On a chilly morning in Wagga Wagga, about 350 proud union members from both the IEU and the NSW Teachers Federation stood side by side for a historic joint action.
We started the morning with a march through the town centre while chanting “No teachers – No future!”, with the line of union members extending at least 200 metres down Baylis Street. Local residents cheered the march on and those in passing cars beeped their horns in support.
Teachers and support staff then rallied at the Aquatic Centre where they heard from two local teachers who shared their experiences in the classroom. They talked about burnout, excessive workloads and crippling teacher shortages.
We livestreamed the Sydney rally on big screens, hearing from IEUA NSW/ACT Branch President Chris Wilkinson; NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Mark Northam and NSW Teachers Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos.
The rally closed with IEU members in their yellow “Hear our Voice!” t-shirts and Federation members in their red “More than thanks!” t-shirts taking friendly photos together.