The IEU and Catholic Schools Broken Bay (CSBB) have, over the past four months, been negotiating a new enterprise agreement (EA) for teachers and support staff in about 45 schools.
This new EA would replace the one-year agreement negotiated in 2023 that saw teachers and support staff gain historic pay increases, with members in this diocese paid more than those in the other dioceses across NSW and the ACT.
Release time
During the last round of bargaining, teachers in Broken Bay also secured release time, known as “collaborative coaching time” of one hour per week per teacher. This has not been secured in other dioceses.
As negotiations commenced and as CSBB advised staff about its strategic direction, members were understandably concerned with some of their employer’s proposals that appeared to remove safeguards around workloads.
These concerns were justified when CSBB suggested removing release for Year 12 teachers in term four and deleting any reference to the 10-hour per term limit on meeting times.
CSBB also proposed reducing release time for teacher librarians from a ratio of 3:1 to 5:1.
Time to vote
The union has now reached a position where we can recommend a YES vote to our members employed in the 45 schools of the Broken Bay Diocese. This recommendation is based on the following positive outcomes:
- Members have gained pay increases of 13% over four years, meaning Broken Bay teachers and support staff are the highest paid in the nation among Catholic systemic and government schools.
- Members will receive pay rises of 3.5%, 3.5%, 3% and 3% over the next four years (excluding the increase in superannuation); the pay rises take effect from 1 October each year, with the first being backdated to 1 October 2024.
- By 1 October 2025, teachers’ pay will be 2.5% above NSW government schools and other Catholic systemic rates, and support staff pay will be markedly above the corresponding rates in government schools.
- The pay protection clause guarantees that teacher pay rates will remain above those in NSW government schools by at least 1.5%.
- Safeguards have been retained around working conditions such as the release for Year 12 teachers and reference to the 10-hour per term limit on meeting times.
- Significant improvements to parental leave entitlements.
- Additional in-class support for kindergarten teachers.
- Additional staff development (pupil-free) days.
- An allowance of $100 per night for teachers for overnight camps.
All of these improvements will be communicated to members via email as we recommend a YES vote. At the same time, it is only fair and proper to acknowledge that many of our claims were not achieved.
Work intensification
In developing the IEU claim, members in the Broken Bay Diocese responded in considerable numbers to the union’s survey on workload intensification. Top responses included the need to reduce class sizes and provide teachers with more release from face-to-face teaching time, as well as support for working with students with diverse needs.
Increased call support for large class sizes in kindergarten, while welcome, is no substitute for smaller class sizes where teachers can give appropriate attention to all students, including those with special learning needs. Regrettably, the diocese refused to countenance any reduction in class sizes.
Similarly, the diocese refused to provide improved weekly scheduled release from face-to-face time for teachers. The diocese claimed collaborative coaching time and pupil-free days currently exceed release entitlements in both government schools and schools in other Catholic dioceses.
We were disappointed not to win ceremonial leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff when such leave is now an entitlement under some other Catholic systemic school EAs.
Still stronger together
Notwithstanding these challenges, the proposed EA strengthens the union’s role, allowing for greater collaboration with CSBB to hold them accountable on key issues such as workload concerns; student behaviour management; accommodating diverse learning needs; and workplace safety. Of course, these issues are often inter-related.
We will rise to these challenges through working collectively and by having strong and active IEU chapters in each of the diocese’s 45 schools.
At the time of writing, the voting period for the new EA was scheduled for 10 to 12 December. We will advise members of the voting outcome as it comes to hand. The union acknowledges our reps and members who have participated in the process, including in the IEU’s survey and through union meetings.
Wishing all members a happy and well-deserved summer holiday break.