Spotlight on reps

We talk to IEU reps about how they build a strong IEU chapter in their school. Strong chapters make for a strong union and therefore greater bargaining power when we negotiate for your pay and conditions.

Adele Sutton

Sydney Catholic Schools

As an instrumental music tutor in the Amadeus program, Adele Sutton works for Sydney Catholic Schools and the Archdiocese of Sydney. She’s the union’s rep for the Amadeus program, a new and growing chapter.

Adele studied at the Conservatorium of Music and teaches woodwind instruments to students in Catholic schools in Sydney. “I just am passionate about music and teaching students,” she said.

Adele joined the IEU over two years ago and was one of the first members of the union from the Amadeus program. Adele’s partner, a union lawyer, encouraged her to be a part of the IEU. “He was kind of like, ‘you know, you’ve got to join’,” she said.

But her partner wasn’t the only reason she signed up. A rep at a school she was working at told her and other Amadeus tutors the IEU was for them too, something she hadn’t previously known.

A lot of Amadeus tutors “don’t realise that they can actually join the union”, said Adele. “They think it’s not for them, it’s for the class teachers and for the school staff, they don’t realise as head office employees that they can actually join the union as well.”

“The union is there to help them and support them and that is how our conditions will improve if we have better membership and better representation.”

As a rep, her primary goal right now is growing her chapter. She wants other Amadeus tutors to know that “the union is there to help them and support them and that is how our conditions will improve if we have better membership and better representation”.

Recruiting other tutors can be challenging because she works in different schools and doesn’t see or meet her colleagues regularly. To Adele, it’s about spreading the word to as many people as she can and “hoping that they will also spread the word” so it becomes a chain reaction.

Christopher Modini

St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School, Marrickville

Christoper Modini’s parents inspired him to become a teacher and a union member. “Both my parents are educators,” Christopher said. “So, they’ve taught me so much about being a teacher and they were the major driver behind me actually joining the union, showing all the benefits.”

Christopher wants to pass on the knowledge his parents instilled in him to other members and prospective members. “I hope to increase the members at our school, we do have quite a young cohort of people coming in. They don’t really understand what the union can offer them.”

Christopher has been teaching for six years and, as a young rep, he still feels like he’s learning. “But I’m enjoying the challenges,” he said.

Christopher became a rep over two years ago at a critical time — he was able to play a role in the Hear Our Voice campaign of 2022. It was “a big step up” for Christopher, who feels fortunate to have had that leadership opportunity.

He knew he was ready to take on the challenge and had supportive fellow unionists encouraging him and letting him know he was doing the right thing. “They were always there to help me if I needed.”

Christopher enjoyed attending a reps training day earlier in the year, and he felt a strong sense of camaraderie. He didn’t know what to expect but came out feeling like “we’re all on the same journey”.

No matter where reps come from or what stage they’re at in their career, everyone always has more to learn and “all of us have that desire, that passion to share our knowledge with everyone,” he said. “And it’s nice to see that everyone really is collegial about it.”