Goodstart Early Learning, the biggest non-profit employer of teachers in long day care in Australia, will be among the first to access new government funding to increase wages as members voted on a new union-negotiated agreement.
After a lengthy bargaining process, members were voting on the new Goodstart enterprise agreement (EA) as Newsmonth went to press.
In August, the federal Labor government announced a $3.6 billion funding injection so employers such as Goodstart could provide staff with a 15% pay rise, as long as employers opt in to a worker retention payment grant system. Staff will receive a 10% increase in December 2024 and another 5% in December 2025 – the result of three unions working with the government and 64 employers (see right).
The new Goodstart agreement includes pay rises and new provisions that better reflect teachers’ evolving workplace needs, including:
- 15% wage boost (10% in December 2024 and 5% in December 2025)
- improved parental leave: enhanced provisions for paid parental
leave, stillbirth, pregnancy loss, and unpaid grandparent leave - inclusion support: initiatives and working groups to better support children with additional needs
- teacher workload: working groups focused on reducing teacher
documentation and ensuring sustainable workloads; and - gender equity leave: introduction of reproductive health leave and
gender-transition leave.
These improvements reflect the union’s commitment to supporting employee wellbeing and workplace equity.
The IEU congratulates members and thanks Goulburn Goodstart teacher Kylie Clewitt, who was a strong advocate for members during negotiations.
Supported bargaining agreement
In separate negotiations, the IEU, along with the United Workers Union (UWU) and the Australian Education Union (AEU) was set to finalise a historic multi-employer bargaining agreement that included 64 employers as Newsmonth went to press.
This will give long day care employees access to the 15% pay rises provided for by the federal government through the $3.6 billion funding injection announced in August.
The agreement was made possible because of new industrial relations rules passed as part of the Secure Jobs Better Pay Act in 2022.