Creating a unity of purpose

Canberra Principal Peter Galvin has been an active union member since the early 1980s and has never experienced a sense of conflict between his activism and leadership position.

Now Principal at St Jude’s Primary School in Holder, Peter has also been a principal in the Lismore Diocese.

He’s been an IEU rep, a branch rep and, for the last four years, a Principals Branch rep.

He regularly attends Principals Branch meetings on a Saturday morning at the IEU’s Parramatta office.

“Fairness has been a strong point for me ever since I was a little boy, so being involved in the Union is simply a continuance of that,” Peter said.

“I’ve never found it to be a conflict, in fact it enhances my role as principal. My belief in fairness puts me on the same page with my staff and it helps them to know where I stand.

“I have a positive relationship with the Union Rep at my school and for the most part the teachers are supportive.

“Similar with the Canberra-Goulburn Diocese, I have found them to be reasonable people to work with. Being involved in the Union is just another string in a principal’s bow and it helps to develop a unity of purpose with the staff.”

Peter said that unity of purpose would be tested in the future, with Catholic schools in the ACT hard hit in the recent federal budget.

I’ve never found it to be a conflict, in fact it enhances my role as principal. My belief in fairness puts me on the same page with my staff and it helps them to know where I stand.

Funding for the 24 Catholic schools in the territory will be cut by $40 million over 10 years, with Peter’s school losing about half a million in the decade.

He said the ACT Government provided the lowest funding for Catholic schools in all states and territories, leaving the schools out of pocket.

“Our staff are entitled to fair pay rises over the next decade, despite these cuts, so being a part of the IEU will be even more important.”