Many schools put staff on ‘fixed-term’
contracts each year, and others take the
start of a new year as an opportunity
to get all staff to sign new employment
contracts. There are big traps in this, and
members should be wary. No-one can
force you to sign any contract, let alone
about something as important as your
employment. If you are thinking about
signing, get advice from the IEU first.
You already have a contract
There is always a contract between an
employee and employer. You don’t have to
have it in writing. Your agreement to work
for your employer and their agreement to
pay you in return forms a contract. Your
contract may be composed of any of these:
■■ A formal written contract
■■ A letter of appointment
■■ A verbal agreement
■■ Written or verbal agreements to
change employment conditions
■■ Customs and practices
■■ Unspoken understandings about
terms of employment.
Written contracts can
be very misleading
For clarity a written contract
is good practice as it outlines the
employment terms.
Many employees read their written
contract and assume that every word in
it is enforceable, and anything not in it
cannot be pursued. This is far from true,
because:
1. Verbal agreements and
understandings can be enforceable.
2. The rights that you have under
your contract of employment are in
addition to the rights you have under
law. Generally you and your employer
can agree to whatever terms you like
in the contract, including anything
that is better than the Act/Award/
Agreement that covers you.
3. In addition to the written terms
of your contract, there will also be
implied terms, which are those not
specifically agreed between the
employer and employee, but implied
by custom and practice (ie. What
happened in the past, or was given to
other employees).
In short, much of your contract may not
be reliable, and you almost certainly have
many more rights than are stated in your
contract.
Do You have to Sign?
If you are a new employee, or are
starting a new fixed-term contract, you
probably have little choice but to sign.
However, you should fully understand
the terms of any contract before you sign.
So be proactive about getting advice. If
you are already a permanent employee,
you cannot be forced to sign a new
contract, and you don’t lose your job if
you don’t sign. Any variation to your
existing contract must be by agreement.
What are the Most Common
Offensive Terms?
Beware contracts in the independent
education sector that include clauses:
■■ to the effect that ‘this contract
excludes all other promises,
warranties, arrangements ….’
■■ stating that your conditions are set
under the National Employment
Standards, the Fair Work Act, and/or
the 2010 Award
■■ about intellectual property or
confidentiality
■■ importing the employer’s policies
■■ permitting the employer to make
deductions from your salary
■■ permitting the employer to change the
terms of your contract
■■ permitting the employer to require
criminal and other record checks
■■ requiring you to submit to
examination by a school-nominated
practitioner.
Get Advice Before Signing
The IEU will continue to try to
protect you by providing advice
on your contract and by getting
entitlements secured in Enterprise
Agreements which over-ride all
contracts. But, if you sign without
getting advice, you are running an
enormous risk.
The IEU constantly reminds its
members to seek our advice before
signing a contract and to take up any
concerns before they become part of
your contract by ‘accession’. NEVER
sign a contract for anything serious
without advice.
UNION PRESIDENT
MARK WILLIAMS
Another
great year –
thank you
one and all!
Union activity has continued to grow again in
2015. We saw the final settlement of the dispute
with the Catholic employers in Tasmania and
independent schools down south joining the IEU
Victoria Tasmania.
I
n Victoria, we have seen our Union
staff bargaining tirelessly in dozens
of independent schools to ensure
that our members in these schools
receive nothing but the most fair
and just wages and conditions going.
Countless disputes have also been
fought and resolved in Catholic and
independent schools throughout the
year to the credit of brave members
and sub-branch reps and resolute union
officers defending worker rights.
We have seen employer groups
trying to strip our Awards down to the
minimum ‘Modern Award’ provisions, a
tactic we will continue to fight against in
independent and Catholic schools, and in
the many private education colleges that
we cover.
To our grass roots – sub-branch reps,
members and recruiters in schools – a
big thank you for your commitment
to spreading the word, educating and
informing members and non-members
so our Union continues to grow –
THANK YOU!
A first in recent years has been the
increasing success of engaging members
on-line. To all those members who have
engaged with us and fellow members
via email, Twitter and Facebook – our
deepest thanks too.
The Union takes seriously its
commitment not only to industrial
matters but in also providing relevant
professional development for its various
constituents and to union representation
in Federal and State jurisdictions of
education decision-making. Thank you
for your patronage at the many training
and development events sponsored
by the IEU Victoria Tasmania this year
and thank you to those committed
individuals who have represented your
interests on many education bodies
associated with the CEM, VCAA, VIT,
APPA, ACPPA and our Federal Union.
My final thanks is to my colleague
members of the Committee of
Management of the Union – a group
represented and reflective of the diverse
membership – my deepest appreciation
again in 2015, for your wise counsel.
Particular thanks also needs to be
extended to our Union’s leaders, Debra
James and Loretta Cotter and their team
for their clear direction, commitment
and solidarity at all times.
I hope all members have a well-deserved
holiday break and, as I express each year,
please give a non-member a Christmas
hug from me!
10
THE POINT December 2015
Annual Conference
Conference delegates heard from two guest speakers: Victoria McKenzie-McHarg who
talked about the ACF’s work around the issue of climate change, and Keelia Fitzpatrick who
introduced the audience to the Young Workers Centre, recently set up by Trades Hall.
V
ictoria explained why climate
change is such a pressing issue
by reflecting on a previous role
she had in Oxford. Victoria worked
with an NGO that assisted poor
communities in Africa. In her work with
these communities, Victoria realised
that while her work was important,
the future of all communities relied
on managing climate change. This
realisation drew her back to Australia,
given our record of being one of the
worst per capita polluters in the world.
Victoria said that climate change
has become such a political and
ideological hot issue that it was
difficult to manage it in a considered
and consistent manner. The ACF is
working with business, investors,
industry, unions, the social sector and
other environment organisations
to develop shared principles and
strategies. The ACF leads a strategy
to engage with other progressive
organisations to build a powerful and
committed climate movement for the
future, including working with unions,
youth, faith, indigenous and women’s
groups. Victoria identified that
schools are often leaders within their
communities in their practices, using
recycled water and solar panels.
Today’s speakers got me
thinking about what we can
do at our school, and how we
can implement new ideas into
the curriculum. The conference
was rewarding and I’m really
appreciative of the work that
staff at the IEU do.
Maree Shields
Victoria
McKenzie-McHarg
Keelia
Fitzpatrick
Victoria McKenzie-McHarg
(Climate Change Manager,
Australian Conservation
Foundation) spoke about the
People’s Climate March on
27 November in Melbourne
and Burnie and Hobart on
29 November.
Keelia Fitzpatrick addressed
the Conference on the newly
formed Young Workers Centre.
The program is housed at the
Victorian Trades Hall Council
and is looking to support young
workers under 30 year of age in
their workplace issues.
The ACF has identified that there
is a discernible shift in community
attitudes in line with the shift of
political parties. The hope is that with
a change in federal leadership, along
with the predicted severe summer, that
there is the opportunity to re-establish
climate change as a key issue in the
lead up to the next federal election.
As part of this process, in
concert with the upcoming Paris
Climate negotiations to be held in
November, there has been a series
of rallies around the world. The
People’s Climate March took place in
Melbourne on Friday 27 November,
Burnie and Hobart on Sunday 29
November. The rallies aimed to
demonstrate the strength and
commitment of community support
for cutting pollution and investing in
clean technologies for the future.
K
eelia said statistics show that
2000 young people are injured
at work each year with 21%
more likely to end up in hospital.
Young workers in ‘black market/cash in
hand’ and hospitality jobs miss out on
superannuation, WorkCover protection
and penalty rates. Keelia highlighted
the recent experiences of young people
in retail e.g. recent 7-Eleven expose,
Grill’d burger chain under paying staff
and the alleged exploitation of young
people and backpackers in some fruit
picking farms.
The program has three components:
1. Legal advice – where there is
no union presence, a call centre
provides legal advice, but it is not
intended to replace unions in
representing workers
2. Campaign/Case studies
3. Education – this includes visits to
schools to speak with students
about a range of topics including
bullying in the workplace,
occupational safety, rights at work
and unions as a social movement.
The Centre has developed a set of
modules on these topics and asked if
any reps would be prepared to do any
of the following to assist them:
■■ Review the content of the modules
as to their appropriateness in terms
of content and target audience
■■ Be in a position this year to assist
them with trialling the presentation
■■ Book in a visit for 2016 school.
(Their ambition is to visit every
school in Victoria!)
If any member is in a position to assist,
the contact details for Keelia are:
email: kfitzpatrick@vthc.org.au
mob: 0421 576 481.
The annual conference is a very
important part of our year and
teaching careers. It’s inspiring
to hear what people are doing
in their workplaces and how we
can use this to help each other.
The guest speakers were really
interesting and both provided
some valuable information.
Keelia’s talk was very
informative. I’m happy to hear
that young workers have this
kind of protection. Victoria’s
talk on climate change was
brilliant and promoted the
benefits of an understanding
between our organisations.
Barbara Siddiqui
Jeremy Oliver
Victoria (McKenzie-McHarg)
was a very knowledgeable,
motivated and engaging
speaker. Her message was
clear and articulate. I’m
intending on pushing the
rally (People’s Climate March)
at my school.
Gini Verstraaten
The annual conference is a
great way to hear what the
union has achieved in 2015 and
where they’re going next year.
Rachel Evans
11
December 2015 THE POINT
2015 Award Winners
BARRY WOOD MEMORIAL SOCIAL JUSTICE GRANT
Each year the union makes a social justice award as a memorial to
Barry Wood – a fine unionist and social justice advocate.
T
Anita Lang receives her award
from Jeremy Ayliffe of the CSF
his year Anita Lang from
St John’s Catholic School
Richmond, Tasmania,
has been awarded $3000 to go
towards funding the Mutitjulu
Holiday Program for 2016. It’s an
inspiring project.
In 2012 Anita taught at the
remote aboriginal community
in the Northern Territory and
ever since she has been in action
to tackle the despair and tragic
circumstances she found. Anita
has boarded Mutiitjulu students
at her home in Tasmania and,
with IEU members at St John’s,
she has raised several thousand
dollars towards a school holiday
program at Mutitjulu each
year. Several St John’s teachers
volunteer their time to travel
and stay in the community
– developing and running an
excellent school holiday program.
The project is an eye-opening
experience for teachers in
understanding the complex
issues facing remote communities
and is excellent professional
development. It is a great example
of members getting together with
their whole school community
to make a difference. Jeremy
Oliver, our new IEU organiser for
Tasmania, has been to Mutitjulu
on the program and he accepted
the prize for Anita at our
Annual Conference. He reports
the program is a life changing
experience for teachers as well as
a much needed safe educational
space for students. We wish Anita
all the best with next year’s work
and thank her for her example of
leadership and hope.
We gratefully acknowledge
the continued support of the
Catholic Superannuation
Fund in sponsoring the Barry
Wood Award.
THE JAN BAVINTON MEMORIAL PROJECT
The Jan Bavinton Memorial Project was established in 1989 in recognition of
the contribution made by Jan Bavinton, the Lab Manager at Carey Grammar
School, to her profession and her union.
E
Lisa Brooking awarded for her
‘Pop Up Play’ initiative
ach year, the IEU awards up to
$3000 to assist an Education
Support member undertake a
Professional Development project.
The money can be used for the costs
associated with a nominated project,
such as fees, travel or leave.
The projects chosen for the Award
have a broad purpose that will assist
other ES in the future. This year
there were a number of wonderful
applications, showing the great work
our ES members are doing out in
schools. The winner of the award for
2015 is Lisa Brooking from St Anne’s
School Seaford.
St Anne’s has a number of students
who experience anxiety, so Lisa has
initiated a new program designed to
support students who are experiencing
social difficulty. It is called ‘Pop Up Play’
and is held at recess one day a week.
The purpose is to engage students and
foster social interaction in a safe way
using engaging games, toys and role
play resources. In the first semester
of the program, these students have
gained confidence and now have a
sense of purpose in the school.
Lisa will use the Jan Bavinton
grant to undertake professional
development in a new program
called ‘Secret Agent Society’ run
by the Social Skills Institute.
This program would give those
students benefiting from Pop Up
Play the opportunity to further
develop their self-management
skills and learn to understand
the social behaviours of others in
different contexts. Lisa will also,
as part of the project, share her
knowledge to help teachers and
other support staff to develop new
strategies for fostering positive
social interactions that will support
students with ASD and anxiety
disorders.
SUE PRICHARD AWARD
The Sue Prichard Memorial Regional Activist Award is named after our
colleague, friend and comrade who was a pioneer of our union having been an
active member and then an IEU Officer for over 20 years until her death in 2013.
S
Activist and rep, Ian Cooke,
recipient of the Sue Prichard Award
he had a special passion for
her work in regional areas and
ensuring that staff in these areas
had proper support. The 2015 Award
was presented to Ian Cooke, or is he is
fondly known at his school ‘Cookie’.
Ian is rep at Nagle College
Bairnsdale which has a rich
history. In accepting this award Ian
acknowledged that he had inherited
a large, strong and active sub-branch
who had benefitted from the work
of past reps such as Alan Ross and
David Pratt. He also acknowledged
the work of other activist members
at his school who were prepared to
‘step up’ as needed. As a union it is a
mark of pride that we have members
prepared to make the nearly 4 hour
bus trek from Nagle to participate
in action when needed; most of us
don’t start our stop work days by
jumping on a bus at 6am. Cookie’s
role in ensuring members have the
information and then means to do
this is inspiring.
As a rep Ian has done much to
foster the collective power. The
tyranny of distance can often result
in members feeling isolated in
regional schools but reps such as
Ian address this by ensuring that
members access the support of the
Union as they need it. He also very
generously acknowledges the work
of IEU organisers in supporting
members in schools and especially
in responding to queries from reps
at all hours of the day and night.
He acknowledges that this mutual
support and flow of information
enables our union to be dynamic
and strong, both at a workplace
level and more broadly.
While he is reluctant to be singled
out for his work, Ian is such an
activist. His legacy is a union that is
stronger because of his contribution.
12
THE POINT December 2015
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Are you dying for a sleep?
In the October issue of The Point, this column introduced the
notion of accumulated fatigue and suggested that we are most
at risk when we experience frequent and ongoing exposure to
uncontrolled workplace stressors.
S
tress and fatigue may sound the same,
and may even seem the same, but
they are different, and, as the October
issue of The Point explained, fatigue occurs
because of stress.
Fatigue is an acute or accumulated
chronic state of feeling very tired,
exhausted, weary or sleepy. Acute fatigue
results from a short-term lack of sleep,
whilst accumulated, chronic fatigue
stems from an extended loss of a required
amount of sleep. Fatigue can also be
heightened by periods of prolonged
mental activity or long periods of stress
or anxiety. Fatigue is a tiredness which
affects our performance, our workplace
health and safety and requires rest or
sleep for us to recover. Fatigue hazards
common to school environments include
inadequate rest breaks, either during the
working day or between finishing one day
and commencing another, work which
is excessively mentally demanding, long
periods of time awake, which includes long
commute times to and from school, work
requirements or work systems that provide
incentives or rewards to work longer and
harder than may be safe.
To avoid fatigue, most people need
between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per
night, preferably obtained in a single,
uninterrupted block. Uninterrupted sleep
is important because when we sleep we
typically cycle through five different stages
of sleep. A complete sleep cycle may last
up to 2 hours. As we begin to sleep we
transition between being conscious and
being asleep, as we transition through this
stage we are still capable of hearing and
responding to noise around us. Eventually
we will transition to light sleep. At this
part of the cycle we may still be easily
awakened, but not immediately fully aware
of our surroundings.
From light sleep we transition to a stage
of deep sleep, the stage in the sleep cycle
which is truly restorative to our physical
and mental health. The stage of sleep
known as REM or rapid eye movement
sleep is typically the stage where dreams
occur and is thought to be important for
consolidation of learning and memory.
So, by sleeping 7-9 hours per night we
will typically experience more than one
completed cycle. However, when we
become sleep deprived it is the deep sleep
and REM stages of the cycle that our bodies
will attempt to restore first of all.
So fatigue is influenced by both the
quantity and quality of sleep and this also
depends upon identifying and controlling
work place stressors. Studies have shown
that the risks to our capacity for decisionmaking, ability for complex planning,
effective and appropriate communication,
attention to tasks, capacity to deal with
stress, reaction time, memory recall,
capacity to respond to information or
changes in our immediate environment
increase significantly when we sleep for
less than the average of 7.5 – 8.5 hours, or
are awake for more than 17 consecutive
hours. Research has shown that the
effect on the body of being awake for 17
consecutive hours is equivalent to a blood
alcohol content of 0.05 and that 21 hours
without sleep is equivalent to a blood
alcohol content of 0.08 whilst the risk of
being awake for 24 hours presents the
equivalent of a blood alcohol content of
0.10. So fatigue to this extent is clearly an
impairment of our capacity to function at
our best and be safe at work.
Being fatigued places us at a higher
risk of serious injury. There are several
indicators of being fatigued including
blurred vision, finding it hard to keep our
eyes open, head nodding, having a drowsy
relaxed feeling, being irritable, waking tired
and not feeling refreshed after sleeping,
falling asleep at work or experiencing
micro sleeps. Micro sleeps are particularly
dangerous as they are short periods of time,
typically from less than a second to up to 5
seconds where our brain quite simply goes
to sleep without us recognizing what has
happened. This can occur even with our
eyes open, meaning our capacity to react to
changes in the surrounding environment
during that time is completely disabled,
potentially deadly if we are driving or
operating machinery when it occurs.
The only effective way to eliminate the risk
is to get sufficient good quality sleep.
As we have often said through this
column, taking action to address hazards
at work is essential to protecting your
health and safety. So, as a sub-branch
and with the help of your health and
safety representative, what are the job
requirements or ways in which work is
organized at your school that expose you to
the risks of fatigue? Does your school have
policies and procedures to manage fatiguerelated hazards? Have you been given
information and training about fatigue as a
workplace hazard, how to identify the signs
and symptoms and what to do to reduce
the risk? Do you receive sufficient time to
recover from camps before resuming your
normal duties? Particularly if you are sleep
deprived? Have tasks and activities such as
camps, excursions and work-related driving
been risk assessed for fatigue? Do you know
how to manage non work-related fatigue?
One of the most dangerous things you
can do whilst fatigued is drive a motor
vehicle. Undertaking long drives without
a break, driving home after working the
entire day and late into the evening as
well, driving between midnight and 6am,
driving in heavy traffic and driving on long
lonely stretches of road in low traffic are all
significant risks, and that risk increases if
you are sleep deprived. At this time of the
year, many of us are more likely to be sleep
deprived and fatigued.
You can find out more about this hazard by
contacting your IEU organiser and arranging
a sub-branch meeting to discuss this and
other health and safety issues affecting
your workplace.
IEU OHS Regional Network Ballarat
T
wo of the most important pillars
of safety in a workplace are
leadership commitment and
worker representation. Getting it right
around safety is really about workers
and managers talking about how to
fix those things in the workplace that
could hurt someone.
That is exactly what occurred on the
23 October when more than 30 Health
and Safety Representatives and School
Leaders came together at St Patrick’s
College Ballarat to consider the
question Is close enough, good enough?
School leaders shared their experiences
of the many challenges in trying to
manage safety, while the health and
safety reps talked about what it means
to be a rep and be able to speak out on
behalf of colleagues. Stephen Young
from VIOSH at Federation University
stretched participants’ thinking
on the whole issue and challenged
us examine our own values about
workplace culture. This was the first
meeting of the group in this format
and we look forward to getting
together again in April where are our
focus will be How psychologically safe
is your workplace?
WorkCover
and return
to work
An important ongoing part
of the IEU’s work for members
is the support and assistance
around WorkCover claims and
Return to Work negotiations.
T
he increased significance of this
area of the union’s work is due to the
combination of the actual growth
in the number of work-related injuries
(including stress) and members’ growing
awareness that the IEU will assist them
in their WorkCover claim disputes and
return-to-work issues.
The areas that the union can assist
members include:
■■ assistance in making WorkCover
Claims following injury
■■ strategic on-going advice and support
after WorkCover Claims are made
■■ support and representation in
negotiating quality Return to Work
Programs at the workplace when
the injured member has partial or
full capacity to return to work. These
negotiations include graduated return,
modification of duties and modified
work environments
■■ support in WorkCover conciliation
over rejected claims or discontinuation
of benefits
■■ work by the union’s solicitors, in pursuit
of claims for Lump Sum compensation
for Permanent Impairment, Death,
Common Law Negligence, and disputes
about entitlement to benefits and
medical and like expenses not settled
at conciliation.
We have actively assisted almost 100
members with their WorkCover cases so
far this year, with another four hundred
staying in contact with their ongoing
situation and progress. Of this year’s
cases, there were 39 cases of dispute
conciliations (Union Assist referrals);
14 cases of solicitor referrals in respect
to permanent injury claims and genuine
dispute outcomes, and seven cases of
assisting injured members in their Return
to Work negotiations with their employer.
If you have been injured at work or
currently suffer illness due to workrelated stress, it is essential that you ring
the IEU to be advised of your rights and
entitlements. Call 1800 622 889 or email
info@ieuvictas.org.au
13
December 2015 THE POINT
PRINCIPALS
Farewelling Colleagues
Thirty principals gathered on Friday 13 November at
Moonee Ponds for the IEU Annual Retiree Principals’ Luncheon.
Summary of the Year
The Principals’ Council in 2015 has had a strong focus on Principal Wellbeing, Occupational
Violence and Occupational Health and Safety. Principal sub-branch reps and assistant
reps meet four times a year to discuss and formulate on-going strategies to address and
improve principal conditions and to also feed into the broader IEU agenda. With next year
being a bargaining year for the next Catholic Agreement, Principals’ Council is keen to
engage all principal members so that we have a united and active voice in the outcome.
T
his year, eleven IEU members
are leaving principalship and we
acknowledge their service to education
in general and, more specifically, to their
school communities. We also celebrate
them as dedicated, selfless and passionate
individuals who have done a job that not
many others could or would do, especially in
the current educational landscape.
We honour and congratulate:
Irene Ashton – St Joseph’s School
Northcote
■■ Brian Booley – St Gabriel’s School
Reservoir
■■ Jean Corr – St John’s School Footscray
■■ Anne Garvey – St Bernadette’s School
Sunshine North
■■ Bernadette Hubbard – St John Vianney’s
School Parkdale East
■■ Tony Lawless – St Margaret’s School
Maribyrnong
■■ Carmel Purdey – St Francis Xavier’s
School Box Hill
■■ Dianne Redford – St Thomas the Apostle
School Blackburn
■■ Maree Roache – St Aloysius’ School Redan
■■ Trish Stabb – St Catherine’s School Berwick
■■ Trish Stewart – St Martin of Tours School
Rosanna.
■■
The luncheon is an opportunity for
colleagues, past and present, to catch up,
remember old times (when teaching was
fun!) and to share in the wisdom of those
leaving the role. We thank Debra James,
General Secretary, for her attendance and
continued support of principal members.
The five retiring principals present on the
day received gifts from the IEU and all spoke
of their appreciation of the union over the
years in their often challenging work.
Irene Ashton: As a principal, we often
need objective and informed advice. For
me, the support I have received from the
IEU has been invaluable in providing this
perspective. Many a time the union has
provided me with a balanced view thus
preserving and maintaining my sanity and
wellbeing!! Heartfelt thanks to all at IEU.
Irene Ashton and Brian Booley
Brian Booley: The Union represents ‘the
Collective’; teachers, principals & school
officers all working together to look after
one another. Now I leave principalship
and continue in teaching, the Union
will be just as important. Together we
are strong. I imagine a Union where all
principals are ‘on board’ just as many
of them were as teachers. We’d be
unbeatable and Catholic Education would
be the stronger. Long live Union!
Trish Stabb: The IEU has worked tirelessly
to improve the conditions of teachers
in Catholic education and in supporting
principals in their increasingly complex role.
Looking forward already to next year’s event!
Maree Roache: I have been a member of
the union since the start of my career 37
years ago. Throughout that time, I have
been grateful for the ongoing support
of the union in dealing with a range of
industrial matters and have appreciated
the support of the IEU in the successful
conclusion of my career in education.
Having Maureen Shembrey’s counsel
through challenging negotiations was very
supportive and much appreciated.
Tony Lawless: At a time when l needed the
support of others, the union responded and
was genuinely concerned for my welfare
and future.
Trish Stabb, Maree Roache and Tony Lawless
JOHN LAING
AWARD
W
e congratulate Richard Mucha,
principal of St Mary’s School
Hastings, who is the IEU
recipient of the Principals’ Australia
Institute John Laing Professional
Development Award for 2015. The
Award recognises the contribution of
school leaders who have undertaken
significant professional development
and contributed to the professional
learning of other school leaders. It is
a non-competitive, peer-nominated
celebration of school leadership and
professional learning, and is organised
by the principals’ associations in each
state and territory.
Richard has been tenacious about
promoting and pursuing the issue
of aggressive and violent students
and parents in schools. He has been a
persistent voice seeking formalized and
consistent approaches system wide,
sanctioned by the IEU, for the protection
of staff and principals. He was on the
joint working party that developed
the CECV/IEU ‘Safe and Sound Practice
Guidelines (Occupational Violence)’
launched this year after nearly two
years of work. Richard’s passion for this
issue and the resultant positive impact
for his principal colleagues make him a
worthy recipient of this Award.
Saint Paul, weddings, love and teaching
I have been to three family weddings in the past 12 months. Each wedding has featured Chapter 13 of Paul’s
Letter to the Corinthians. Each time I hear the reading, I am struck by the connection between love and
education, so here is Corinthians 13 with a wording substitute:
E
ducation is always patient
and kind; it is never jealous;
education is never boastful
or conceited; it is never rude or
selfish; it does not take offence,
and is not resentful.
Education takes no pleasure in
other people’s sins but delights
in the truth; it is always ready to
excuse, to trust, to hope, and to
endure whatever comes. Education
does not come to an end.
Substituting ‘education’ for
‘love’ does not seem to have
diminished the beauty of the
sentiments expressed – so what is
the connection between love and
education?
Many current educational
thinkers write about education
as an ‘encounter’ between
teacher and learner (see the
article on Gert Biesta from the
September edition of The Point
or the TLN Journal Spring 2015).
In the education encounter there
must be a trusting relationship
between teacher and learner
for effective learning to occur. It
is as if education occurs in the
space between the teacher who is
teaching and the student who is
open to learn. Learning is change
and so inherently risky. In that
space there must be love to bring
the two together. For without love
the learner will find it difficult
to be open to the truth from the
teacher and the teacher will be
unable to take the risk of learning
with and from the student.
The overt affective expression
of love as a critical element of
education, will, I am sure, leave
some feeling uncomfortable.
When he wrote to the Corinthians,
Paul used the Greek word,
‘agape’, which is translated to
the English, ‘love’. Agape is an
all-encompassing universal love
for people, the sort of love that
might lead one to always look
to the good of the other. It is not
‘eros’, sexual love or ‘philia’, family
love, both of which dominate the
usage and understanding of the
word ‘love’ in Australian English.
It might help to turn to the great
South American educator, Paulo
Freire, who in an interview in 1985
identified the following virtues
that are needed by a teacher:
■■ Humility: the ability to
understand the pain of others,
the feeling of others. Humility
leads to genuine dialogue,
which is not an instructional
tactic but a natural part of the
process of knowing
■■ Patience: teachers need to
know how to make a life
together with their students
Tolerance: learning to meet
the needs of each student
as an individual, including
the antagonist. The teacher’s
relationship with the class is
not a relationship with the
group but a relationship with
each individual
■■ Love: an affirmative love, a
love which accepts; a love for
students which pushes us to go
beyond.
For many of us in formal
educational situations like schools,
colleges and early childhood
centres we are groaning under the
weight of data. In contemporary
education in Australia we
are occupied with rationality,
measurement and data. The
last time I looked, ‘love’ was not
measured by PISA or NAPLAN
and does not show up on school
improvement plans and I have not
■■
seen Humility, Patience, Tolerance
or Love in the curriculum for
teacher education. However, if
education is about individual
agency and creating a better
society for all, then perhaps Paul,
who transformed society in his
time, has a message for us, which
is about education being the
practice of love.
So the next time you are
inclined to say, ‘I love my students’,
perhaps you could make the
alteration and say ‘When I love
my students, they learn’.
Michael Victory
Teacher Learning Network
This article is based on some
education research Michael
is undertaking. If you would
like to know more, email
mvictory@tln.org.au
14
THE POINT December 2015
Casual Relief Teachers
T
hese provide important
sharing opportunities for
CRT members to discuss
their work and issues, and helps
to inform IEU policy and strategy
in advocating on behalf of
members with employer groups
and government bodies. In work
that is sometimes quite isolating,
this opportunity to build a sense
of collective is a very important
role of the union.
In 2015 we further expanded
our CRT professional learning
program with a continued
focus on providing access to
all CRTs with both ‘in person’
and ‘online’ participation. In
conjunction with our colleagues
in the AEU, we have continued
to work on engaging and
supporting CRT members, no
matter where they work.
For the first time IEU members
were invited to participate in
a CRT KickStart in early Term 1
which provided an introduction
to those new to CRT work.
The IEU continues
to look for new
ways to support
and engage with
Casual Relief
Teacher (CRT)
members through
our professional
learning program,
annual survey
and engagement
in forums such
as CRT Networks
and online.
The day long program saw
215 participants (made up of
a real mix of graduates, those
returning from extended breaks
such as parental leave and those
stepping back from full-time
work on the path to retirement).
In work that is
sometimes quite
isolating this
opportunity to
build a sense of
collective is a very
important role of
the union.
With a program focused on
established CRTs sharing their
successful strategies as well as a
range of other ‘experts’ providing
insight into having productive
and successful CRT experiences,
the plans are currently being
finalised for 2016.
Across the remaining CRT
Conference program we had
550 participants over the
three conference days, with
a day-long activity held each
term break. The program
provides CRT targeted PD on
broad themes with a new
focus each year – in 2015
these were curriculum ‘across
the ages’, ICT with a focus
on hands on experiences for
participants and curriculum
with a focus on positive
psychology and responses.
Our program is facilitated by
Daniel Cohen on behalf of the
Teacher Learning Network
(TLN) who continue to find us
exciting new presenters with
a focused effort on finding
great practitioners. TLN also
continue to expand their
online capacity to make the
conference more available and
interactive.
VIT Registration will require
PD on special needs
A
s part of the Victorian
government’s specific focus
on schools supporting
special needs, the Minister for
Education, James Merlino, is
requiring VIT to incorporate a
requirement for teachers to have
undertaken some professional
development in teaching students
with special needs as part of the
registration process.
As part of the on-line renewal
process next year, in addition to
teachers being asked to declare
that they have undertaken
20 hours of professional
development activities in the
last year, they will also need to
declare that they have undertaken
professional development in
special needs in the last 2 years.
As part of the introduction of this
new requirement, if a teacher
has not undertaken some PD in
this area, they will have a further
12 months to comply.
Importantly, there will be
no specified time requirement
on the amount of professional
development activity, and the
type and nature of the PD is as
broad and self-determined as the
general PD requirement for the
20 hours. Professional development
activities can include schoolbased meetings, professional
reading, attendance at seminars,
workshops, on-line learning, etc.
The IEU is part of a stakeholder
reference group which is looking at
process and the union is working
to ensure as reasonable and
manageable an introduction of the
Ministerial requirement as possible.
VIT will be putting out a Guide for
Teachers Renewing, which should
assist teachers and principals.
The Face of Unions
Asmah Abou-Eid from Ilim College Dallas became the face of the Victorian Trades Hall Council,
‘This is what a unionist looks like’ campaign this year. She talked with us about being one of
the first union members at her school, bargaining and the golden rule.
A
smah is reflecting on a busy year. She’s
buoyant, positive and proud to have been
part of a campaign that helped shift
attitudes away from what some media outlets
and politicians would have you believe is the
modern day member. Asmah is upfront and
proud about what she has accomplished as a
teacher and a member of the IEU. Asmah and
her colleagues are looking forward to 2016.
‘My husband asked if I get paid for my picture. I
told him no, but I am hoping for a pay rise as an
outcome of the bargaining at Ilim College’.
Hi, Asmah. Where did your involvement
with the campaign begin?
The IEU organiser and I were talking about the
Victorian Trades Hall Council. He mentioned
the campaign and their efforts to lift the
perceptions of diversity within the union
movement. He asked to take a picture of me
and I said yes.
My personal trainer, my husband and friends
have seen the posters all over Melbourne. I had
so many questions that I put the poster on my
Instagram to tell people, ‘yes –it’s me’.
You were one of the first union
members at your school and
have personally lead a jump in
member numbers. Well done!
to be open. If there’s something I
feel my colleagues want, they’ll
hear about it. Letting people know
you’re not working against the
school but with them is the biggest
bridge to cross.
Bargaining to reward teachers for
their work is the right thing to do.
We are taught the golden rule, ‘None
of you will believe until you love
for your brother what you love for
yourself.’ I believe this to be the truth
in rewarding teachers for their work.
We have to want for each other what
we want for ourselves.
You mention collaboration,
communication and
transparency – how do these
values work in your current
bargaining?
What are you looking forward
to as a union member?
I just started by giving out
forms and information about
becoming a member and I told my
colleagues that they didn’t need
to worry about being a member.
From then, we just started egging
each other on, and the message
was pretty basic – join the union,
and you can get better conditions
and improved pay. What better
incentive is there?
We’re about 6 months into our
bargaining at Ilim College. It’s a
collaborative process and for it to
be fruitful, communication needs
I’ve been a member for just under
three years now. I feel we’ve had
success from our shared beliefs and
agreed goals. Next year, we’d like
our wages to match the East Preston
Islamic College who this year matched
Government school wages.
This guide should help clarify the
breadth of PD that will meet the
requirement. The IEU would expect
that in the general professional
development activities teachers
are involved in at school level, the
requirement should be able to
be met. Schools need to ensure
that activities and discussions
focus on special needs teaching
and learning. This will already be
happening in most schools.
Is this a new teaching
standard?
The general requirement for
teachers to declare that they meet
the teaching standards is not new,
and the professional development
requirement is not new. There are
in fact three existing professional
standards which already can be
said to focus on this area. What is
new is the specific declaration of
having undertaken some specific
PD in this area of teaching and
learning.
The current professional
standards which relate to special
needs are:
1.6 design and implement
teaching activities that support
the participation and learning
of students with disability and
address relevant policy and
legislative requirements.
1.5 develop teaching activities
that incorporate differentiated
strategies to meet the specific
learning needs of students across
the full range of abilities.
4.1 establish and implement
inclusive and positive interactions
to engage all students in
classroom activities.
The IEU will keep members
abreast of the new requirement.
15
December 2015 THE POINT
IEU Rep Training 2016
If you’ve been elected to represent union members in your workplace, it is
recognition of the trust and confidence members place in you to promote their
entitlements and in many cases speak on their behalf about workplace issues.
T
he role of IEU rep can be
challenging, rewarding, and
at times even confronting
as you may deal with issues
which divide staff, possibly lead
to disputation or situations
of personal and professional
upheaval for individuals. In
any workplace the role of rep
can be demanding but in some
workplaces, standing up for
others and leading a group
collectively can mean working
in environments of hostility and
defensiveness. It is for this reason
our IEU reps are our workplace
heroes and always have the
support and guidance of the union
and their IEU organiser.
One of the key ways the IEU
supports reps is through training
and development opportunities at
various times throughout the year.
The more you learn about your role
and practise the skills involved,
the more effective you are as a rep
and the stronger your sub-branch
will be. The IEU runs Initial Rep
Training for those new to the role
to gain better awareness of what
the role entails, the structure of
the union, and an introduction to
the skills of advocacy, recruitment,
consultation and working with
school leadership. Experienced
Rep Training builds on these
initial skills and helps reps
further develop strategies to lead
their sub-branch and empower
members.
Rep training at any level is an
opportunity to meet others in the
same role, to share experiences,
support, encourage and mentor
each other. Whether you’ve
attended training before or have
not yet taken up the opportunity,
it is important to make the time to
attend in 2016. It is an expectation
that all reps attend training to
enable them to complete their role
effectively, and many Agreements
including the VCMEA, the
TCESEA and other independent
school Agreements provide an
entitlement for reps to attend
training. In schools without this
provision or without Agreements,
the IEU can cover the cost of
replacement for the day and can
help negotiate with your employer
if they are reluctant to approve
your attendance at rep training.
The dates for Melbourne Rep
Training are listed below and
bookings are open for these dates
now. Dates for Rep Training in
Tasmania and in Regional Victoria
will be available soon.
Initial Rep Training
■■
■■
■■
Wednesday 16 March
Tuesday 10 May
Thursday 25 August
Experienced Rep Training
■■
■■
■■
Tuesday 22 March
Thursday 21 July
Tuesday 18 Oc tober
Consultative Committee
Training
Access to IEU training for Consultative Committee
members was incorporated into the new Tasmanian
Catholic Agreement with a focus on encouraging
better consultation at workplace level.
I
t was acknowledged in
negotiations that decisionmaking was enhanced by
providing a positive framework
to enable staff to have input
into decisions which affect
their working life. The first of
these training sessions was
held in Launceston on Tuesday
27 October with 13 participants
from across the state and from
both primary and secondary
settings. Participants shared
their experiences and
discussed the successes and
challenges of establishing
good consultative processes in
schools. The opportunity to ask
questions of Senior Industrial
Officer Denis Matson, who
was so heavily involved in
negotiating the Agreement,
was seen as a really valuable
part of the training. Further
sessions will be scheduled
early in 2016 and we will be
encouraging Consultative
Committee representatives
to take up their right to
this training.
TEACHER LEARNING NETWORK
A Christmas present for your team!
Membership of the
Teacher Learning
Network for your team
– it just makes sense.
T
he best present you
can give your team to
celebrate the end of the
school year is an investment in
their professional growth. The
TLN can be that present for you.
How does it work?
For one low annual
membership fee (subsidised
by your union), every member
of your team gets access to
resources and courses from
the Teacher Learning Network.
There will be over 120 courses
on offer in 2016 – and all
courses are free for staff in
member schools.
Why do this?
Your team are professionals
and they should be making
decisions about their own
professional learning, building
on strengths, overcoming
weaknesses and making
individual contributions to the
school improvement plan.
TLN offers you over 120 courses
covering:
■■ Classroom and behaviour
management
■■ Assessment and feedback
■■ Literacy and numeracy
■■ Gifted, talented and special
needs
■■ Student engagement
■■ IT skills
This is an opportunity for you
to support your team to build
their capacity.
Why TLN?
■■
■■
■■
■■
We bring the ideas of great teachers
into your school through our
online platform. Quite simply, we
are the leading provider of online
professional learning for teachers.
We work hard at it, we are proud of
it and we will back ourselves against
any other PD provider.
A core belief of the TLN is that
teachers are better when they work
collegially. We find great teachers
and we invite them to share their
practice with their colleagues. TLN
classroom professional development
is run by teachers who are working
in the classroom on a daily basis.
They know the work of teaching.
TLN courses are offered out of
regular teaching hours, focus
on specialised teaching skills
and are FREE.
TLN is backed by your union.
How Much?
The subscription
(including GST) for a 12 month
membership is:
Student Enrolment
B. 2000 students and above
2015 prices
$800
C. Between 1000 and 1999 students
$700
D. Between 500 and 999 students
$500
E. Between 100 and 499 students
$350
F. Below 100 students
$250
You must join and pay before
18 December 2015 to get these
rates. Your membership will
then be current through to
31 December 2016.
Go to www.tln.org.au to join
online, email Michael Victory
at mvictory@tln.org.au or
call 9418 4992.
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17
December 2015 THE POINT
Looking to our future
The future of our union
rests with the teacher
and education support
workers of tomorrow.
T
hat’s why every year the IEU engages
with student teachers from their
first day in O-Week to their final
day on campus. That’s why every year we
support student teachers in every aspect of
university life.
Over the year we have had an active
presence on campuses, holding barbeques,
being involved in orientation days and
attending student education conferences.
This year we increased our involvement
with the Monash and Deakin education
student associations, doing some great
work with Alan and Bronwyn and co. out
at Deakin, and Emily and Alexandrea and
the crew at Monash. We collaborated with
them on events ranging from student balls
to meet the principals panels.
At the IEU we recognise and respect
that we are part of a broader education
community. One of the really great aspects
of our student program is the collaborative
work we do with the AEU. This year the
IEU and AEU presented at over 70 lectures
to education students on topics including
Legal Issues for Teachers, Conditions of
Employment and the Teacher as Worker.
Graduate Teachers
The work we do in
universities means that
every new teacher is
given the opportunity
to walk through their
classroom door on the
first day knowing that
the union has their back.
T
his year we had over 300
graduate members join the
ranks of the IEU.
Teaching can be tough, so to
make it easier for those starting
out we offer them extra PD. This
year’s ‘Bright Ideas’ Conference
featured Michael Carr‑Gregg,
adolescent psychologist and
mental health advocate. In his
address he shared his insights
into child and adolescent mental
health and how teachers can
support positive mental health
in the classroom. As well as the
conference, we again ran our
joint PD in the Pub seminar series
with the AEU. From Mildura
to Frankston our presenters
Glen Pearsall and Coby Beatson
attracted hundreds of students
and graduate teachers in the early
years of their career from across
schools and universities Victoria.
There is no doubt that by the
time this edition of The Point
lands on a staff room table or
appears in an inbox or letterbox
that there will be some tired
teachers and support staff out
there. The good news for our
graduate teachers is that it will
get more manageable each year
and that your union is always
ready to assist.
This year’s ‘Get that Job!’ student teacher
conference was one for the highlight reel,
with a record 157 students participating
from every university in Victoria. The
conference was packed with workshops on
CV writing and job application skills, and
topped off with the ever-popular ‘Meet the
Principals panel’.
One of the really
great aspects of our
student program is the
collaborative work we do
with the AEU
Without fail, our principals from Catholic
and independent schools spoke openly and
honestly with our student teachers about
interview techniques and the pressures
of graduate teaching. The combined
knowledge and wisdom of our panel
provided just the right sort of advice for our
members about how to start off a career in
education on the right foot.
Just like education, our student
program never stands still, with
discussion already underway with the
University of Tasmania about hosting a
‘Get that Job!’ conference for students in
2016. In addition, we continue to expand
our delivery of online PD with this year’s
introduction of a ‘Launching your career
– applying for jobs’ seminar attracting
40 participants.
This is a tricky time of year for
our final year student teachers, torn
between celebrating their academic
achievements and searching for their
first teaching position. That’s why we are
happy to offer student members advice
on their new job contracts so that there
is one less thing for them to be worried
about. All in all it’s been another great
year and there is no greater testament
to this than the fact that nearly 2000
students decided to join us!
The IEU on top!
James Deery, a proud and active IEU Victoria
Tasmania member, and a life-long Bulldogs fan, from
Nagle College Bairnsdale, is the winner of the ACTU/
ME Bank AFL Footy Tipping competition for 2015.
T
he competition is open to all
union members from across
the country and from that
massive talent pool, our own James
led the way and scored a $1,000 ME
Bank account for his efforts!
James, taking special advice
from his son, was a careful tipper,
tending to favour the Doggies,
while also taking note of the
respective ladder position of the
two teams competing. Delighted
to finish the tough home-andaway season on top of the tipping
ladder, he has no grand plans for
his prize, though he does admit it
will help finance his travels to see
Footscray play in Melbourne.
James is happy to travel for
things that matter, also coming
in to Melbourne to participate
in stop-works around the last
Catholic campaign. James is a
staunch advocate for the place
of unions in the workplace and
the work that the IEU does for
members. He sees the work of
the IEU as crucial to improving
the working conditions for all,
and is a firm believer that the
conditions that we have all won
collectively would not be there if
it were simply left to employers.
Congratulations on the win, James!
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12/11/2015 3:54:39 PM
19
December 2015 THE POINT
Taking The Challenge
INTERNATIONAL
ROUNDUP
Teachers in Switzerland joined together
with other public sector employees in early
November taking strike action against
proposed government changes to working
conditions. Two thirds of teachers walked
off the job and over 10,000 protesters
rallied in the centre of Geneva. Designed to
reduce labour costs, the proposed changes
include a lengthening of the working week
and a freeze on new appointments. The
government claims these changes are
necessary to deal with government debt,
while unions claim these savings are simply
being used to offset tax cuts, and public
sector workers and their unions have vowed
to continue their action, saying ‘We are
striking for the children and for the quality
of education, not for our salaries’.
Chris Fenech, IEU member
and teacher at Marian
College Sunshine, is leading
an enthusiastic group of
students on a bike camp in
late November.
C
hris runs the school bike club which
he says provides a great opportunity
for many of the students to enjoy the
fun and fitness that bike riding provides.
Chris explained that many students have
limited chances to participate in bike
riding so the club meets each week to head
out for a variety of rides in the local area.
Their big challenge for November is
to ride the Mountain to Murray Trail
between Bright and Wangaratta.
Chris saw the IEU drink bottles at the
Teacher’s Games and approached the
union to donate enough for the school’s
bike ride; we were delighted to support
this initiative which in Chris’s words
is designed ‘to promote fitness and
wellbeing through bike riding’.
This is another wonderful example
of staff in schools going that ‘extra mile’
in their professional lives. Good luck to
everyone involved.
Sustainable St Kevin’s
St Kevin’s Primary School Hampton Park started its sustainable journey with a small gardening
club during lunchtime and isolated pockets of teacher passion for sustainability.
A
fter installing
Building the
Education
Revolution funded solar
panels, the school is
focused on establishing a
collaborative program for
all of its 600 students. This
is a long way to come from
engaging in one or two
isolated actions.
St Kevin’s is involved
in strategic planning for
a science sustainability
unit of work for term two
of 2016. This unit will also
touch on maths, inquiry,
literacy and other areas of
the broader curriculum. In
2016, the Holy Year of Mercy,
St Kevin’s is embracing Pope
Francis’ second encyclical,
Laudato Si by educating
about ways to better care
for our environment.
In order that Education
for Sustainability endures
over time within a school,
it is important to set up
collaborative agreements
with both staff and
students. This will help to
build a solid foundation for
ongoing learning. It’s great
to see that St Kevin’s is
grabbing the concept of
Education for Sustainability
with both hands and is
making positive change
to equip their students for
life in a future we can’t yet
even imagine!
If your school is just
starting out with Education
for Sustainability or if
you are well on your way,
let us know by emailing
Lou Nicholson
lnicholson@ieuvictas.org.au
or calling 1800 622 889.
An appeals court in Kenya has rejected a pay
rise awarded to teachers by an industrial
court, finding that it did not have authority
to do so. Teachers and their unions have
been taking industrial action to hold the
government accountable to the original
decision, including taking a five-week
nationwide strike. This latest ruling is a blow
to teachers’ fight to be paid a living wage,
but the union has already flagged a Supreme
Court appeal. Unions have also accused the
court of bias and have sought the removal
of the bench for being influenced by the
government.
Teachers in Greece have joined in the massive
strikes against the latest round of austerity
measures. Over 20,000 people took part in
three demonstrations, action the government
actively encouraged people to take part in,
saying in a statement that workers should
protest against ‘the neoliberal policies and the
blackmail from financial and political centres
within and outside Greece’. The education
system has been particularly harshly hit
by cuts, with schools now reporting a staff
shortage of over 6,000 full-time teachers.
Unions have claimed some schools will be
unable to open at all, and other schools have
called for volunteer teachers.
A principal of an elementary school in
New York, USA, has caused outrage by
throwing out all teachers’ desks, saying she
doesn’t want them sitting in class. She also
threw out filing cabinets, suggesting that
either she feared teachers would perch on
these too or that she actually just doesn’t
like furniture.
Your member benefits program: save on your Christmas presents
IEU members receive exclusive access to a range of benefits designed to make life a little easier and a lot more enjoyable.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR IEU BENEFITS:
www.memberadvantage.com.au/ieu
Call IEU Member Advantage on 1300 853 352 for more information.
Summer Break
We asked some of our members how their
year went and what they were planning
for their Summer Holidays.
Michael Higgins,
St Anne’s School Sunbury
Hi Michael, this is your retirement
year. What have been your highlights?
Laura Alcock-Howell,
MacKillop College Werribee
Naomi O’Connor, Notre
Dame College Shepparton
Hi Laura – how are you? Can you
tell us about your holiday plans?
Hi, Naomi, how was your year?
Still planning for what I may get up to
over the break. I’m debating going away,
maybe even a cruise.
Sounds great – and how was
your teaching year?
Great, I’ve started a new role as a
Learning Area Leader. Students are
involved in social justice and fundraising
around social and community causes,
such as the Winter Sleepout. It gives
them a great understanding of
awareness campaigns and how we can
get involved. My school has been involved
in the Vinnies Soup Van for many years.
The van travels around West Footscray
and being involved is something I find
incredibly rewarding.
It’s been a great! There’s real
momentum growing for the union.
The collegiate support and social
gatherings have increased our
membership and it really helps us
explain the role the union plays. At
school, we had 230 Year 12 students,
including 40 VCAL students this year.
It’s a mammoth undertaking and I’m
happy we helped them through.
What are your holiday plans?
Yes, I’ve been a member of the IEU for
about 15 years. I’ve seen two marches
on Parliament house. My last year of
teaching has been great – I wish I had
started 20 years ago. The highlight
of any teaching career is the team of
people around you. That, and when
you bump into students and see what
they’ve achieved after graduation
How do you spend your break?
My family will spend Christmas
together. We’ll be in Drummond with
family, good food and wine. Our family
gathers for Easter and Christmas every
year and it’s something we all really
look forward to.
I love summer. I went to Thailand to
escape our winter and now summer is
here, I plan to spend most of it by my
pool in the backyard, Perhaps a small
trip to Sydney.
Peter Flahavin,
Lavalla Catholic College
Traralgon
Brendan Paterson,
EdSpace Independent School
Benalla
It’s been a very positive year. Our school has
an emphasis on engaging with community
and our students have been active with
some excellent projects. The students
designed a book display for the local library
for Book Week and we worked closely with
local environment projects in building
nesting boxes for native sugargliders and
honey eaters.
For my break, my family and I will spend
our time in our backyard. I’m changing the
cottage garden to a low water garden. Then
in January, my two boys and I are taking
a tour of New Zealand to see some Maori
culture and volcanoes.
Andrew Wood, Marist-Sion
College Warragul
This year was my first as VCE
coordinator. It was a success and I’m
proud that everything ran smoothly.
This year, we introduced a new
program in Year 7 Maths classes. The
program moves away from the text
book and toward accommodating
the different levels of knowledge of
students. We aim to develop confidence
in students by focusing on areas they
need attention and trying to close
some knowledge gaps.
For the holidays, the family and I are
hoping to get out into nature and
go camping, most likely around the
Gippsland area. I’m also planning to get
to the cricket test in Melbourne the day
after the Boxing Day test begins.
Have a great Holiday Season from all at the IEU.
Hi Peter – what are you plans
for the holidays?
Coming from the country, the family and I
usually spend Christmas at my property in
Hill End, in the foothills of Mount Baw Baw
– commonly referred to as the land that
time forgot. We’re joined by family from
interstate. We spend some time gathering
firewood with the kids for the winter, and
take the odd trip to the beach in Inverloch
or a trip to the Baw Baw plateaeu.
Your highlight of the year?
Being a VCAL teacher, watching students
progress into employment at the end of
the year is always a highlight. Many are
employed by major business such as the
APM (Australian Paper Manufacturers
or by small and family business, or into
apprenticeships in the Latrobe Valley.
Peter signed off, inviting all to join him
at the Picnic Race Circuit
Jeremy Dooley,
Guilford Young College
Hobart
Hi Jeremy, how was your year?
Very rewarding. I’m happy to have
completed another year of delivering
lessons to students at Guilford Young
College. I’m now turning my focus to
brewing some award winning craft
beers for the festive season. I won 2 gold
medals at this year’s state home brew
competition in Launceston (Stout and
Bitter Ale), which went on to win one
3rd at the National Championships
in Brisbane (Stout) and a 6th place
for the Bitter Ale. Last year I got a 3rd
place in the American IPA at the State
Championships as well. In November,
I came second in the Battle of the Brews
held at the Winston in North Hobart
as part of Beer Lovers Week. All up a
very successful year in the brewing
department.
I heard you’re doing well,
what are your holiday plans?
I will be doing some brewing and
relaxing with family. Hoping
to go camping and get away for
a few days.