Welcome to the 2025 school year. If you’re a rep at your school, here are a few things to keep moving or keep on the radar.
Update us on your chapter
So the union can stay in touch with all members, we urge reps to ensure your chapter information is up to date with the IEU office.
The IEU’s membership team will shortly send out a chapter update list that will encourage you to ensure you let us know about:
- any members from last year who have moved to another school, and
- any existing members who are new to your school this year not included on the current list.
Ask members to check that the email address the IEU has for them is accurate – email is one of the IEU’s main forms of communication with members, so accurate contact information is vital.
It is also useful for the IEU office to have updated information about each teacher’s accreditation level, as this allows us to assist you more effectively at each career stage.
Hold a chapter meeting
If you haven’t done so already, it’s a good idea to arrange a chapter meeting to start the new year.
Contact your IEU organiser and invite them to join you, and consider inviting all members of staff – this can be a way of encouraging non-members to join with their colleagues to ensure their salaries and working conditions continue to improve.
Perhaps make it a morning or afternoon tea and make it a social event. Your organiser can bring membership forms.
Conduct chapter elections
The first meeting of the year is the time for the chapter as a whole to either reconfirm your position as the elected rep, or you may decide to bring someone new into the role.
Regardless of who is elected, you are required to formally notify your employer (or the principal) so you can access your delegate’s rights. Your organiser can provide you with a pro forma letter for this purpose.
What makes an effective rep?
The most effective reps are enthusiastic about unionism. If you’re in a Catholic systemic school, you could talk about the effectiveness of the Hear our Voice campaign in 2022-23, which led to substantial pay rises for teachers and support staff. And if you’re in an independent (AIS) school, you could talk about the success of last year’s campaign, Now’s the Time, through which members also won good pay rises.
Perhaps talk about the strength of collective action as you see it around the world, be it the Hollywood screen writers or women’s sports teams (the Matildas, in particular, united to win pay and conditions similar to the Socceroos).
An effective rep holds regular meetings and keeps their chapter informed. They encourage members to be active and engaged and they are in regular contact with their IEU organiser.
We invite you to familiarise yourself with the agreement that covers the staff in your school and, in the case of Catholic systemic reps, your Work Practices Agreement as well. Never be afraid to seek guidance from your organiser.
Most importantly, encourage your colleagues to join their union. It’s important to invite them in person, so they know the human face of their union. Doing this at the start of the school year is always a good idea, especially as a way of welcoming beginner teachers.
Share the load
Consider starting a chapter committee so everyone has a role in building the union at your school and ensuring its continuity.
Invite well-respected and/or long-standing members of staff who might be interested to chair a meeting. You may have a highly organised member of staff – consider asking them to take on the role of chapter secretary.
By doing this you will create a sense of energy and encourage greater participation.
Keep your noticeboard current
Finally, make sure your organiser’s details and the contact details of the union office are readily accessible for all members.
This is most effectively done through an IEU noticeboard. Many of our industrial agreements provide for a dedicated space to be allocated to IEU chapter notices. Talk to your organiser to find out what you can do.
You got this
Congratulations on taking on the important role of chapter rep. You’ll find it rewarding, and we look forward to seeing you at one of our reps’ training days around the state in coming months.