The Point: March 2016 - Independent Education Union

Transcription

‘The high court decision does not
over rule the argument for humane
treatment of asylum seekers’.
The IEU demand #letthemstay
Catholic Agreement
We’re working toward
a claim for Victoria.
Ready, Rep? Set. Go!
Training for reps to
learn, share and inspire
your sub-branch.
A teacher’s aide turned
teacher and an educator
of 30 years start at a
new school.
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Page 17
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PRINT POST 100010937
VOLUME 6 NO 1 MARCH 2016
GENERAL SECRETARY
DEBRA JAMES
What a great start to 2016!
O
rganisers have been out and about in Catholic
schools having conversations with members
about their issues in readiness for framing
our claim for the next round of bargaining in
Catholic schools. Thousands of members have given
us their feedback through an online survey about
what is important to them in working towards
a new Agreement. The opportunity to improve
our wages and working conditions and make our
schools better places in which to work and a better
learning environment for our students only comes
about every three to four years so it’s vital we don’t
let the opportunity to make much needed changes
pass without giving it our best shot.
Members in Catholic schools are not holding
back in telling us what they want. Sure, fair
and decent wages which properly recognise
their work tops the list, but very close behind
are a raft of matters about workload and work
intensification, better security of employment
and more consultative and respectful work
environments. What comes through strongly
in their feedback is just how passionate and
engaged members are about their work.
Bargaining in the independent school sector
is also off to a cracking start. So far this year,
seven Agreements have already been approved.
While the finalisation of these Agreements
clearly comes from work commenced last year,
we are also currently at the table in more than
25 schools – some of these for the first time.
The IEU has also started the year with a major
win in the Federal Court against the Australian
International Academy over its misuse of
fixed-term contracts and its hindrance of the
union’s investigations. The decision will have farreaching effects. Too many of our members are
on yearly contracts for no good reason and are
often afraid to speak out about it for fear of not
being offered another contract. A big thank-you
to our legal team and to our hardworking staff
for their commitment to seeing this through.
With a huge year of bargaining and
campaigning ahead of us we are asking all
members to talk to their colleagues who are
not yet members about joining the IEU. With
increased numbers comes greater strength
and capacity which means better outcomes for
you, our members. So come on, ask a colleague
‘Are you with us?’
IEU Action Exposes
Misuse of Fixed-Term
The Federal Court has ruled
that one of Melbourne’s
biggest Islamic schools illegally
altered school documents to
try to avoid the union catching
them employing too many
staff on fixed-term contracts.
T
he ruling will have widespread
implications for IEU members. It
reinforces that staff cannot be kept
on fixed-term contracts unless there are
proper legal grounds for it. The Court
found that the Australian International
Academy of Education (formerly King
Khalid College) illegally hired at least
nine teachers on fixed-term contracts.
The award only permits fixed-term
employment to replace staff on leave and
in other very limited circumstances.
The decision will have very wide
implications because most IEU members
in Victoria and Tasmania are covered
by union-negotiated Agreements that
have the same or very similar restraints
on fixed-term employment. The Award
deals only with teachers, but most of
the union’s Agreements cover support
staff as well. The union has been
engaged in a long-term struggle to
achieve ongoing secure employment for
teachers and school support staff. This
Court judgement issues a clear warning
to employers that there will be serious
consequences for using fixed-term
employment illegally.
Union officials have reported
employers using all manner of
rationalisations for fixed-term
employment. Some say, ‘I put graduate
teachers on fixed-term and try them out
for a year or two’. Others put integration
aides on fixed-term because ‘their
funding is tied to students with special
needs’. Principals often tell us that
teacher aides are fixed-term because
‘funding is annual and fluctuates’,
or they say, ‘I can’t make him/her
full-time – it would create a financial
liability’. None of these reasons is
permitted under either the Victorian or
Tasmanian Catholic Agreements, nor
under most other Agreements or the
Teachers’ Award.
The Federal Court’s judgement makes
it clear that schools engaging people on
a fixed-term contract must comply with
the Award or Agreement – otherwise
they are acting illegally and are exposed
to severe penalties.
The Court also found that Mr Salman
(Director of the AIA), being aware
that the union was coming to inspect
records, instructed his assistant to
change pages of fixed-termers’ contracts
so it would appear that they had
ongoing employment. The judge was
critical of his evidence, variously using
expressions like ‘quite unsatisfactory’,
‘unconvincing at best’ and ‘to describe
this evidence as guesswork would be
to flatter it’. The Court found that the
school intentionally hindered and
obstructed the union’s inspection by not
providing the true documents, and by
refusing access to computers to inspect
the electronic records.
Meanwhile, at the other extreme,
the CECV IR Unit (on behalf of Catholic
schools) has been working with the
T: (03) 9254 1860 • F: (03) 9254 1865 • FreeCall: 1800 622 889 • E: info@ieuvictas.org.au • W: www.ieuvictas.org.au
MELBOURNE OFFICE: 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank 3006 • HOBART OFFICE: 379 Elizabeth Street, Nth Hobart 7000
union to try to clean up inappropriate
fixed-term employment in Catholic
schools. The union has been extremely
patient, preferring to fix these problems
by co-operation. However, it is now
more than two years since we agreed
to participate in this project. While
members at about a dozen schools have
been moved onto ongoing contracts,
members at hundreds of other schools
are still waiting (if they haven’t given up
and taken more secure work elsewhere).
The union is set to take this issue up a
notch across the whole non-government
sector. If schools are misusing fixedterm employment they are exposed to
prosecution. The time for gentle requests
has passed and we expect schools to act
promptly to clean up unlawful fixedterm employment. Members who are on
fixed-term contracts and not sure why,
should speak to their workplace rep.
The AIA case will return to Court very
soon when the Court will determine
what orders and penalties it will issue
against the AIA and Mr Salman.
The Point is published by the
Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania.
2
THE POINT March 2016
Like, follow, tweet and
share – IEU social media
National Close the Gap day 2016
N
ational Close the Gap Day is being
held on Thursday 17 March 2016:
Australia’s largest Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander health campaign, and
a great way for students to learn about
national health equality issues. Plus it’s
linked to the Australian Curriculum and a
great way for teachers to tackle the crosscutting priority of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander histories and cultures.
Last year, more than 92,000 students
and teachers from 350 schools took part in
National Close the Gap Day activities.
In the past decade we’ve seen some
significant improvements, including a
big decline in infant mortality, improved
access to vital health services for many
people and declines in the rates of smoking
by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples. As educators, we must continue
to work together to ensure Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander health equality
becomes a reality by 2030 – our students’
generation.
Register now at www.oxfam.org.
au/ctgschools to receive a free resource
pack with Australian Curriculum aligned
resources from Oxfam Australia. The
resources are about empowering students
to create and lead their own National Close
the Gap Day events, while teaching them
about the gap in health outcomes and how
we can close it together.
Schools like yours are critical to creating
change, and so please join us on Thursday
17 March 2016 to make it the biggest
national day of action yet. Register your
class, year-level, or whole school now at
www.oxfam.org.au/ctgschools
For more info, please contact Oxfam
Australia’s Schools Program Coordinator
via schools@oxfam.org.au or
(03) 9289 9390.
Do you like the IEU and use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn?
Do you use social media as part of your role or want to know
how other staff use it in innovative and exciting ways?
B
ecome part of the education
online community. Simply like,
tweet, share or follow the IEU
social media pages.
We talk, comment and share for a
living and social media is no different.
Simply login to explore our online
community. Widen your professional
circle and engage with fellow
members who share your interests. If
you’re already connected with the IEU,
please share our social media pages
with your colleagues and friends.
www.facebook.com/ieuvictas
www.twitter.com/ieunews
IEU social media is continually updated
with news and events, PD dates, updates
and industry insights. Social media is
not just for young people, either! Staff of
all ages are welcome to join us and get
involved in the conversation. If you have
ideas or suggestions for our pages, we’d
love to hear from you.
See you online!
Congratulations
Congratulations to the following
members who have picked up
gift cards as a reward for simply
renewing their membership
before the end of January.
Winners are: Amanda Mitchell, Molly
McKinnon from St Simon’s Rowville, Zoe
Johnston at St Mary’s Inglewood, Sandra
Baptist, Karen Learner from Sophia Mundi,
Genevieve Dohrmann of St John Vianney’s
Parkdale East, Vanessa Meehan at St Leonard’s
College, Julie Sheehan at St Joseph’s Benalla,
Geraldine Bellchambers from St Patrick’s
Latrobe, Jacob Bevanda from Parade College,
Danielle Middleton of Corpus Christi Bellerive,
Georgina Graves at St Virgil’s College, Monica
Pastor from Mt Scopus, Janet Koochew at
Tintern Grammar, Steven Hubbard with St
Matthew’s Fawkner North, Lisa Templeton
from Lavalla, Michael Mulcahy at Loreto
Mandeville Hall, Meredith Ryan of Sacred
Heart Colac, Lamia al-Asaly at Islamic College
of Melbourne, Jane Nettleton from Parade
College, James Powell at Kardinia International
College, Anthony Borghesi from Mount Carmel
College, Navneet Rekhi at Monash College, and
Jeremy Guzman from Marymede.
Vale Suzy Small
M
embers at Life Education and
IEU staff were very saddened
by the death of Suzy Small
on 3 December 2015 – at the young age
of 53. Suzy had been our IEU rep at Life
Education for 5 years and was passionate
about a fair go for her colleagues and her
WHAT’S IN THE POINT
work in educating children about drugs,
alcohol and respectful relationships. For
30 years Suzy gave of herself openly to
students including several years teaching
in overseas positions. Suzy had a wonderful
sense of humour and loved her dog Coco –
who even attended work conferences.
Suzy chose to take her own life the day
after sending the IEU a draft harassment
complaint against her employer. Her
draft claim details how Suzy felt that
she had been bullied at work and how
distressed she was about the direction of
Life Education. We have provided detailed
information to the Coroner’s investigation.
We expect that the Coroner will make a
finding as to whether the treatment Suzy
was subjected to at work contributed to
her death. We will also be referring some
matters to WorkCover whose job it is to
ensure that employers provide a healthy
and safe workplace.
The union, together with our great
members, will continue to work to ensure
that Suzy’s wonderful educational legacy
includes making Life Education a safe
workplace where teachers are respected
and the values Life Education promotes to
students are applied by management.
We offer our deepest sympathy to
Suzy’s family, her close friends and her
wonderful colleagues.
CONTACT US
Behind the Whiteboard
Snippets and AdvicePage 4
Unfair
IEU win unfair dismissal casePage 5
IEU at VCAT
A win for the public interestPage 5
Bargaining Roundup
A review of the Independent SectorPage 6
Are you paying?
Salary deductions for laptops ruled illegalPage 10
Rep Profile
An interview with Pam Fox
Page 11
OHS
The dangers of asbestos
Page 12
Career Corner
A new column offering career advicePage 13
International Roundup
A look around the worldPage 19
Trades Hall
Young Workers Centre, We Are Union WomenPage 20
/IEUvictas
@IEUnews
EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING
ENQUIRIES
T: (03) 9254 1860 F: (03) 9254 1865
FreeCall: 1800 622 889
E: info@ieuvictas.org.au
W: www.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
The Point is published by
the Independent Education
Union Victoria Tasmania.
IEU 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:
Debra James
Deputy Secretary:
Loretta Cotter
President:
Mark Williams
Deputy President: Elisabeth Buckley
Ordinary Members:
Patrick Bennett
Andrew Dunne
Earl James
Heather Macardy
Andrew Wood
School Officers:
Christine Scott
COUNCIL PRESIDENTS
& DEPUTIES
Catholic Primary Council
President: Maree Shields
Deputy: Rachael Evans
Catholic Secondary Council
President: Stephen Hobday Deputy: Ruth Pendavingh
Independent Council
President: Cara Maxworthy Deputy: Coralie Taranto
Tasmanian Council
President: John Waldock Deputy: Paul Mannion
Principals’ Council
President: John Connors Deputy: Greg Lane
3
March 2016 THE POINT
#LetThemStay
The IEU has consistently expressed its
opposition to the treatment of asylum
seekers by Australian governments and has
previously condemned both the current
government and opposition for failing
to develop policy that is fair and
respectful of their human rights.
At the 19 February meeting
of the Committee of
Management, the following
resolution was passed:
That this meeting:
›› condemns the federal government
and opposition for their lack of
compassionate action in the matter
of the asylum seekers
›› calls upon the federal government to
comply with the Convention of the
Rights of the Child where children who
are asylum seekers and unaccompanied
minors are entitled to have their
welfare and human rights protected
and their right to an education upheld
›› calls upon the federal government
not to return the 267 vulnerable men,
women and children to the detention
camps of Nauru and Manus Island
›› commends the various Church
and State Government leaders
who have shown leadership and
compassion in offering sanctuary
to those seeking protection
›› calls upon federal opposition
leader, Bill Shorten, to show
leadership and stand up for those
who flee their country and seek
protection from persecution.
IEU Victoria Tasmania Committee of Management members at the February Meeting
IEU Members Take Action
IEU members are asked to contact the Prime Minister’s
Office and their local MP and request that the 267 asylum
seekers not be returned to the offshore detention camps of
Manus Island and Nauru.
IEU members can contact the Prime Minister’s Office at:
https://www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm
and locate their local MP at:
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/find-your-local-mp.htm
We must Stand Up and Act
DEPUTY SECRETARY
LORETTA COTTER
I
n February 2015, the Human
Rights Commission Report,
‘The Forgotten Children’
was released, detailing serious
violations of the rights of
children in Australian Detention
Centres and the physical
and psychological damage
experienced as a result of this
detention. The report makes
clear that long-term detention of
children causes mental illness,
trauma and harm which will
affect them for their entire lives.
There are currently 267 asylum seekers in Australia
who Prime Minister Turnbull may send back to offshore
detention camps on Manus Island and Nauru. Among the
267 people are 37 babies born in Australia and children
attending Australian local primary schools.
The federal government’s
response to this report has
been appalling. Rather than
address these critical issues and
take steps to bring safety to
these children, the government
attacked the motives of the
Human Rights Commission.
A further report, the
independent Moss Report
released in March 2015, revealed
reports of rape within the Nauru
centre, and numerous ‘reported
and unreported allegations
of sexual and other physical
assault’ of both children
and adults.
Among the 267 asylum seekers
are women who have been
victims of sexual abuse on
Nauru. Former psychiatrists
and social workers who worked
on Nauru have since released
an open letter stating that the
Australian Government was
aware of cases of sexual assault
against women and children for
17 months but failed to act.
While the recent High Court
decision has ruled that the
federal government has the
constitutional right to build, fund,
and run offshore detention camps
in foreign countries, this does not
overrule the moral argument for
humane treatment of those who
seek protection from persecution.
Across Australia, state
government Premiers, Church
leaders, community and union
leaders are joining together
to express their support for
protection of asylum seekers. In
the moral policy vacuum currently
occupied by both sides of politics,
it has been inspiring to witness
the courage of medical staff and
community and union activists
in Queensland banding together
for Baby Asha. The federal
government, however, is still
determined to send her and others
back to detention. As unionists
and educators we must continue
to stand up and act when we see
injustice. Let them stay.
4
The end of 2015 was a blur, the holiday period now a distant memory, and
the start of 2016 a mini-season of imperatives and goal-setting. BTW’s advice,
especially to those new to the caper, is to ‘chill’, work hard when you need to,
and relax even more when you don’t, your clients will appreciate it. And don’t
forget to ask those around you when in doubt about any workplace issue
-including the helpful staff at the IEU office.
IN THE GUN
It is not uncommon for school
leaders to reach a conclusion that
one or more of their staff is surplus
to needs. This can happen towards
the end of the school year, when
trimming needs to be done, or
when the boss decides it may be
time to move someone on. Where
there are performance concerns,
the school’s Enterprise Agreement,
should it have one, will have
Performance and Conduct clauses
that outline process. Members
in this situation should never go
down the path of meeting and
proceeding without the advice and
representation of an IEU Organiser.
In term 4 last year, a member at a
regional independent school found
that the principal was not happy
with his marking technique. A few
questions, and non-confrontational
meeting, some advice, might have
helped, but instead, the principal
went for the jugular. Not unlike the
behaviour of some in last night’s
edition of ‘Vikings’. Allegations
were raised, the member was stood
down, and an investigation ensued.
It became clear very early on that
the principal’s motivation and
actions were disproportionate to
the alleged misdemeanours. This
had a very negative effect on the
wellbeing of the member, given
the length of the stand down and
period of ill health. The member
was eventually exonerated, and
has returned to his position. The
scenario demonstrated vital
ingredients for getting through
such an unreasonable process –
the strength and courage of the
member, the support of a strong
sub-branch, and the representation
and advice of an IEU Organiser. Not
unlike the Viking village.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Late last year a member was
notified that due to falling
enrolments he was being given
the option of a reduced time
fraction or a redundancy. The
member had been on staff for
twenty years or so and the lump
sum termination payment was
significant. However, he felt he
still had plenty to give for the
next few years, was not quite
ready to give up the marker
pens for good, and was therefore
keen to negotiate the proposed
time fraction. Despite being a
long-time member, he didn’t
seek advice from the IEU Rep
or Organiser at this stage. In
responding to the school’s final
offer he inadvertently used the
wrong terminology, resigning
rather than accepting the
redundancy, and subsequently
had to forego a substantial
portion of his entitlements.
ALWAYS PAYS TO CHECK
A member returning from
parental leave thought to
check her letter advising
what she thought was a
temporary variation to her
existing contract, allowing
her to work part-time for
the first year. What she sent
through to the IEU was in fact
a new contract, commuting
her full-time ongoing
position to a fixed-term
part-time one! A reasonably
succinct email to the school
pointing out this subtle but
devastating difference was all
it took for the ‘oversight’ to be
rectified. Definitely a case of
‘if in doubt…’.
THE PERFECT VISIT
IEU Organisers are out and about
visiting workplaces in a big way
this term. Bargaining year in
the Victorian Catholic sector,
independent schools seeking
advice on Agreements, member
services and recruitment. Busy
times. Organisers never arrive at
a school unannounced – there
will always be contact with the
rep and/or principal beforehand,
and commonly a faxed or emailed
notice of visit. Remember faxes??
What is particularly
encouraging for Organisers and
members alike is when a warm
welcome is extended, often a
morning tea and a feeling of
collective goodwill. We have
a number of reports of some
principals encouraging staff to
join the union, either informally
or at the beginning of year staff
briefings. They laud the work of the
union. Some principals actually go
out to do yard duty over and above
their busy schedules to allow staff
to attend union meetings. We
commend this practice, and thank
these leaders for their proactivity.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
On the back of the landmark
decision for the Victorian
Government to reimburse all
teachers who had been obliged
to pay for their own laptop,
the union has been inundated
with enquiries from staff in
other schools regarding various
schemes. One of the most
eyebrow-raising examples is that
of a media teacher in an Eastern
suburbs independent school who
was obliged to purchase her own
laptop for use in class. To add
insult to injury, when it was knocked
off the desk by a student during a
class, causing the screen to crack, the
school refused to cover the cost of
repair, claiming that their insurance
would not cover it. BTW is currently
‘in negotiations’ with the business
manager to recover the teacher’s
out of pocket expenses. More on the
significance of this decision for our
sector on page 10.
A BIT CROOK
BTW encourages members to check
their personal leave entitlements at
the commencement of any school
year. Being paid the right amount
at the right level is something we
should always monitor. Likewise,
your accruals to personal leave, and
entitlements ‘up front’ with a new
employer should be something you are
clear on. The Victorian Catholic MEA
has a detailed Clause 30 on Personal
Leave, and agreed procedures between
the Catholic employers and the union
on how leave is to be taken and
deducted, particularly in relation to
teachers’ calculations. In independent
schools, those with Agreements will
provide detail on entitlements. Those
without, rely on the relevant Award,
the Fair Work Act and the National
Employment Standards. Organisers
are available to take members through
this information.
In the meantime, BTW wishes you
well for the year, encourages feedback
from you, and poses the question: ‘Are
you with us?’ If not, ‘Get off the bus,
Gus’. Pay the price, no freeloaders here.
BTW is always on the lookout for snippets of information from schools for
this column. If you think you have something worthy of reporting, email
your information to btw@ieuvictas.org.au Anonymity is guaranteed!
Marcellin College Learning Support
Officers secure ongoing employment!
A dozen Marcellin Learning Support Officers (LSOs), some of whom have been
employed for more than six years on fixed-term contracts, had a significant
win at the end of 2015 when they were all granted ongoing employment.
T
he IEU met with College leadership in
June after hearing all LSOs detail what
impact their lack of tenure had on their
professional, social and emotional wellbeing.
The College agreed to investigate the matter
and in October finally proposed a 50-50
model whereby 50% of each LSOs load would
be ongoing, with the other 50% remaining
fixed-term. Various members of the subbranch expressed their concern at this
proposal and questioned whether there was
any provision in the current Agreement for
such a hybrid model. The school eventually
consented to grant every LSO ongoing
status. Thanks to the persistence of the
sub-branch and a majority of LSOs who are
IEU members.
This is a great example of what sub-branches
and members can achieve through a unified
voice in support of colleagues.
Outgoing Rep Nick Cowall hands over duties to new Rep John Diano
5
Unjust. Unreasonable. Unfair.
Teacher wins dismissal case at the FWC
The IEU has won an unfair
dismissal case at the Fair Work
Commission for a teacher who
had worked for 14 years at the
Hutchins School Hobart.
T
he FWC ruled in favour of the teacher,
stating ‘there was no valid reason for
the dismissal and that the dismissal
was harsh and disproportionate, unjust and
unreasonable and therefore unfair’.
Mrs Anders began as a mathematics
teacher and Assistant Director of Studies
in 2001. The Commission heard the role
expanded to include administrative and
technical duties, and sometime later Mrs
Anders informed the school of trouble
coping with the demands of the role and
was later diagnosed with anxiety and
depression.
While on leave, the school advised Mrs
Anders she would not return to her role,
with a corresponding reduction of salary
due to her health. Unwilling to accept
this change, Mrs Anders was eventually
dismissed.
Mrs Anders spoke with The Point about
her experience and how her supporters
provided the confidence to take action and
stand up for her rights.
How did you feel about the idea of taking
action and standing up for your rights?
‘Despite the mixed feelings in the process
(of the unfair dismissal), the willingness to
continue was grounded in what I believed
to be the right thing to do, from both a
personal and broader social perspective. How
many of us as teachers or parents have been
advocates of standing for what you believe
in; against that which you believe is innately
wrong or that which disadvantages others?
We can hear that message in the push
against bullying that occurs in all schools
as an example. One of our children said it so
well in a family conference at a crossroad of
deciding how to proceed. ‘If you don’t fight,
Mum, they can do it to someone else.’
It’s a simple message. How did
it drive your resolve?
‘On a broad social perspective, taking action
was grounded in sending a message that
it is not appropriate to treat any person
in the way that I was treated. The decision
that I was unfairly dismissed clearly sends
that message. However, in a changing social
climate of the promotion of empathy and
understanding towards mental health
issues and the realistic practicalities of their
implementation through the wonderful
work of Beyondblue, Heads Up and events
such as R U OK?, as examples, this message is
even more pertinent given my anxiety and
depression at that time.’
What would you tell other teachers
who find themselves in a situation like
the one you were in?
‘It must be acknowledged that if I was not
a member of the IEU with their wonderful
support and resources, there would certainly
be a different story today. The reality is that
without union membership I would not have
had the resources to effectively stand against
what I believed was wrong. In the realisation
that we don’t know what life brings,
membership of the union is well worth your
own personal resources to have someone
to advise and support you and your family
when things go wrong. However, union
membership is also about having someone
with your interests and rights foremost in
their minds who will work together with
your employer to prevent such issues.’
‘...if I was not a member of the IEU with their
wonderful support and resources, there would
certainly be a different story today. ‘
Win at VCAT – in the public interest
The IEU recently
supported a graduate
in her quest to gain
registration as a teacher
with the Victorian
Institute of Teaching.
Our member completed
her degree in 2014 and
had glowing reports
from her placement
schools and referees.
She was offered
teaching positions
in Victoria.
V
IT refused our member’s
application for registration
because of disclosure of
a serious criminal conviction.
As a result of the conviction,
the applicant spent time in
prison. Our member had advised
VIT of her conviction prior to
commencing study to become a
teacher. She was advised that each
case was considered on its merits
and that there was no reason not
to proceed with her study.
VIT initially advised that it
intended to refuse registration
on the basis that ‘the applicant’
was not a fit and proper person
because of her conviction.
The applicant was given the
opportunity to provide further
information in support of her
application. She provided more
than a dozen additional personal
and professional references
addressing the attributes she
brought to teaching and the
significant work she had done
to rehabilitate herself after
being released from prison.
The references universally
provided very strong support for
the applicant to be registered. In
addition, the applicant obtained
medical evidence that stated
she had insight into what had
occurred in her past and that
there was no prospect of her
reoffending.
The Tribunal
decided, after
considering the
evidence and law,
that the applicant
would be a great
asset as a teacher...
Despite the wealth of
material in support of the
applicant, VIT determined to
refuse registration. It accepted
that the applicant was fit to
be registered, but considered
it would be contrary to the
public interest to allow her
to be registered. As a new
applicant for registration,
the only way to seek
review of this decision,
was to appeal the decision
at the Victorian Civil and
Administrative Appeals
Tribunal.
The IEU represented the
member at the hearing; VIT
engaged a Queen’s Counsel to
run their case. The Tribunal
considered the evidence and
the case law which provides
guidelines to assess whether
a professional should be
permitted to practise. The
Tribunal considered the
applicant’s remorse and insight
into her offending, her honesty,
the risk of her re-offending
and the material provided to
support that she would make
a valuable contribution as a
teacher. Evidence provided
from one of the schools where
she did a placement was
particularly helpful.
The Tribunal decided, after
considering the evidence and law,
that the applicant would be a
great asset as a teacher and in fact
it would be contrary to the public
interest to deprive the people of
her community of the opportunity
for their children to be taught
by the applicant. The Tribunal
accepted that her rehabilitation
had been successful.
Our member is now able to be
registered to teach and to pursue
her goal of becoming a teacher.
6
BARGAINING ROUNDUP
Off to a Flying Start
Last year’s bargaining efforts helped the IEU get off
to a good start to the year with 7 new Agreements
approved already.
A
greements for all staff
were approved at
Eltham College, Toorak
College and Aitken College.
Teachers have a new Agreement
at Geelong Grammar, St
Catherine’s School and Embassy
CES Language Centre.
For staff at Aitken College,
some of the improvements
gained in bargaining included
providing for 14 weeks of paid
parental leave at the time
the leave is taken rather than
holding part of the payment
back until the return to work,
improved redundancy payments,
limits on scheduled class time for
secondary and primary teachers
and education support staff
bands being aligned to ensure
at least parity with government
salaries.
After the summer break,
bargaining is resuming at
lots of schools. At Mentone
Grammar, the calculation of
part-time specialist teachers’
hours teaching across the
primary and secondary schools
has been an issue discussed in
ongoing negotiations. The claim
for including domestic violence
leave in the Agreement has
been rejected, but the school has
proposed to draft a policy for
consideration. Xavier College,
is nearing the conclusion of
negotiations. The remaining
matters being discussed are the
salary increase and consideration
of the school’s proposal to
abolish the staff fee discount. At
Kingswood College bargaining
has progressed well with parttime teachers’ entitlements being
the outstanding issue. The parties
are optimistic about resolving
these concerns satisfactorily
in the next round of meetings.
Bargaining has almost concluded
at Goulburn Valley Grammar.
A claim is in the process of
being developed at Cobram
Grammar and Cathedral College,
where the IEU will bargain with
the Anglican Schools Commission
of Western Australia for an
Agreement which will cover all
staff at both schools. At Korowa
Anglican Girls’ School, staff
expect to serve a log of claims on
the employer in the coming weeks
and the claim is being developed
at Strathcona Baptist Girls’
Grammar.
Preparation to commence
bargaining for a first time
Agreement is underway at
St John’s College Preston.
Members are in the process of
completing a survey to identify
what issues and conditions are
important for inclusion in an
Agreement.
Bargaining continues at:
■■
■■
Bacchus Marsh
Grammar
Ballarat Grammar
■■
Freshwater Creek
■■
Girton Grammar
T
he Launceston Church
Grammar General Staff
Agreement was approved
at Fair Work in January. The
Agreement has some impressive
new benefits. Highlights include
12 weeks paid parental leave in
addition to any benefit payable
under the government scheme.
The paid parental leave will
count as service for the purpose
of accruing leave. Paid partner
leave increased from three days
to five. Access to long service
leave was also significantly
improved. Staff can now take
pro-rata long service leave after
8 years of service and will be
paid out accrued long service
leave after 7 years on termination
of employment. Exceptional
Circumstances leave was
introduced in this Agreement,
providing up to 5 days per annum
to attend to urgent or pressing
personal matters where no
other form of leave is applicable.
Such things might include
domestic violence leave, family
breakdown or infectious diseases
leave. Everyone involved in this
Agreement worked well together
to produce a great outcome.
At The Friends’ School, the
parties are working to finalise a
draft to put to teaching staff. The
outstanding issue centres around
teacher attendance time.
Newhaven College
■■
Overnewton College
■■
■■
At St Michael’s Collegiate,
the general staff Agreement
negotiations have progressed well
and a draft has been circulated
to bargaining reps for comment.
The remaining outstanding issue
relates to the inclusion in the
Agreement of a commitment
to conduct a classification
and salary review for general
staff. Employees are seeking
comparable wages to their
counterparts in state and Catholic
schools in Tasmania.
Negotiations for the Hutchins
teachers’ Agreement are well
underway with staff bargaining
reps and the IEU trying to find
ways to deal with increasing
workload pressure.
At Scotch Oakburn College,
bargaining meetings have
Ballarat and
Clarendon College
■■
■■
Tasmanian Bargaining
There’s been lots of
bargaining activity in
Tasmanian independent
schools.
■■
Ballarat Christian
College
■■
Will commence soon at:
Plenty Valley
International
Montessori School
Southern Cross
Grammar
St Mary’s Coptic
Orthodox College
resumed this year and are
progressing well with all parties
intent on finalising an Agreement
to put to the vote as soon as
possible.
At Tarremah Steiner School,
negotiations have concluded and
it is anticipated the Agreement
will be put out to teachers for
voting in the next few weeks.
Teachers at Leighland Christian
School will also be voting soon.
The IEU has recently met with
representatives of Christian
Schools Tasmania in anticipation
of starting bargaining early in
term two. The Agreements will
cover teachers and general staff at
Calvin Christian School, Channel
Christian School, Emmanuel
Christian School and Northern
Christian School.
CRTs and employment conditions
If you are a casual relieving
teacher in the independent
sector, there are multiple
sources of workplace rights
and conditions which may be
applicable to you and they may
apply in a combination of ways.
Here are some key things to
look for when you take up a
CRT engagement.
F
irstly, CRT rates of pay have a loading
added in lieu of receiving paid leave,
such as annual and personal leave
and in lieu of notice and redundancy pay.
The loading does not exclude you from all
entitlements. For example, a number of
the National Employment Standards are
applicable to casuals, including maximum
hours of 38 per week, unpaid carer’s leave,
and compassionate leave and long service
leave entitlements for eligible casuals.
The Educational Services (Teachers)
Award 2010 is applicable to casual
teachers. It provides minimum
entitlements for CRTs. If the school you are
engaged in doesn’t include casuals in its
Agreement, or doesn’t have an Agreement,
then the Award is the relevant industrial
instrument. The Award sets a minimum
engagement of a half day for teachers in
schools and a quarter day for ELC teachers.
It also provides for recognition of service
and that 200 days will be the equivalent of
a year of service. The Award provides that
salary is calculated by adding 25% to the
relevant salary point, with a proviso that
engagements of less than 5 days will be
capped at level 8 on the scale.
The Award method of calculating
salary is often adopted by schools. The
alternative is that the school has a set
rate for CRTs. This is sometimes included
in the school’s Enterprise Agreement.
Make a note to check if there is a set rate
applicable, or whether the Award method
of calculation is being used. Sometimes, a
school will apply the Award method but
use its own teacher pay scale – certainly
the best option, given Agreement rates are
higher than the Award.
Where CRTs are included in an
Agreement, it will generally specify which
terms of the Agreement apply to CRTs and
which don’t. Typically, leave conditions,
notice of termination and redundancy
will be excluded. However, the Agreement
may set out a minimum engagement
period and limits on the use of CRTs, for
example, if your engagement is for more
than a term, it may be that you should be
engaged on a fixed-term basis rather than
casual. The Agreement will also provide
for other generally applicable conditions
such as hours of work, meal breaks and
dispute resolution.
Rather than being engaged directly
by a school, you may be working
through an agency, in which case, your
contract with the agency will also be
very important. Note, however, that
agencies are also bound by the Award
and cannot undercut Award rates. If
engaged through an agency, you may
be required to pay a commission for
each engagement and some contracts
will contain restrictions on working
for other agencies or accepting work
directly from schools.
At any school, there may also be policies
and practices that are relevant to CRTs and
their engagement at a school.
As you can see, employment conditions
for CRTs are complex and involve a range
of considerations. The IEU can provide
you with advice as to how to ensure you
are informed about your entitlements
and most importantly, receiving all of the
conditions applicable to your work.
7
What we achieved
last time
VICTORIAN CATHOLIC CLAIM
In the last round of bargaining in Catholic schools, after
a long and vigorous campaign, we won some great
improvements. Here are just some of the outcomes
we achieved in the 2013-16 Agreement.
Back pay and bonus payments
Emergency Teachers
■■
■■
■■
■■
Significant pay rises were achieved and
were back-dated
A $1,000 bonus payment was paid (prorata for part-time staff).
The employers’ proposal to remove
automatic progression through the
salary scale for teachers was defeated
Teachers
■■
■■
■■
■■
Same wage increases as teachers in
government schools, with net benefits
ranging from 12.99% to 16.88%
Scheduled class time in primary schools
reduced to 22.5 hours per week
Extras in secondary schools reduced
from 18 to 14 hours
Employers are required to consult with
part-time teachers about arrangements
for attendance at parent teacher
interviews.
Education Support Staff
■■
■■
Minimum salary increases between
12.11% to 15.97% over the life of the
Agreement
New 5 level classification structure
with better access to progression up the
scale.
School Services Officers
■■
■■
Minimum salary increases between
13% to 14.83% over the life of the
Agreement
New 4 level classification structure with
better access to reclassification and
higher rates.
■■
■■
■■
■■
Salary increases between 13.46% to
18.86% over the life of the Agreement
The two bottom levels were combined,
increasing the lowest starting salary
for a Principal in a small school by more
than 20%
The employer’s claim to remove salary
maintenance and salary compensation
was defeated.
Deputy Principals
■■
■■
Scales were made fairer by smoothing
out the incremental Progression.
Higher rates, parity with ETs in
government schools
Superannuation paid for every day
worked
Minimum period of engagement
increased from 2 to 3 hours.
POLs
■■
Increased allowances, with a total net
benefit of 13.5%.
CEO Staff
■■
■■
New classification structures for
clerical staff, speech pathologists and
psychologists.
Fixed-term Employees
■■
■■
■■
Employees not offered subsequent
contracts must now be given 7 weeks’
notice in term time or payment in lieu
Must be given written notice of
vacancies and guaranteed interviews
for positions
All service as a fixed-term employee
will be counted as service and contracts
cannot be set to avoid payment of
wages eg. payment for holidays.
Variation of part-time
employees’ hours
■■
■■
Primary Principals
■■
Thousands of members in Catholic workplaces have
participated in the survey of their priorities and issues, and
extensive work is now underway to develop union members’
claims for the next Agreement.
Significant reductions in part-time
hours will entitle employees to elect to
take redundancy payment
Significantly improved clause for all
part-time employees facing changes to
their hours.
Leave
■■
■■
■■
■■
14 week parental leave payment
becomes 14 weeks’ paid leave which
counts as service and improvements
to fixed-term employees’ access to
payment
Employers’ claim to remove Long
service leave from the Agreement was
defeated
No limits on the amount of personal
leave that can be taken as Carers’ Leave
3 days paid community service leave
available for the first time.
Performance Pay
■■
Successfully resisted the introduction of
performance pay.
Claim timeline 2016
T
he draft claim will then be sent to all
sub-branches for their endorsement
or amendments before the end of
term 1. Amendments will be compiled,
and the revised claim will be sent to subbranches again for their consideration. The
May Council meetings of reps will vote to
formally ratify it and then it will be served
on employers.
What is happening in the
government sector?
The IEU has historically claimed (and
achieved) parity of teachers’ wages with
government schools. Younger members
may not remember that there was a time
when we had to take industrial action to
achieve the same increases, on the same
operative date, as our counterparts in
government schools. Similarly, although
there are differences in conditions between
the sectors, for example in how class sizes
are regulated, our aim every Agreement is
to identify and close any gaps, particularly
in relation to workload.
What is in the AEU claim?
The AEU claim seeks a range of
improvements for all classifications of
employee – principal, deputy principal,
teacher, and education support.
Some key claims relevant to our own
consideration are:
■■ 9 steps in the Teacher classification
structure (currently 11)
■■ A ‘highly accomplished’ teacher
classification
■■ Reduced SCT for both primary and
secondary teachers to 18 hours
■■ Inclusion of supervised lunch eating in
SCT for primary teachers
■■ Inclusion of more matters in Consultative
Committees and more union
representation
■■ More regulation of meetings
■■ Class size limits of 20 and limits for
practical classes and special schools
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
A 45 minute limit on scheduled student
supervision
Payment for student teacher supervision
A paid 30 minute lunch break for
education support staff
One teacher aide to be employed for
every 5 EFT teachers
Stronger restraints around all forms of
fixed-term employment
Guaranteed professional leave for
principals of 6 weeks per annum and
allowances for new principals
Consultation with principals over major
system and workplace changes
Every principal to have an executive
assistant to support them
A number of improvements to
allowances and leave provisions
7% wages increases a year for three years,
and a requirement that the Agreement
be funded at the actual cost of provision
at each school.
Many of the IEU items in the claim will seek
parity or comparability with like conditions
in government schools, but a key focus will
also be to articulate the priorities identified
by our members. The draft claim will be in
schools for discussion and feedback by the
end of term.
Survey Results
A big thank-you to the over
three thousand members wh
o
participated in the recent
online survey.
We are examining the respon
ses
and will develop a claim bas
ed on
the issues that you have told
us
are important to you. You hav
e
given us plenty to work wit
h, so
thank-you for your input!
Mid-February
to early March
Mid-March
Late March to
late April
Late April
Early to mid May
21 May
Late May
Early June
Survey of members
(Completed)
Drafting of Claim
Claim in schools
for sub-branch
consideration,
endorsement and
amendments
redrafting of
Claim including
suggestions from
sub-branches
Revised claim in
schools to consider
amendments
Councils meet to
endorse Claim
Claim served
Negotiations
commence
8
Monash College –
Industrial Action Looms
The Monash University
Foundation Year program
is delivered by Monash
College and now employs
over sixty teachers, many
of whom are members.
T
he IEU has been bargaining for a year
now and has reached a stalemate
with the College over several issues.
Management are insisting on 210 days a year
attendance including two public holidays. No
schools in Victoria have more than 205 days
and most are around 190 days attendance.
An improved structure has been proposed
for positions of leadership – but there is no
guarantee these positions will be filled.
We have had great difficulty negotiating these
claims despite them not affecting the number
of actual teaching days currently expected
of staff or student learning. Members have
decided to take a stand on these fundamental
employment issues and have voted
overwhelmingly YES in a ballot to approve
industrial action.
In a parallel dispute, Monash College has
begun employing all new teachers on fixedterm contracts ignoring clear limitations
on the use of fixed-term employment in
Calling all Education Support Staff on Level 3-6
Are you an Education Support employee in a Victorian Catholic school? If you were previously
classified as a Level 5 employee (previous Agreement) who is currently sitting at the maximum
Level 3 subdivision 6 (new classification structure) – it’s time to fill out your Request for Salary
Progression to enable you to continue to progress up the incremental scale.
C
urrent ES Level 3-6 employees
do not automatically increment
to the next salary step on 1 May
unless they have made a Request for
Progression. This is because those on Level
Progression beyond the Maximum
3-6 have reached the maximum level for
those who translated over to Level 3 from
old Level 5. As at 1 May this year the full
time rate for ES Level 3 who progress past
the maximum is as follows:
Category A
Category B
Category C
Salary level 30 April 2016 (F/time)
$63997
$59074
$61536
Salary level 1 May 2016 (F/time)
$66500
$61385
$63942
Background
One of the very important
improvements in pay and conditions
for Education Support staff that
were won in the negotiation of
the Victorian Catholic Education
Agreement was a better classification
and pay structure. A key aspect is
the access to higher pay points for
ES employees who were previously
classified as a School Officer Level 5
under the old Agreement.
Under the new Agreement,
previous Level 5 and 6 School Officers
were both transferred to the new Level
3. The previous Level 5 School Officers
progress through the new Level 3 until
they reach the maximum level which
is currently Level 3-6. Previous Level 6
School Officers were transferred to the
step after the maximum and progress
annually to the top level 3 Step. Newly
appointed Level 3 ES start at the step
after the maximum and progress
annually.
Over the last couple of years under
the new Agreement, many Level 3
ES at the maximum have made their
request and are now progressing
annually to the top of the new Level
3. Some ES who were eligible, for
whatever reason, did not make their
request. The IEU is encouraging
everyone currently at Level 3-6 to
submit the Request Form this year.
What do ES Level 3-6
need to do to progress?
If you have been at Level 3-6 for at least
6 months between the dates of 1 May
2015 and 30 April 2016 you are eligible
to request progression. If you have not
had 6 months by that date, you will
need to apply next year to progress
beyond the maximum.
The proposed timeline
Your principal should notify all eligible
ES 3-6 and give them a copy of the
Request for Progression Form by 11
March 2016. There is a specific request
form for each occupational group,
for example, Curriculum Resources
(Library) or Student Support, etc.
It is advisable for ES Level 3-6 to
complete the form and submit it to
their principal by 15 April (the last day
of the first week of Term 2). Please note,
however, that all requests received
before 1 May must be considered by the
principal for this year’s progression.
Those who have put in a Request for
Progression should be advised of the
outcome in writing.
Criteria
To be eligible to progress, ES 3 -6 will
need to outline on the Request Form
the details of how they meet the
Qualifications and Experience criteria in
clause 1.3 Appendix 6 of the Agreement.
This is not an onerous task and
should be fairly straight forward. It is
not required that you have a particular
qualification, but that the duties you do
are at the skill level which one would
generally acquire through the relevant
qualifications or years of experience or
a combination of both.
The typical duties performed at Level
3 will be listed and you will be asked
to outline your duties, which may be
identical or may be equivalent in skill
and knowledge, etc.
IEU advice and assistance
The union encourages all its members
at ES 3-6 to make a Request to
Progress if you have had the 6 months
experience as explained above.
You can contact your IEU Organiser
at the IEU Office for advice.
the current Agreement. The College has
cited the need for ‘flexibility’ in case of a
downturn and the variability of enrolments
in the sector. These are not valid reasons
in the current Agreement and have the
effect of teachers losing their rights to job
security, and the employer avoiding its
obligations to fair redundancy procedures
and severance payments.
The IEU is taking the matter to the Fair
Work Commission.
Classification
negotiations update
Tasmanian Catholic School
Support Staff
T
he IEU is continuing to meet with the
TCEO to negotiate a new classification
structure for School Support Staff. We are
working through the current classifications of
staff, job descriptions for current staff in each
of the various occupational groups of ‘School
Support Staff’ across Catholic schools, and
looking at anomalies and differences within
the Catholic school sector and between other
relevant sectors. We hope that by term two we
will be in a position to consult IEU members
on an emerging structure, with the aim of
negotiations being finalised by July this year.
As reported in the last edition of The Point, the
IEU surveyed members last year, and has also
now undertaken extensive research comparing
the School Support Staff classification structures
and wages in the Tasmanian Department, and
also the Victorian Catholic Schools Agreement.
There are a number of differences with the ways
similar staff are classified and remunerated
in the different sectors. The TCEO is currently
gathering detailed data from schools on the
current classification of all School Support Staff
to build a comprehensive picture of the current
state of play.
As IEU members will be aware, the current
classification of School Support Staff in Catholic
schools is a complex picture. There are a
number of different occupational groupings
that need to be covered by the new structure(s)
in the Agreement, including Teacher Assistants,
Teaching Support Staff (laboratory, library,
ICT), Clerical Administrative Staff, School
Counsellors, other wellbeing staff, for example
Chaplains, and Utility employees (including
cleaners, bus drivers, building and maintenance
and canteen staff).
For the vast majority of School Support Staff
in government schools the first seven levels
of the common 10 level structure are utilised
with particular occupational groups spanning
a particular number of levels relevant to the
particular duties of that group. Utility staff
in government schools are employed under
a different award, the Facility Attendants
(Tasmanian State) Award.
The IEU will be reporting in more detail on
the progress of discussions with the TCEO to
members following the next series of meetings
scheduled this term. We expect to be able to
start consulting with its members on concrete
aspects of a possible structure early term two.
9
VIT 2016 Registration –
change in PD requirement
Members who are
registered teachers
in Victoria will
have received a
communication recently
from the Victorian
Institute of Teaching
(VIT) about a new PD
requirement to be
declared in your renewal
process in September
this year.
What is the Special Needs
PD requirement?
As reported in the last edition of
The Point, 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 as
part of the PD they have undertaken
some professional development
in developing capabilities to teach
learners with a disability (special
needs) in the last 2 years.
If you have not undertaken some
sort of professional learning in this
area over that period, you will have a
further 12 months to comply.
Is there a required
number of hours or
particular mode of PD?
No – there is no specified time
requirement on the amount of special
needs professional development
activity, and the type and nature
of the PD activity is as broad and
self-determined as the general
PD requirement for the 20 hours
has always been. Professional
development activities can include
school-based meetings, professional
reading, attendance at seminars,
workshops, on-line learning, and
school-based professional activities,
including staff meetings, planning
meetings, etc.
Special Ed training
T
he IEU is supporting its
members to meet this
professional development
requirement through the Teacher
Learning Network (TLN). The TLN
has organised a full day conference
– Teaching Students with a Learning
Disability on Thursday 31 March at
the IEU Building in South Melbourne.
This conference will also be
streamed live for those in Tasmania
and others who cannot get to South
Melbourne. The conference has
workshops on working with students
with ASD, dyslexia, ADHD and
social and behavioural issues. The
conference is open to all – register at
www.tln.org.au
The conference is free for staff
in schools that have joined TLN as
members.
Get your school to join TLN and this
conference is free www.tln.org.au
or (03) 9418 4992.
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, thus developing teachers’
capabilities to teach learners with a
disability. These professional learning
activities can be specifically targetted
to particular disabilities, or more
generally to great teaching strategies
which can be used to effectively
support the participation and learning
of students with a disability. These
professional learning activities will, no
doubt, already be happening in schools.
Should your school be
supporting professional
development
opportunities?
Yes – Talk to your principal about
how the school will be supporting all
teachers to easily and conveniently
access some professional learning in
this area.
Is this a new teaching
standard?
No – the general requirement for
teachers to declare that they meet the
teaching standards 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:
The current
professional
standards
Design and implement
teaching activities
that support
1.6 the participation and learning of students with disability
which
to special
needs
are:
andrelate
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.
UNION PRESIDENT
MARK WILLIAMS
Are you with us?
W
elcome back to 2016. I hope
everyone’s year has started
smoothly and that you have
great success in your various roles in
education throughout the school year.
I would like to take this opportunity to
welcome new staff to our independent
and Catholic schools, and particularly to
those who have recently graduated from
University and are now in transition
to school life! As graduate members of
our union, know that you have joined a
committed group of educators who are
like-minded in defending the rights of all
education workers in non-government
schools and other institutions and who
value fairness and justice for all who
work in our industry.
To our IEU Reps in schools – also a big
welcome back – you are a crucial cog
in growing our union in your school,
in disseminating information to our
membership, and leading your sub-branch.
The fact that you voluntarily do this job in
addition to your teaching or non-teaching
role is indicative of your commitment to
union, to fairness and to justice.
This year we start the long road
towards negotiating a new Agreement
in Victorian Catholic schools and CEOs. It
will not be long before Catholic Primary
School Principals’ sub-branches, primary
and secondary school sub-branches and
Catholic Education Offices sub-branches
will be called to consider and then
endorse our claim – and this is probably
the easy part!
A more challenging time historically
is getting our employer representatives
to understand and care enough about
our employees to not waste our time
trying to take away conditions we have
already fought for and achieved. Time
would be better spent discussing how
we can further regulate total workload
in schools so that principals, teachers,
and education support staff can focus
on quality teaching and learning
conditions.
While this is happening, your challenge
is likely to be – how can you help convince
our employers we mean business and we
want respect? It will also be a concerted
and consistent program of keeping
your colleague staff members enthused,
interested and committed to the campaign.
‘Are you with us?’ is the message we
are communicating, a great question for
our employers, as well as our members!
An even greater question possibly for our
non-members!
I look forward to the challenges ahead,
confident that we will organise and
achieve great things together. I hope you
all have a great year…and please don’t
forget that what we will work hard for
and achieve will benefit all – members
and non-members.
10
Paying for your Laptop?
Hours of Work – Tasmanian
Catholic Schools
A recent Federal Court case has made it very clear that schools cannot
make employees pay for laptops – and most other costs.
S
ome schools try to make
employees pay for all kinds
of things: laptop computers,
staff dinners, damage to iPads,
insurance excesses, academic
gowns, lost keys – you name it!
The fact is, they cannot do this –
it’s illegal.
Our sister union in the
government school sector –
the AEU(Vic.) ran and won
a landmark legal case about
school-provided computers and
staff being asked to contribute
to the costs (through deductions
from their wages). The court
found that, in short, unless the
arrangement is wholly for your
benefit – like the computer isn’t
necessary for school work – the
employer cannot do it.
For some years the IEU has
been giving advice (which
the AEU’s decision completely
supports) that employers
absolutely cannot take money
out of your wages unless you
specifically agree and it is
for your personal benefit. In
limited circumstances, the only
deduction the employer might be
allowed to take from your wages
is if you fail to give proper notice
of your resignation.
Some years ago Victorian
Government schools introduced
a scheme that was not fully
optional. The department
provided laptops to 90% of
teachers and deducted between
$4 and $17 per fortnight. After 3 or
4 years the laptop was returned
to the Department and a new one
issued. Personal use was allowed.
Lots of teachers wanted the
laptops for all kinds of reasons,
but there were also benefits to
the schools.
The AEU lodged court
action because the Fair Work
Act prohibits employers
from deducting money from
wages except in very limited
circumstances. In the AEU case,
the Federal Court:
■■ Accepted that the provision
of specific software and other
reasons put pressure on
teachers to accept the laptops
■■ Accepted that laptops are a
‘tool of the trade’ for teachers
■■ Accepted that (in most cases)
there was no realistic practical
alternative to the laptop
program
■■ Rejected the government’s
argument that the deductions
from wages were permitted
by the teachers signing
an agreement, because
the payment benefitted
the employer and was
‘unreasonable in the
circumstances’
■■ Decided the deductions from
wages were unreasonable
because:
–– Teachers had no real
choice – they mostly had to
participate
–– The deduction was greater
than the value of teachers’
personal use
–– The deductions were not
made ‘principally for the
teachers benefit’.
If you are in a scheme where the
employer deducts wages for a
laptop and it is truly voluntary,
then the arrangement may be
legal. That is, you freely opted
in despite having alternatives
that would have been equally
satisfactory to you. You decided
that it was to your benefit
to be in the scheme. If you
would be inconvenienced or
disadvantaged by opting out,
then it’s not truly voluntary.
Otherwise, employers cannot
charge for laptops, and anything
you signed to permit the scheme
is unenforceable.
If the employer wants you to
have a laptop (even with personal
use) they must provide it and they
must not deduct money from your
wages unless you give written
consent and it is for YOUR benefit.
Equally, they cannot require you
to pay insurance excesses, repair
costs or any other similar costs
or charges. Making you pay
costs like academic gown hire
is wholly illegal.
We are aware that there are
a number of schools that are
operating such schemes (or were
operating them until recently)
despite our long-standing legal
advice. Your employer should by
now have stopped charging you
(or stopped making deductions
from your wages). We expect
that schools will very soon advise
you of how they will refund any
money you have contributed in
recent years.
If you have any questions,
please speak to your workplace
rep or contact the union.
Did you have a cut to your working hours this year?
If so, it is important to ensure that you have been
treated fairly in this process and have received all of
your entitlements under the Agreement.
F
irstly, when the school realises that a reduction in hours is
necessary, notification must be given. You then have the
opportunity to have the union represent you in consultation
on the proposed cut in hours. Your employer must provide
you with information about the proposed changes and very
importantly, must give you the opportunity to give your view
about how the changes will impact you and your family.
After this consultation process has taken place and if it is still
considered that there is a need to reduce hours, there first needs
to be a call for voluntary reduction in hours across all employees.
At this stage, there is a responsibility from the employer to list the
reasons why this reduction is necessary.
If, after all these processes have been followed, you are still
required to take a reduction in your hours, you should receive
transitional salary at your higher salary rate for a period of
between 4 and 20 weeks. It is important to note that this
calculation is only done based on your core FTE hours. Transitional
maintenance of the higher salary is applied as follows:
A
If less than 10%
reduction in core FTE
4 weeks at higher salary
B
If 11-20% reduction in core FTE
C
D
E
If more than 40%
reduction in core FTE
There is also the option of taking a redundancy if your cut in core
FTE is more than 25%
1. Full-timers cannot have hours reduced at all without their
agreement
2. There are limits on the amount of any reduction in hours (ref
to core and flexible hours for part-timers: teachers clause 72;
support staff clause 58)
3. Support staff who worked less than 40 weeks in 2014 cannot
have their hours reduced at all until 2018 (clause 55.2.4)
If you have concerns about a reduction in your hours for 2016,
please contact the union to have your situation investigated.
The real costs of fixed-term employment
IEU member Josephine Elefantis appeared as a witness in the Victorian State Government
Inquiry into the Labour Hire Industry and Insecure work.
A
s a Learning Support Officer (LSO),
Josephine has until recently spent
seven years on fixed-term contracts.
This is a common story for education
support staff, particularly those in Victorian
Catholic schools with a majority of LSOs
employed on one-year contracts. At the
Inquiry Josephine recounted how, for many
years, she had to wait until the very end
of the year to find our whether she would
have a job to come back to in January. She
said that the job insecurity made it almost
impossible to plan for a holiday and make
significant financial decisions.
The IEU also appeared at the Inquiry
to speak to its formal submission made
in December of last year. Our submission
reflected the varied experiences of
teachers and support staff in our sector.
The use of fixed-term employment has
been on the rise amongst teachers in
both primary and secondary education
in Australia over the last five years,
particularly for those under the age of 25.
Labour hire also exists in our sector and
presents some real problems for those
employed in this way. Casual Relief Teachers
(CRT) employed through agencies often have
to pay part of the daily fee to the agency as
a condition of their contract, and this means
that they walk away with less than the legal
rate for the work they have done.
...Josephine has until
recently spent seven
years on fixed-term
contracts.
The IEU has made a number of
recommendations to the Inquiry, in
particular calling on it to recognise
the numerous negative impacts that
insecure employment have on a worker’s
well-being. The IEU also called on the
Victorian government to pressure the
federal government to make changes
to the National Employment Standards
that would make it easier for fixed-term
employees to get converted to ongoing.
In addition, the IEU called on employers
and unions to work together to proactively
identify and reduce the use of fixed-term
employment. A pilot project was recently
undertaken by the Catholic Education
Commission Victoria Industrial Relations
Unit and the IEU to this end. While the
findings of the project are still being
formalised, it is evident that where the IEU
and employers, like Josephine’s at Marcellin
College in Bulleen, work together there
can be a significant reduction in the use
of fixed-term employment. This results in
a corresponding reduction in the negative
impacts that insecure employment has
on workers’ morale and well-being. In
other words, a win –win. The IEU thanks
Josephine for providing her personal
perspective on the effects of insecure
employment to the Inquiry.
11
Having the Conversation
We continue to see that the best method of
recruiting members to our union is through current
members asking their non-member colleagues to
join them in union membership.
W
hilst asking someone to
join can be confronting,
with forethought and
a plan it need not be a difficult
ask. Before approaching a fellow
colleague think of why you are
a member of our union and be
prepared to state and perhaps
argue your reasons.
There are a number of common
objections people respond with
when asked about joining our union.
Below are some examples with
responses you could consider prior to
seeking out a fellow staff member to
join you in membership. Remember,
our union is only as strong as its
members and a larger membership
leads to a stronger union.
If you would like assistance in
approaching a colleague why not ask
another union member for support.
You could also seek assistance from
your current sub-branch rep or call
the union office and seek some
advice from your organiser.
Common Objections
What’s in it for me?
Most people join a union as
a form of insurance at work.
Explain to your co-worker
that if they come up against
a problem they can’t manage
on their own, being a member
of the IEU means having an
expert in your corner.
The IEU’s core work is
representing members
throughout their employment.
We are experts in workplace
relations, and will negotiate on
behalf of our members, provide
advice and if need be, we can
also provide legal assistance.
Additionally, there are
numerous financial benefits and
services available to members
of the IEU, like professional
indemnity insurance, cheap
health insurance, Union Shopper
and more.
I can’t afford it
IEU membership fees are based
on a sliding scale to ensure that
lower paid employees are able to
afford their fees. To make it easier
members can opt to pay weekly,
monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or
annually.
On average, fees are between
1-1.5% of your wages, a small
amount to pay if you consider the
benefits of joining. On the contrary,
you might ask non-members if
they can afford not to join.
We don’t need a union here
While you and your co-worker
might share an agreement that
you are lucky to have a positive
workplace and a good relationship
with the employer, workplaces
are dynamic organisations made
up of many personalities, and are
prone to change.
You may also like to point
out that the IEU’s work does not
simply revolve around workplace
disputes, but also around using
our collective strength to secure
better pay and conditions in the
long term, for all staff in the nongovernment sector.
I can look after myself
Many non-members believe
they can look after themselves,
but there are some situations
where they might wish they
had support, for instance,
a disagreement with
management or harassment
from a co-worker or parent.
Explain that being a
member of the IEU means
having the members of your
workplace behind you in a
dispute, and access to advice
and support. If a problem
gets beyond being able to be
mediated at the school level,
the IEU can provide legal
advice and support.
I’m only employed on a shortterm contract
Many workers in schools aren’t
full-time or permanent but
that doesn’t mean they don’t
need a union. In particular,
workers on contracts should
be aware that there are
risks involved in contract
employment that they will
want to protect themselves
against.
Pam Fox is stepping down as IEU rep after 8 years
of service at St Joseph’s College Mildura.
P
all else fails is a great achievement.
We have always maintained that
when the entitlements provided for
in the Agreement are adhered to and
that processes at school regarding
policy development and POLs are
transparent, members feel more
secure and valued as employees.
Pam believes a succession plan for
reps is important. ‘Every group needs
a leader, and without someone to take
over the role of IEU rep the strength of
the sub-branch could diminish’.
‘I think people have
a fear of joining the
union because they feel
that their employer will
not support them in
doing so...’
St Joseph’s has decided to elect an
executive to ensure that the workload is
spread among a wider group of activists.
It also helps with the succession process
when there is more than one person
involved in the union work.
Pam will continue teaching visual
arts in the classroom adding to her
wealth of experience in education,
having taught for 25 years, overseas,
in TAFE, the prison system and in
secondary education.
I don’t want to rock the boat
Being a member of the union isn’t
about being confrontational – it’s
about working cooperatively, with
your co-workers and employer, to
achieve a better workplace. We
will always approach workplace
issues in the spirit of good faith
negotiation, and members always
get a say in how problems are to
be resolved.
I’ve never been a member
before, why should I join now?
The more members the IEU
has, the more capacity we have
to negotiate better wages and
conditions. If everyone is a
member, we can achieve more
collectively.
How visible
is the IEU in
your school?
Rep Profile – Pam Fox
am first joined the union
movement after returning from
overseas in the 90s to find the
Kennett government had made it almost
impossible to get ongoing positions.
Pam took on the position of rep in
Mildura because ‘...during a sub-branch
meeting everyone thought it was a
good idea that I should take over from
the outgoing rep and voted me in! I
accepted because I wanted to give back
to the SJC community and I’m glad I
was able to do so for so long’.
She is naturally a strong believer in
the benefits of union membership.
‘It’s knowing that someone has
got your back, that someone is there
for you to talk to when you’re feeling
unsafe or worried about your position
or working conditions and can point
you in the right direction.’
Pam is very proud of the
achievements of the strong and loyal
St Joseph’s sub-branch. ‘We have had
meetings and passed motions from
the sub-branch to make sure that we
are being heard on issues where there
has been no traction in one-to-one
discussions. We have had success in
raising the awareness of OH&S issues
and also have been able to make sure
that the Agreement is being followed
by alerting employers to possible
breaches before they become an issue
where the IEU industrial staff have
to step in. I also think the fact that
members know they have a group of
people who will look after them when
I only work part-time
Employees working part-time
may end up needing the union
more than full-time employees,
due to the complex nature of
their employment. The IEU
can help with issues such as
returning to work part-time after
parental leave, and negotiating
more family friendly conditions
such as spread of hours.
One way for the IEU to have a
presence in a workplace is to have
a well-presented notice board that
is a permanent reminder of the role
of the IEU and a reminder for nonunion members to join up.
Outside of teaching and union work,
Pam is also involved in community
projects and groups such as Humans of
Sunraysia and UpStart. She is starting
a new arts collective for artists in the
community who are not connected
with local arts groups which also
feeds her interest in photography and
creating art. Pam also has a strong
interest in art therapy which she hopes
to pursue.
Pam has some words of advice for all
staff in education. ‘I think people have
a fear of joining the union because
they feel that their employer will not
support them in doing so. My advice
would be for all new staff to join the
IEU and reap the benefits of knowing
that no matter what, someone will
look after you, which is an important
piece of information when you’re not
sure what your rights and conditions
are. No one wants to feel alone when
things go wrong and having a subbranch and organiser to support you
means you don’t have to.’
Does your notice board tick the
following boxes:
Is it a space dedicated to union information?
Does it have current membership forms?
Does it have clear and easy to read
information on why people should
join the union?
Is it kept up-to-date and is information
changed regularly?
Things like inspirational quotes by famous
leaders about the role of unions can be great
discussion starters and get people thinking
about the crucial role that unions have had and
are still having today.
Your IEU organiser can assist you with
information to keep your notice board fresh
and relevant to staff in your workplace. It is
also great to share your ideas with other reps
via your organiser. Keeping a notice board
up-to-date can also be the responsibility of
someone in the sub-branch, not necessarily
the rep. It is a great way to share tasks.
It would be great to receive some examples
of noticeboards in The Point.
12
WARNING: Asbestos
Many buildings constructed or renovated prior to 1990 are likely have
within them some asbestos containing materials (ACM). That is because
asbestos was widely used in a range of building products up to that date.
A
sbestos is usually identified in
situations where it is bonded with
other materials such as cement and
roofing tiles. In this form it does not usually
result in the release of airborne fibres. This
type of asbestos is known as non-friable
asbestos. However, if asbestos-containing
materials are in poor condition, can be
easily disturbed or are poorly managed,
the likelihood of asbestos fibres becoming
airborne increases. Asbestos fibres can
easily become airborne if the ACM is
friable, that is, when the materials can
be crumbled or reduced to powder under
hand pressure. Health conditions resulting
from exposure to airborne asbestos fibres
are life threatening, usually resulting in
long periods of diminished quality of life,
followed by premature death.
As schools are workplaces, all schools
must comply with the duties set out in
the Occupational Health and Safety Act
2004 and the Occupational Health and
Safety Regulations 2007 as they relate to
the identification and management of
asbestos. The Compliance Code, Managing
Asbestos in Workplaces provides detailed
practical advice as to how to establish
and maintain a systematic approach to
managing asbestos. The duties to identify
and manage asbestos are mandatory legal
duties and ignoring them could result in
hefty fines. There is a wide range of people
who are potentially at risk if any ACM
in your school is not identified, is in poor
condition, easily disturbed or not properly
managed. Tradespersons, maintenance
and repair workers, installers of telephone,
information technology or alarm systems,
employees, volunteers, visitor and students
are all potentially at risk of exposure.
Effective asbestos management requires
your workplace to formulate an asbestos
management plan. It is a documented
outline of how asbestos in your workplace
will be managed. It outlines how all
duties under the Act and Regulations
will be complied with and how the risks
associated with the presence of asbestos
in your school are being eliminated or
controlled. The asbestos management plan
forms part of your School’s Occupational
Health and Safety Management System
and should include the following
information:
■■ The name of the person appointed
by the Principal as the Asbestos Coordinator and an outline of their
responsibilities as the main point of
contact for all school based asbestosrelated matters
■■ The responsibilities of all persons
involved in the asbestos management
plan and the sections of the plan for
which they are responsible
■■ The most recent, updated asbestos
register for the school
■■ The method by which health and
safety representatives, employees
and contractors will be consulted and
provided with information about the
location, type and condition of any ACM
■■ An outline of the action taken or to be
taken to remove, enclose or seal ACM
and control any risk of exposure to
airborne asbestos fibres
■■ A timeline for action that establishes
priorities for action based upon the level
of identified risk
The methods by which ACM in the school
will be labelled, in particular, the type of
signage to be used at the front gate of the
school, at the reception area and at the
entrances to buildings with known ACM,
indicating that there is ACM in the building
■■ The process by which the condition of
any identified in-situ asbestos will be
monitored
■■ The process by which measures taken
to control the risk will be monitored to
ensure there is no risk to health
■■ The information, instruction,
supervision and training required for
employees in regard to asbestos and
how that training will be provided
■■ A timeline for the review and updating
of the asbestos management plan and
asbestos register.
Currently, WorkSafe Victoria is conducting
a project of targetted workplace visits
in the education industry focussing on
how the duties and responsibilities of
managing in-situ asbestos are being
complied with. The project began in 2015
and visits will occur over a two-year
period until 2017. During those visits
inspectors may look for the following:
■■
Has all asbestos in the workplace
been identified? Is there an asbestos
register? Is it current?
■■ Has asbestos been labelled? Is it
complete? Is it adequate?
■■ Is there any damaged ACM on site?
Are there any high risks? Is it in the
register?
■■ How is asbestos being managed? Is
there an asbestos management plan?
Are there regular inspections? Is there
a training schedule/plan? Is there
contractor induction?
If your workplace is currently not
compliant with the mandatory duties
set out in the asbestos regulations, your
employer faces the likelihood of being
issued an improvement notice should a
WorkSafe Inspector visit your site during
the life of the project.
The IEU recently presented an online
webinar providing information about
the WorkSafe project and requirements
of the asbestos regulations. If you are
unsure about your obligations or if
you want more information about
managing asbestos in the workplace,
contact your IEU Organiser.
■■
Teaching as a radical act?
Have you ever thought about yourself and your job as being radical? I suspect most teachers
don’t, but I encourage you to stop and think about what it means to be radical.
The Macquarie Dictionary has many
meanings for radical, among them are:
a)Going to the root or origin
As teachers, aren’t we encouraged
to get to the root cause of a child’s
inability to learn, or to get to the root
cause of a behavioural issue?
b)Thoroughgoing, especially
toward reform
This sounds like what we are required
to do when implementing change,
be it curriculum or structural changes
in a school.
c) Innovative
This is a requirement on all teachers;
just think about the language of the
government promoting the teaching
of Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths (STEM), to lead our young
people to be more innovative.
d)Forming the basis or foundation
This is core work for teaching;
consider literacy and numeracy and
the crucial work of primary teachers
in establishing these foundations for
their students.
There are other definitions including
those that are specific to Maths and
Chemistry, and everyone will be familiar
with the colloquial usage, ‘radical’
meaning excellent or wonderful.
I contend that what we do as teachers
on a daily basis is a radical act. For
those working in the Catholic system or
Christian schools, there is a rich heritage
in the letters of the great teacher, Paul of
Tarsus, (Saint Paul), which show how he
intervenes, radically, in the life of people
to convert them to a new belief. People
change their values, their beliefs and
their daily practices to become followers
of this new religion. Paul achieves
this by entering into a relationship
with the people in the communities of
Thessaloniki, Corinth and Philippi.
Each day we enter into a radical
encounter (or relationship) with our
students in which we are attempting
to get them to change: to change their
knowledge about the world, to change
their skill base, to change their behaviour,
to change the way they feel about
themselves. The Safe Schools Coalition is a
great example of how schools take risks to
help students understand themselves and
their friends. Gert Biesta, the educational
philosopher, calls this ‘a powerful
intervention aimed at setting people free’.
This power we hold as teachers carries
with it an enormous responsibility.
Our responsibility as teachers is to
reflect on our own individual purpose;
to engage in conversations with our
peers about what we are seeking to do
in our schools; to engage in constant
learning and development so that
we can meet our responsibility to
our students and to be in a genuine
relationship with them; and to engage
our school communities in a dialogue
about the society we want for their
children, (our student), a dialogue that
might be about how we respond to
asylum seekers or to people who are
‘different’.
Being a radical teacher is not a
‘free for all’. It is about constantly
improving our ability ‘to make situated
judgements about what is educationally
desirable’ (Gert Biesta). Teaching takes
commitment, learning, wisdom and
just a hint of the courage to be radical.
Michael Victory
Teacher Learning Network
mvictory@tln.org.au
13
PRINCIPALS
The IEU Principals’ Agenda
The beginning of each school
year for principals, as it is for
all staff, is always full-on and
hectic, but generally consistent
with previous years – you know
what to expect, you know it
will be busy and you know
that holidays will be a distant
memory fairly quickly!
O
n top of this is always the bigpicture agenda of governments
and systems which also impacts
on the life of the school. This high level
of accountability and expectation is ever
present in the mind of a principal.
High on the agenda of the Principals’
Council for 2016 is the new Victorian
Ministerial Order that commences 1
August 2016 – ‘Child Safe Standards
– Managing the Risk of Child Abuse
in Schools’. The introduction of child
safe standards form part of the
Victorian Government’s response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal
of Trust report, which found that more
must be done to prevent and respond
to child abuse in schools. The standards
will promote cultures where protecting
children from abuse is part of the
everyday organisational thinking and
practice. Ministerial Order No. 870 has
been made and gazetted. It sets out the
specific actions that schools need to
take to meet the child safe standards.
A new minimum standard for school
registration requires schools to meet
the requirements of this Ministerial
Order. We are working with the Catholic
Education Commission of Victoria to
ensure effective support and advice is
provided to principals for the successful
implementation of these child safe
standards.
This course is designed
to build the knowledge
and confidence of school
leaders to manage
health and safety in
their workplaces.
Occupational Health and Safety is, again,
an important agenda item for the IEU
and principals this year. We are running a
four-day OHS course spread over a number
of weeks unusually titled, ‘Octopuses,
Time-bombs and Anacondas’. This course
is designed to build the knowledge and
confidence of school leaders to manage
health and safety in their workplaces. The
course will be practical and includes a
mixture of presentations, case studies
and scenarios based on actual school
situations. Full details are available on
our website: www.ieuvictas.org.au
We welcome this year a new Deputy
President to the Principals’ Council:
Greg Lane from St Mary’s School,
Swan Hill. Greg is a long-standing,
involved and committed unionist
who has always been generous with
his time and opinions. He has an
ongoing passion for education and his
experience and wisdom as a principal
is much valued by his colleagues. Greg
will join Principals’ Council President,
John Connors, representing the views
and interests of principal members on
the IEU Victoria Tasmania Committee
of Management.
CAREER CORNER
Investing in yourself
In this new regular segment,
we aim to provide some
information and guidance
relating to your career.
We are happy to receive
specific questions to
which we can respond in
subsequent issues. Please
email your questions to:
careercorner@ieuvictas.org.au
T
he start of the year is an excellent
opportunity to determine what
investment you will make in
yourself over the coming 12 months.
Failure to do so means you’ll be no further
advanced – in skills, if not in age – than
at present. If this is a conscious decision –
time or financial constraints, PD overload,
new responsibilities – then that’s fine.
If, on the other hand, it’s due to a lack of
forethought, then perhaps it’s time you
set some time aside to plan the direction
you want to head.
1
The first step in this process
is probably to take stock of where
you are:
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
How long have you been in your
current position/school?
What have you achieved in
this position?
What are your strengths in
the role?
What do you enjoy most about it?
What parts do you least enjoy?
Part of this initial step may also be
to update your CV and/or LinkedIn
profile to reflect the progress you’ve
made in the past 12 months. Don’t
be like a friend of mine who hadn’t
revisited his CV in a decade and
suddenly found himself scrabbling
to remember all the achievements,
professional development and other
attributes he’d accumulated since
applying for his current role!
By the way, whilst we’re talking
online social media, the start of the
year is also a good time to revisit
your security settings to ensure your
content is visible only to those you
want to see it. This includes doing a
good clean-out of ‘Unsubscribes’ to all
those automated email distribution
lists you’ve found yourself on during
2015. Do you really want to continue
wasting your time deleting emails
from airlines, hotels, random charities
and your favourite fancy cakes store?
2
The next step is to consider
whether there is another position
or school that would result in you
doing more of what you enjoy
and less of what you don’t?
Once you have established what you
enjoy, you can determine whether it’s
worthwhile investing (time, money) in
increasing your skills and knowledge
in your areas of strength, or whether
in fact there are weaknesses that you
can redress. Many of you will have
participated in an Annual Review
Meeting (ARM) at the end of last year
at which some of these points may
have been raised. Use this information
as a starting point for your selfreflection. It could be that you’ve come
to the conclusion that you’d like to
move out of education. In this case,
the next step is even more critical. The
golden rule is to try not to leave secure
employment before you are confident
of your next move.
3
The final step is to investigate
who can assist you in moving in
the right direction.
Depending on your chosen path, you
might consider a combination of:
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
Personal reading (including
LinkedIn groups and thought
leaders)
Formal course of study
Mentoring/coaching
Career counselling
(search for Career Development
Association of Australia)
Professional associations
Networking with those in your
chosen field (especially if
changing careers)
The key point in this process is not to
fall asleep at the wheel of your own
career. You may have got to where
you are by chance, but regardless of
your age and experience, you have
only a finite amount of time left
before retiring, so why wouldn’t you
want to make the most of it?
14
CRT Kickstart!
The CRT program for 2016 certainly got off to a kick-start this year!
The CRT conference program is a series of conferences run jointly
by the Independent Education Union and the Australian Education
Union, facilitated by Teacher Learning Network (TLN).
T
he aim of the conferences is to
provide professional development
opportunities to casual relief
teachers who may not otherwise be able to
access relevant training or fulfil their VIT
requirement of 20 hours of professional
development each year. Due to the casual
nature of CRT work, these teachers are often
unable to access system or school training.
The two unions are proactive in providing
significant and relevant training for CRTs,
to support their registration and renewal
requirements, and their professional practice.
150 participants attended the first CRT
Kickstart for 2016 with many more joining
the proceedings on-line. Participants
ranged from students and graduates,
parental leave members, as well as
members whose preference is to teach parttime on an ad hoc basis at this stage of their
working lives.
The idea behind CRT Kickstart is to
help everyone to prepare for their first
term of teaching.
The day commenced with a Teachmeet
– a sharing of experience and resources,
in diverse groups, providing networking
opportunities and new ideas and approaches.
The rest of the conference consisted of a
variety of workshops:
■■ What it means to be a CRT
■■ Violence, teaching and personal safety
■■ Interview skills and CV writing
■■ Marketing yourself and finding jobs
■■ Awards, Agreements and agencies
■■ Legal liability
■■ What do schools want – Principal panel
If you are a CRT or have a CRT friend – why
not tell them about our conferences?
Future CRT conferences will take place
during each term break:
Diversity and difference – 30 March
Classroom and people – 29 June
21st century learning – 21 September
Go to www.ieuvictas.org.au for further
information and to register.
Calling all Casual Relief
Teachers!
Ask your CRT colleagues to become IEU
members. Apart from the professional
development offered, the union can
provide advice on matters relating to pay
rates, conditions of employment, checking
employment contracts and much more.
All the IEU discounts, professional
indemnity insurance and legal back up
are available equally to CRTs.
If you are a CRT make contact with
the IEU sub-branch rep at schools where
you regularly work. We are sure they
will be more than happy to welcome
you and include you in union-related
communication and forums.
To assist you to ‘put your best foot
forward’ and to get work in the schools you
choose, consider attending our CV writing
and interview skills workshop on 4 April
(Check the IEU website)
We’ve got your back
Work as a CRT in both government and
non-government schools? The IEU and AEU
offer reciprocal membership for CRTs, so
as long as you join the union that is most
relevant in terms of where you do most of
your work, we have you covered.
TEACHER LEARNING NETWORK
Supporting teaching learners with disability
1. Disability developed or diverse – lesson
planning for differentiation
Planning teaching approaches that work for
students with a learning disability or who
are on the Autism spectrum can also benefit
‘mainstream’ students.
As part of the
government Special
Needs Plan teachers
2. Disability developed or diverse – using
will be required to
technology for differentiation
build their capacity
The workshop will cover the use of general
to teach learners
ICT devices eg. iPads and specific assistive
technologies and how they can benefit all
with disability.
The VIT website reads:
‘When you renew
your registration by 30
September 2016, you will
be asked to identify the PD
you’ve engaged in to build
your capacity to teach
learners with disability.
Activities selected by you
to meet the requirement
for PD about learners with
disability should reference
the standards descriptors
1.5, 1.6 and 4.1.’
Many courses conducted
by TLN meet these
Standards including:
students from gifted through to those with a
learning disability.
3. English as an Additional Language (EAL)
– teaching ideas to get you started
This online program will emphasise
understanding the prior-educational
experiences of the students and will present
practical ideas based on research.
4. English as an Additional Language (EAL)
– teaching ideas for all subject domains
During this online program a range of
practical ideas for teaching across subject
domains will be explored and made available
to participants, all based on high quality
research.
5. Working with student support groups
Enlisting this team of specialists to support
and inform your classroom approach will
deliver great results for you and the students.
6. Creating individual education plans for
students with special needs
An IEP is your map for working most
effectively with the student, understanding
their disability and your instructional
strategies that will most effectively meet
their learning needs.
7. Working with education support
staff when including a student with
additional needs
Education Support staff play an integral and
invaluable part at an inclusive school. Clear
directions and a productive partnership with
ES staff will help teachers.
8. Working effectively with families of
students with special needs
Listening to and valuing the parents, carers or
guardians of a child is an essential ingredient
in the collaborative model of supporting a
child with a disability in education.
Join TLN and all staff (teaching and ES
staff) can access these TLN programs at no
charge. The annual membership fee gives
your staff access to these programs at no
further cost. Almost all TLN programs are
also available online – so membership for
regional Victorian schools and Tasmanian
schools is good value for money.
Go to www.tln.org.au for more
information and to join online. Annual
membership fees are given below,
(fee includes GST and is for a full 12 months)
9. Autism in the classroom – teaching
social and emotional skills
In this online program the presenter will outline
approaches to teaching social and emotional
skills for students on the autism spectrum.
10.Autism in the classroom – teaching
task skills
Students on the spectrum may
experience difficulty when planning
and preparing for, getting started and
completing work tasks. These students
will benefit from explicit teaching of how
to approach work tasks. In this online
program the presenter will provide
practical ideas for teaching task skills.
11. Write for the TLN Journal on Autism
The premise for this workshop is that great
teachers should share their excellent practice
with colleagues. Publish your article in the
TLN Journal with a circulation of 5,000.
Student Enrolment
2016
B. 2000 students and above
$850
C. Between 1000 and 1999 students
$700
D. Between 500 and 999 students
$550
E. Between 100 and 499 students
$400
F. Below 100 students
$300
Contact TLN at 112 Trenerry Crescent, Abbotsford, 3067 or 9418 4992 or
Michael Victory at mvictory@tln.org.au
15
New to teaching?
We’ve got your back.
Every year hundreds of
graduate teachers join the
Independent Education
Union when they enter the
profession. There is no doubt
that the first years of teaching
can be the most challenging in
a teacher’s career. Many will
have a class of their own for
the first time and others will
face the challenges of working
as a Casual Relief Teacher.
R
egardless of the type of job, the IEU
recognises that supporting early
career teachers as they transition
from study to their first professional
teaching work is critical to the profession. It
is for this reason that we have developed a
transition program that gives new teachers
every opportunity to join and subsequently
receive the support, advice and professional
development that comes with being a
member of the IEU community.
The IEU transition program starts well
before an early career teacher walks through
the front gate of their school for the first
time with many student members taking
up the opportunity to have their contract of
employment checked by the IEU to ensure
it is fair and reasonable. The IEU continues
to provide support to early career teachers
through the four tailored professional
development opportunities that we offer
each year. The first three pieces of PD are
free to our early career teachers as part of
PD in the Pub, a Victoria-wide program that
provides PD on behaviour management,
classroom dynamics, and learning and
engagement strategies. The PD series is
presented by renowned educator and
author, Glen Pearsal and former teacher,
now academic, Coby Beatson. We also
provide great PD in Tasmania to students
and early career teachers.
The IEU transition
program starts well
before an early career
teacher walks through
the front gate of their
school for the first time...
In addition the IEU offers an early career
teachers conference, which will be held this
year in conjunction with the AEU and the
University of Melbourne – Graduate School
A slow turning
Patrick Smithers is not
your typical first-year
graduate. He is one of
the rare breed who,
for whatever reason,
take up teaching after
a career somewhere
and someplace else.
He has commenced his
second career at Our
Lady of Mercy College
Heidelberg. He promptly
took up membership of
the IEU, and is able to
provide some interesting
perspectives on the past,
and the future, for him.
P
atrick started as a cadet
journalist at The Age as a
17-year-old in 1982. He was
a sports writer at the paper for
almost a decade before assuming
the role of sports editor. He then
shifted to ‘the front’ of the paper,
first as night news editor and later
as executive news editor.
He left The Age at the end
of 2012 as the paper shifted its
emphasis to digital journalism.
He enrolled in an undergraduate
degree at Deakin University,
fulfilling a lifelong ambition to
study history, with a view to
joining the teaching profession.
‘It was something I had always
had in the back of my mind. I was
absurdly lucky to be in journalism
at a time when newspapers
were a vital part of our sense of
Alisi Fusi Wightman
Scholarship 2016
Patrick with mentor Sue Richardson
community. But if I didn’t make
the switch then, it was probably
never going to happen. Now I get
a crack at a totally different career.’
Patrick’s next lucky break was
to do teaching rounds at Our
Lady of Mercy College. He said
he was extremely fortunate to
have brilliant mentors and IEU
members in Sue Richardson
and Tom Crowle. Richardson
is mentoring Patrick this year
in his role as an English and
pastoral teacher.
‘The school has an
extraordinary sense of
community,’ he said. ‘The OLMC
school values aren’t just hollow
marketing slogans. The staff and
students live and breathe them
every day. I have only been here
five minutes, but it has been
an extraordinarily welcoming
environment.’
Patrick has been a union
member all his working life.
of Education. This conference will give new
teachers the perfect opportunity to reflect
on their practice to date and learn from
both experts and colleagues alike.
Finally, the IEU supports new teachers
in the workplace by bargaining for them
in Catholic and independent schools. Two
great examples of this are reduced hours of
scheduled class time for first-year teachers
and a new school induction program in
Catholic schools. New teachers should be
members of the union. So if you know a
first year teacher who isn’t an IEU member
then ask them, ‘Are you with us?’ and then
hand them a membership form which you
can download from our website.
He joined the then Australian
Journalists’ Association in 1982.
This later morphed into the Media
Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
‘Hopefully my membership
with the IEU can be as long and
fruitful,’ he said.
‘I like the idea of the collective.
I have always been bemused by
people who denigrate unions,
but benefit from the hardwon conditions that previous
generations of unionists have won
for all workers. It is an essentially
historically ignorant position, like
decrying feminism with a broad
brush without acknowledging the
remarkable advances it has made
for women.’
The IEU looks forward to
supporting all our new graduate
members in their first years
of work, including mature age
graduates like Patrick who have
much to offer their schools and
the union.
T
his year the IEU together
with the AEU welcomed:
Oketi Akauola from
Tonga, Chief Education Officer
for primary schools and a
member of the Friendly Islands
Teachers’ Association, and
Neselinda Meta, Secretary of
the women’s network of the
Vanuatu Teachers’ Union and
a full-time primary teacher.
Both women are active in their
unions and, in addition to their
full-time jobs, work towards
creating better opportunities
for women in unions and the
education of girls.
During their visit we
introduced them to the
workings of the IEU and to a
range of activities with some
highlights being:
■■ school visit to St Joseph’s
school Collingwood where
both women were incredibly
impressed with the whole
In memory of Alisi Fusi
Wightman, former
Vice President of the
Fiji Teachers’ Association,
the Council of Pacific
Educators (COPE)
provides a scholarship
for two women union
activists. The scholarship
focusses on developing
and strengthening
union and
professional skills.
staff and the way in which
the school had developed
into an integral and vibrant
part of the Collingwood
community; a big thank
you to Trish Taylor and her
wonderful staff
■■ meeting Lisa Heap, the
Lead Women’s Organiser
at the VTHC to talk about
the engagement of women
workers
■■ the opening of the Young
Worker’s Centre at the VTHC
■■ visit and tour with Bronwyn
Halfpenny (MP) at Parliament
House
■■ meeting with the ACTU
Women’s Committee to
discuss the paid parental
leave campaign.
It was a pleasure to meet
Oketi and Neselinda and the
shared exchange of skills and
experiences was certainly
valuable and enjoyable.
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17
In conversation
Tina Naumov is a
first year teacher at
Resurrection School
Kings Park after nine
years as a teacher’s aide.
John Connors is the
school’s new principal.
He started teaching
in 1983 and became
a principal in 2000.
We sit down with two
members and talk about
their experiences in
education.
You’re both experienced
teachers and now you’re
the newest arrivals at
Resurrection School. How
did you feel about starting
new roles?
John: We both caught up before
term started and acknowledged
we were very nervous. I guess
we share a feeling that we know
what we’re doing but we’re
always learning and in a similar
position.
Tina: I agree. We felt like we’re
here, we’re new and we’re excited
about the year ahead.
You’re the new kids on the
block – how are you finding
the first weeks of term?
Tina: It was nerve-wracking and
a bit daunting for me. I have been
a teacher’s aide at another school
for 9 years but this is my first year
as a graduate. Finding your way
around the school and learning
the names, the roles, the children
and the structure is a little
overwhelming. That said, there’s
the excitement of starting and
wanting to get going.
John: This is by far the biggest
school I’ve worked in – 530 kids.
For me, coming from a place
where l knew every student’s
name and going from 25 to 50
staff – the first day staff meeting
was like fronting a seminar. At
this stage, it’s about taking our
time. Everyone knows we’re new
and we’re finding our feet.
What do you wish people
knew about the teaching
profession?
John: Year to year we have heard
about what schools should be
doing and it appears that today,
the issues in society are lobbed
at the doorstep of the primary
school. Kids need to learn from
society, not just in school.
The wider community must
come to realise that teachers and
teaching is now a well-researched
profession and teachers are well
educated. We know what learning
is about – we know how kids learn
– we know the young people in
front of us and how to improve
their learning outcomes. The
community needs to understand
that we are all responsible for a
generation of children.
Tina: l wish that people had a
better understanding that every
child is different. No two kids
are going to learn the same way.
In learning, everyone has to be
considered and treated as an
individual. When we do our lesson
planning for children, you do have
an all class approach, but you also
have to learn to adapt it to the
learning needs of children.
Tell us about the influences
and situations that influenced
you to join the IEU?
John: I’m a Foundation member
and first joined the Victorian
Catholic Primary Teachers union
many, many years ago. Then l
moved to the Northern Territory
and joined their teachers union
there. I came back at the time of
the beginning of the IEU and
I rejoined straight away.
My joining was family
influenced originally. However as
a principal l see that it’s important
to be a member of the same union
as my staff. This is because we
need to be united. We need to be
supporting each other and helping
each other. This is in terms of our
daily work and everyone we relate
to and everything that happens
to us.
Tina: I joined for that sense of
support and knowing that there
is someone I can go to help me.
It was a no brainer for me. It
wasn’t a question of why join a
union, but when do I become a
member. It’s reassuring that as a
union member we can access the
benefits of membership, and there
is always someone to go to and
have my back.
Where do you see the
changes in modern teaching
happening?
Tina: I’m still enjoying learning
everything and the opportunities
teaching provides. Having a voice
in planning and curriculum and
the opportunity to say I want to
trial this. It’s rewarding to know
we learn from these things and
move forward.
John: It’s good to know Tina
thinks that teachers are now
empowered and there is a shift
toward change. I would like to
see my school as an excellent
21st century education facility
with flexible groupings and
spaces and a curriculum tailored
to the 530 kids in this school.
Rep, Set, Go.
How did you become an IEU rep? Are you someone
who as a committed union member answered the
call to lead your sub-branch, or did you fail to step
back fast enough at your last sub-branch meeting
when the position became vacant?
U
nion members who are elected as reps are generally good
communicators, well-organised, confident leaders, but these
attributes alone are not enough to handle the complexities
and challenges of the role. For this reason the IEU commits resources
to assist reps improve their skills and knowledge of workplace issues
to best represent members at their workplace and to gradually move
towards greater engagement in the work of the union movement
more broadly.
Rep training is offered in Melbourne, regional Victoria and
Tasmania. Last year 115 reps participated in rep training and this
year we’d like to see you add to that number. Training for reps
is structured to incrementally introduce and build on topics of
sub-branch administration and management, role clarification,
recruitment, negotiation and advocacy. The program is accessible
to reps of all levels of experience, the key purpose being to build
confidence and competence.
If you’ve never been to rep training or have recently been elected
to the role, you should enrol in Initial Rep Training which covers
the basics of the role, managing your sub-branch and recruiting. If
you’ve already attended Initial Rep Training, you can build on those
skills through Experienced Rep Training which builds on those initial
skills and helps reps hone their skills of negotiation and representing
members on either sub-branch or individual issues.
It is an expectation that reps attend training every year if possible
and for reps in Catholic schools and many independent schools with
Agreements, there is an entitlement to paid leave to attend training.
If you’re at a school without this provision, the IEU can reimburse
replacement costs.
If you haven’t booked in to rep training – now is the time to do it,
before the usual business of the school year takes hold.
Initial Rep Training
Experienced Rep
Training
Tasmanian Rep
Training
Wednesday 16 March
Tuesday 22 March
Friday 11 March.
Tuesday 10 May
Thursday 21 July
Thursday 25 August
Tuesday 18 October
For more information about Rep Training, speak to your IEU
organiser. To book in to training email training@ieuvictas.org.au
REP PROFILE
Jenni Chalker
Jenni Chalker is the IEU rep at St Louis
de Monfort’s Primary School Aspendale.
S
he has worked in Catholic education for 25 years and has
always been an active union member, but this year is
the first time she has taken on the role of rep.
Jenni believes ‘It is important to be a member of the
IEU, because apart from the insurance aspect, if we are all
receiving benefits through the union negotiating for us, then
we should all be contributing to that.’
‘The union has always fought hard for our entitlements.
We shouldn’t take that for granted. We wouldn’t have half
of the things we’ve got over the years, without the union
bargaining for our Agreements. It’s important to explain that
to our younger staff. It isn’t fair or just to rely on others to get
the wins for us. We are stronger together!’
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19
Action in IEU Branches
In South Australia, members in Catholic schools are rolling out a
series of industrial actions school by school to place pressure on
employer representatives to shift their negotiating position.
T
he government sector and the AEU
have concluded their negotiations
with a 2.5% per annum pay outcome
dated back to October 2015 and some general
improvements in conditions. The employers
in the Catholic sector have offered only 2%
and no movement on members’ workloads
claims. In one appearance before the Fair
Work Commission lawyers for the employers
argued that all teacher marking and
preparation could be done in non-contact
time if teachers were ‘efficient!’
Actions in participating schools range from:
■■ The wearing of badges and IEU T-shirts
■■ A ban on taking relief lessons for
absent colleagues
■■ 30 minute work stoppages at a
specified time
■■ Non-attendance at specified meetings
or briefings
■■ Bans on extracurricular activities
such as school sport.
In Queensland, IEU members participated
in either a half-day or full-day stoppage
across the state on 25 February. The action
eventuated after 10 months of negotiations
failed to deliver any agreement around
wages and conditions for teachers and
support staff in Catholic schools. Another
key area of justice is that many ES staff are
currently denied the community standard
of 4 weeks annual leave a year. Over 1000
members gathered at a mass meeting in
Brisbane while close to 2000 united at nine
other regional meetings. Members endorsed
further industrial action should employers
not come to the table with a meaningful
resolution of the union’s claims.
Communicating the
‘Sustainability in Schools’ website
Sustainability is one of the
Australian Curriculum’s three
cross-curriculum priorities.
However, funding for
education for sustainability
initiatives is sparse.
T
he IEU is working with
organisations from the education,
union, youth and environment
sectors that want a higher prioritisation
of sustainability in the education
system. This coalition is called the
Australian Education for Sustainability
Alliance (AESA).
In 2012, AESA was awarded federal
funding to engage with teachers,
educators and decision-makers to
recommend ways to enable efficient
delivery of sustainability learning
outcomes across the Australian
Curriculum. In 2013, almost 1,500 IEU
members contributed to an online
survey looking at the barriers and
enablers to education for sustainability.
The majority of teachers who
responded to this survey wanted to
focus more on sustainability in their
teaching, but asked for help to
get started. In response, the website
Getting Started with Sustainability in
Schools was created.
www.sustainabilityinschools.edu.au
Packed full of sustainability-focused
teaching resources and case studies from
around Australia, this website provides
pathways to embed sustainability into the
Enjoy great savings
on a wide range of member benefits
IEU members enjoy exclusive savings on accommodation, airline lounge
NTEU
memberships, package tours, insurance and more.
These services have an unlimited usage and can be accessed via the
Member Advantage website at any time.
Visit www.memberadvantage.com.au/ieu for more information.
classroom, school and community.
The site continues to grow, as teachers
submit new units of work to be included.
Spread the word about this fabulous
new resource and make sure your school
is using it, too.
Feel free to send us suggestions for other
great resources or networks we can add at
info@educationforsustainability.org.au
International
Roundup
Strikes continue in Brazil,
where teachers have been
taking action in mid-February
over education funding and
privatisation. Teachers are
striking to demand decent pay
and working conditions, and
demanding an improvement of
conditions in schools, including
such basics as toilets and
lighting. This is also part of the
ongoing struggle against the
privatisation of schools in the
country. This ongoing protest
has been long-running, and
has been characterised by high
school occupations as well as
increased militancy amongst
teachers fighting for public
education.
In Hungary, thousands of
teachers took to the streets
in late February with other
members of the community
to protest the government’s
education reforms. The rightwing government centralised
education in 2010, giving
government control over every
aspect of education, and the
protesters are demanding that
autonomy be given back to
schools and teachers. Teachers
are also protesting the increased
administrative burden while at
the same time seeing their faceto-face teaching hours increased.
The reforms were introduced
without any consultation with
teacher unions.
And finally, a school in Texas,
USA, has suspended a student
for saving another’s life. While
the teacher followed procedure
to deal with an asthma attack
in class and emailed the school
nurse for instructions, 15 yearold Anthony Ruelas instead
carried his fellow student to
the nurse’s office. Which earned
him a two-day suspension as
the school district followed
its zero tolerance approach to
non-compliance with school
procedure.
Young Workers Centre Launched
The Young Workers
Centre, an ambitious
world-first project
being run out of the
Victorian Trades Hall,
was launched on 17
February to a packed
and excited crowd.
T
he recent spate of
revelations of the abuse
and underpayment of
young workers in convenience
stores and fast food chains and
on farms supplying produce
to major supermarkets has
highlighted the need for young
people to understand and be
empowered to enforce their
workplace rights.
In a time of declining youth
union membership, organising
and engaging young workers is
more of a challenge than ever.
The Young Workers Centre has
been set up as a one-stop-shop
for young workers who want to
learn more about their rights at
work or who need assistance in
resolving workplace issues. It
will offer free advice and legal
support around employment
matters, and will also actively
organise young workers and
publicly campaign against
their exploitation. The YWC has
built a great team of lawyers,
organisers, educators and
researchers who will work
together to empower young
Victorians with the knowledge
and skills they need to tackle
job insecurity and workplace
exploitation and to keep them
safe at work.
Trades Hall Secretary Luke
Hilakari announced in his
speech at the launch that the
YWC will seek to visit every
secondary school in Victoria to
deliver an educational outreach
program aimed at preparing
our students to be engaged and
empowered as they take their
first step into the workforce.
The education and outreach
program is specifically designed
to address the issues that young
workers face when heading into
the workplace, including:
■■ Bullying and discrimination
■■ Workplace rights
■■ Health and safety
■■ Social movements and
unionism.
The IEU is very proud to be
supporting this initiative,
and we’ll be calling on our
members with responsibility for
pastoral and careers education
in secondary schools across
Victoria to liaise with the
Young Workers Centre as they
develop their Education Outreach
program.
For more information about
the outreach program, see
www.youngworkers.org.au/
education or call the Young
Workers Centre.
Your students or any other
young workers seeking advice
or assistance can contact the
Young Workers Centre:
Call: 1800 714 754
Text: ‘HELP’ + name to
0448 791 922
Visit: 54 Victoria St, Carlton
Web: www.youngworkers.org.au/
IEU Internship
As part of the Union Summer 2016 Internship Program,
the IEU hosted two enthusiastic young activists.
We hear from Matt Woodroffe and Rania Talha.
I
t was great to be placed with the IEU, as
they advocate for and represent not only
teachers who are dedicated to the wellbeing of tomorrow’s movers and shakers, but
education support staff and other employees
in the independent and Catholic sector. The
IEU operates on a highly organised level,
with a dynamic group of people who have
a wealth of policy and career knowledge,
legal know how and experience, as many
are former teachers themselves. There is
a collegiate atmosphere at the union, and
it was great to observe how everybody is
dedicated to social justice, and making
teaching an equitable profession. Interning
at the IEU has given us an insight into the
issues educators face in the workplace. We
got to listen to organisers and key officers,
sit in on meetings and visit schools. We
were also present at the joint IEU/AEU CRT
Kick-Start Conference, and it was great to see
many teachers in attendance. The workshops
that were run by IEU staff on that day were
second to none and extremely relevant for
Casual Relief Teachers.
The biggest contribution we’ve made to
the union, however, has been in recruiting
new members. Over the past two weeks we
have spent about an hour a day calling up
graduate members and asking them to sign
up. During our time here we have signed
up at least 25 new members to the union.
It’s encouraging to see so many people
interested in becoming IEU members.
We also had the opportunity to sign up
student members studying their Masters
of Teaching at Melbourne University. We’ve
both been fortunate enough to recruit a
number of student members. This was a
fantastic opportunity to talk to some very
keen students who are interested in getting
involved with the union, in the knowledge
that help is available if they require it.
Matt: The main benefit that I have got out
of the Union Summer program is a better
understanding in how unions can create
strategies to recruit non-members. I’ve
also learned a great deal about how unions
can go about engaging members in the
bargaining process.
We have a new team of
women at the VTHC.
T
Rania: As an Education Student, interning
at the IEU has allowed me to see how
essential it is to be a member of the union,
and the opportunities it provides not only
for knowledge and employment skills, but
also the strong relationships that the union
forms with educators and support staff in
ensuring the best possible career outcomes.
We would like to thank our mentors and
the rest of the staff at the IEU for being
accommodating and welcoming during
our Internship and wish them all the
best for 2016.
he Lead Women’s
Organiser is Lisa Heap and
together with Clare Burns,
Jodi Preskett and Ruth Birch, she
heads the team who will lead
‘We are Union Women’.
The plan for Union Women
is to advance the rights of
working women across Victoria.
Some of the rights and safety
areas which will be a focus are:
domestic and family violence as
a workplace issue, pay equality,
paid parental leave, and
insecure and low paid work.
The IEU looks forward to
working with the team and
would value input from IEU
women workers.
To find out more and to be part
of the, ‘We are Union Women’s
Network’ you can go to:
www.unionwomen.org.au

The Point: March 2016 - Independent Education Union

Transcription

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