The IEU is currently negotiating with Catholic Employment Relations (CER) for new multi-enterprise agreements (MEAs) for teachers and support staff employed in Model A, Model B and Model C Catholic independent schools.
Model A Catholic independent schools
The existing Model A MEAs expired at the end of 2020 and staff have received administrative pay increases annually since then. CER’s current pay offer is:
- 1% from the start of the proposed new MEAs (in addition to the 2.04% already paid in 2023)
- 3% in 2024
- 3.5% in 2025, and
- a $1000 one-off cost of living payment for permanent and temporary staff at the start of the MEAs.
CER has also proposed the new MEAs have a nominal expiry date of 31 December 2025.
The IEU considers the pay offer cannot be recommended to members. There are also significant issues outstanding apart from pay, including our claim for 12 weeks paid parental leave for a person who is the non-initial primary carer of a child (usually the father) when the initial primary carer (usually the mother) has returned to work or study. This condition has recently been agreed in Catholic systemic schools.
At the last bargaining meeting on 13 June 2023, the IEU responded with the following claims on behalf of members:
- 1% pay increase from a date to be agreed (in addition to the 2.04% already paid in 2023)
- 4.5% increase in 2024
- 4.5% increase in 2025
- a $1000 one-off cost of living payment for permanent and temporary staff at the start of the MEAs, and
- a pay protection clause that guarantees Model A teachers and support staff receive at least the same percentage increase as staff in government and Catholic systemic schools in 2024 and 2025.
We are awaiting a response from the employers.
Model B and C Catholic independent schools
The existing Model B and C MEAs expired at the end of 2021. CER have made the following pay offer:
- pay increase of 2.78% in 2023 (already paid), plus a one-off
payment of $750 - pay increase of 3% in 2024, and
- pay increase of 3% in 2025.
Our Council meeting on 17 June 2023 considered CER’s offer and concluded it was unsatisfactory.
At the bargaining meeting on 3 July 2023, the union pressed our original claims for improvements in paid parental leave; measures to address teacher shortages and to reduce teacher workloads; improvements to the support staff pay and classification structure; improvements for maintenance and outdoor staff rates of pay to reflect the higher rates payable in systemic schools; and improvements to long service leave entitlements for non-teaching staff.
What happens next
CER’s offers for Model A and Model B and C Catholic independent schools are well below our claims and below the anticipated public sector and Catholic systemic school increases for 2023 and beyond. Model A and Model B and C schools need to do more to show they value their teachers and support staff. In early Term 3, the IEU will provide further details of bargaining to members and set out actions Chapters can take to achieve a fairer outcome. Contact your IEU Organiser to arrange a visit.