Good tidings to all. The end of the year is upon us. It has been extraordinary. The word on everyone’s lips is yes. Yes, to the end of a hard-working year, to the demands placed upon us by our schools, to the difficult circumstances within classrooms and without and to righting the imbalance of family and work.
The most considerable yes was from teachers and support staff working at Catholic systemic schools, (excluding Broken Bay Diocese, which led the way forward), who voted resoundingly yes to their enterprise agreement: 99% yes.
Finally, the drawn-out, seemingly interminable, negotiations reached a reasonable resolution. I thank members in this sector for their persistence, patience, collectivism and for doing it tough.
The union also recommended voting:
- yes, to the multi-enterprise agreements (MEA) in Model A schools, where improvement to pay rises are noted, along with shorter agreements
- yes, to Model B schools MEAs where significant pay increases are promised for teachers and key support staff, with improvements to parental leave
- yes, to Model C MEAs, where revised improvements to support staff classifications, pay increases and better parental leave entitlements, and
- yes, reluctantly, to AIS Christian schools MEAs.
A summary of a year of negotiating challenges.
If only global challenges could be settled with collective consciousness, conference, and discussion. In the light of the macro, the micro was achieved with relative ease.
Thank you for your commitment to the union, to each other, and to making things better.
Best wishes for a happy and enjoyable holiday. May your homes be filled with joy, hope and love.