In late December 2024, the union reached agreement with the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) on the terms of the new multi-enterprise agreements (MEAs) that will apply to teachers and professional and operational staff in NSW and the ACT.
Single interest bargaining: Why did we settle?
Our campaign for single interest bargaining was the reason we gained significant concessions from the employers in late December.
A majority of teachers in a majority of schools voted for our petition for single interest bargaining for the Teachers MEA. This enabled us to lodge an application for single interest bargaining on behalf of teachers in those schools with the Fair Work Commission in early December, although the bargaining could not commence until February 2025 when the current MEAs expire.
This placed enormous pressure on employers who faced the real risk that more than 100 schools would be forced to commence bargaining in a new stream.
The union refused to agree to the Co-operative Teachers MEA proposed by the AIS in late November because we considered the proposed pay rates for existing experienced teachers were too low (and below the rates for new teachers who would be employed from 2025 with the same experience).
The AIS had also failed to meet other elements of the union’s claim. We were concerned because there were many substantial technical errors in the drafting. And in the Professional and Operational Staff MEAs (PAOS MEAs), we considered the pay rates were just too low.
Campaign leads to win
Under the Fair Work Act, if the union refuses to agree to an MEA going to the vote, the employer has to seek an order from the Fair Work Commission to proceed. This matter was set down for hearing on 19 December. Our application for single interest bargaining for the Teachers MEA was listed on the same day.
Negotiations resumed in earnest in the week prior to the hearing, with the AIS seeking the union’s key claims in relation to all the MEAs. In response to our claims, the AIS agreed to:
- raise the pay rates for experienced Proficient teachers
- substantially support our workload transparency claim
- maintain the special education allowance for all teachers in those schools where it is currently paid rather than freeze it just for existing teachers
- improvements in the PAOS rates
- backdating of all payments to the first pay period after 1 February 2025.
The AIS only offered these improvements because of strong support for the union campaign from members and their colleagues. This support was essential to achieving a range of improvements in the MEAS in the last months of the campaign. The union did not make any trade-offs to gain these outcomes.
Salary wins for teachers
Salary wins for existing teachers included:
- Teachers with four or more years’ experience at Proficient (five years in the ACT) will now go straight to Level 2.5 (Level 8 in the ACT). This rate is $127,281 in NSW and $130,643 in the ACT. This is a pay rise in 2025 of between $12,000 and over $20,000 (depending on the current MEA) and about $6000 above the previous AIS offer.
- All existing teachers who were classified as Band 3 – Experienced Teacher or Senior Teacher 1 will receive the Accomplished Teacher allowance of $4979 in addition to their salary at Level 2.5 (Level 8 in the ACT). This gives a total salary of $132,260 in NSW and $135,622 in the ACT. This also applies if the teacher moves to another school covered by this MEA in the future. Teachers employed after January 2025 will receive the Accomplished Teacher allowance if they have been through the ISTAA process.
- Existing Band 3 teachers and Senior Teacher 1 teachers will be entitled to receive both the Accomplished Teacher allowance and a leadership position allowance if they are in a leadership position when the new MEA commences. They will retain this right if they move to another school under the MEA in the future. Teachers employed after 1 January will receive both the Accomplished Teacher allowance and a leadership allowance only if they have been through the ISTAA process and hold a Leadership position Level 1 or 2.
These improvements will be particularly beneficial for teachers with four or more years’ experience at Proficient, teachers who have been deemed Band 3 under the previous MEAs, and Band 3 teachers in leadership positions.
The union has also ensured that teachers at registered special schools who are teaching classes of students with a disability will still receive the special education allowance. The MEA will include a list of schools to which this applies. Newly employed teachers will also receive the allowance, and it will be increased throughout the life of the MEA.
Workload transparency
All employers will now have to be transparent about key aspects of the teacher workload required at their school. Employers will need to advise teachers on engagement and from time to time about:
- the usual number of face-to-face teaching hours per week or per cycle for a full-time teacher
- general requirements in relation to extra-curricular activities, and
- release time provided for teachers in Level 1 and Level 2 leadership positions.
The letter of appointment for part-time teachers must include their proportion of a full-time teaching load.
This is a historic win that was fiercely resisted by schools until the very last minute. It is a first step in achieving greater transparency about workload.
NSW professional and operational staff
The union and the AIS have developed a new, more workable classification structure for the NSW PAOS MEA, with the new agreement establishing a common competency framework across all occupational groups.
Pay increases will vary depending on the employee’s current role and classification level, but all staff will receive at least 4% in 2025, with some receiving more than 15%.
Pay rates will increase by 4.5% in 2026 and 4% in 2027, except for school assistants, who will receive a 5% increase in both 2026 and 2027.
Agreement coverage has been extended to instructional services employees and senior administrative positions.
ACT professional and operational staff
The ACT PAOS MEA classification structure is largely unchanged. All staff will receive a pay rise of at least 3% in 2025, with preschools and childcare centre employees receiving higher increases. Pay rates will increase by 4.5 % in 2026 and 4% in 2027
Better conditions
The union has achieved significant improvements in paid parental leave that will apply from the commencement of the new MEAs:
- Paid parental leave will count as service for the purposes of salary progression and accrual of leave.
- Male employees can now be the initial primary care-giver immediately after birth or adoption.
- An employee who is not the primary care-giver is entitled to two weeks of paid parental leave at the time of birth or adoption. If that person becomes the primary care-giver within 12 months of the birth or adoption, they will now be entitled to an additional 12 weeks’ paid parental leave.
- Employers have dropped the proposed reduction in personal/carer’s leave for teachers (the removal of the 15 days on commencement). Employers also dropped the proposal that workload requirements during non-term time be specified in the MEA.
Next steps
The AIS has informed the union that information about the MEAs and the voting process will be circulated to employees from 6 February.
All employees covered by the MEAs are entitled to vote, and we expect voting to occur in late February. As part of the settlement, it has been agreed that all pay increases will be back-dated to the first pay period after 1 February.
These considerable wins have only been possible because of your support and action in spreading the word about our campaign. Members are the union.