Dot Seamer is known by so many in her various roles in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese. School secretary at the Holy Spirit Infants School, she has been working in Abermain for 10 years and an IEU member all of that time.
Now an IEU Council representative, Dot attended her first Council meeting in March this year. She has been an active and keen IEU Rep in the last two years and attended various women’s forums and the Support Staff conference.
“I have a keen interest in all things on behalf of school support staff, I particularly would like to see support staff have long service leave on par with teachers. I’m very pleased that at my school, all support staff are members of the IEU. I’ve been seconded to the CSO for Term 1 so I haven’t been able to check on the membership of our new teachers but if they’re not I’ll look forward to talking with them and offering membership forms,” Dot said.
Having observed closely what makes school staff join the Union, Dot is firmly of the belief that IEU member density can be increased in schools and in the region. She says it can be done by creating special days to attract support and operational staff to meetings where they can hear and share useful information and problem solve. If staff can see positive action and positive outcomes through IEU activity then we get more and more members, “it’s as simple as that!”
“I’m so pleased to be able to contribute to IEU Council now. I know I’m a very positive person and I’m really looking forward to representing support staff collectively and doing as much as we all can to recruit, be active and solve problems in the interest of all members.”