Consultative committees give teachers a voice

Included in the IEU’s claim for Catholic systemic teachers for 2017 is a proposal that dioceses establish consultative committees in each school if desired by staff.

These committees would be part of the Union’s strategy to combat problems relating to workload.

It is suggested the committees could review the workload of staff in a school and identify means to tackle it if excessive.

Such committees are already up and running in Victorian Catholic schools.

IEU Rep Mick Wright is perfectly positioned to make a judgement call on these committees, as he has been an IEU Rep in both NSW and Victoria.

Currently teaching at Saint Ignatius College, Drysdale in Geelong, he was formerly a teacher at St John’s College, Woodlawn in NSW.

Mick returned to teaching in Victoria in 2008 and was appointed as staff representative on the consultative committee in 2010.

Mick said the committee works at his school, and it does not clash with the IEU’s processes already in place.

I would recommend NSW to take up this model as it has been positive for us. It gives staff more ownership of decisions regarding their day to day work loads and morale has been enhanced.

The committee works because staff and the school leadership respect the committee process and believe in it as a body with integrity.

Making sure the committee has a fair share of IEU members represented helps, Mick said. The Victoria agreement specifies the committee has a staff representative, two IEU representatives, the principal and two principal nominations.

Mick’s committee has two IEU members on board, plus Mick, who is on the committee as a staff representative not an IEU Rep, even though he is IEU Rep at the school.

The principal and two reps from the leadership are also on the committee.

Mick said his school’s committee reflects the intent included in the enterprise agreement when the committees were proposed: that staff job satisfaction is enhanced when staff are given a voice in relation to work loads.

Mick said staff have faith in the committee because it has become effective and gets results.

It does not clash with chapter meetings and IEU issues at the school – they are dealt with as they always were prior to committee. Mick said he would not take issues people come to him with in his capacity as IEU Rep to committee, rather the committee deals with school wide workload issues.

His committee generally meets once a term unless there is an urgent issue.

The principal is obliged to provide a written reason if he does not follow through on any decisions agreed to by the committee or if he uses his authority to carry a motion that does not a full majority – for instance in the event there is a 3 – 3 vote on a particular proposal.

The minutes of the meetings are published and often circulated to all staff.

Every three years the committee reviews the ‘Positions of Leadership’ structure and can recommend new allowances, time release or different positions.

“I would recommend NSW to take up this model as it has been positive for us. It gives staff more ownership of decisions regarding their day to day work loads and morale has been enhanced.

“It also increases the comradeship felt by the staff, as they get to have a greater voice on matters such as meetings, POL’s and other workload issues.”

Sue Osborne
Journalist