Newsmonth #4 June 2020

The newspaper of the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch (vol 40 #4) June 2020 PP 100000871 ISSN No: 0728-4845

BREAKTHROUGH IN PAY NEGOTIATIONS WITH CATHOLIC SYSTEMIC AND CATHOLIC INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS “To be able to take a matter to the Fair Work Commission ‘umpire’ is a basic right and should not be denied.”

As we go to press the Diocesan Directors have indicated to their employees that a pay offer is ‘on the table’. This response has long been sought by the union.

The quantum – 2.5% from January 2020 in NSW for teachers, support staff and principals, followed by 2.28% in January 2021. In the ACT the outcome will be a 3% increase from July 2020 for teachers.

This outcome in a complex, hopefully post-COVID, environment has not been generated in a vacuum.

Member and chapter action across NSW and the ACT has driven this outcome.

Within a brief period of three weeks, IEU members signalled their discontent by endorsing the call for bargaining to resume, to ensure pay parity and to finalise outstanding matters.

Catholic independent schools are considering the same pay offer but members are dismayed that the right to arbitrate a dispute is not yet available as a dispute resolution mechanism. To be able to take a matter to the Fair Work Commission ‘umpire’ is a basic right and should not be denied.

Catholic systemic schools, as well as a multitude of other Catholic aged care

facilities and hospitals, enjoy the capacity for a matter to be resolved by the Fair Work Commission.

Mark Northam Branch Secretary

BLACK LIVES MATTER

– UNION IN SOLIDARITY The IEUA stands in solidarity with First Nations communities and People of Colour and their allies rallying for justice.

Racism and inequality are union issues; they permeate our workplaces as well as our communities. There is no room for these attitudes and behaviours in the union movement, in schools or any other part of society.

We acknowledge that Australia was built on stolen lands through violence and dispossession against our First Nations people and there are ongoing systemic inequalities that must be dismantled.

We have a part to play in this as an ally to First Nations communities and People of Colour. Our union fights for dignity, respect and decency, social justice and for the power of the collective at all levels. Black Lives Matter.

See our interview with Thomas Mayor, Torres Strait Islander, author, wharfie, and Deputy Branch Secretary of the MUA's Northern Territory branch, page 14

(vol 40 #4) June 2020

Contents

News

1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15

Features 6, 14, 16

Reports 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 17

Member stories 2, 3, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19

International 12, 13

Member benefits 9, 18

Letters to the editor 18 Newsmonth is published eight times a year (two issues per term) by the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch Executive Editor: Mark Northam, Secretary for and on behalf of the IEU Executive and members Managing Editor: Bronwyn Ridgway Journalist: Monica Crouch Graphic Design: Chris Ruddle Online Journalist and Photographer: Angus Hoy Contributions and letters from members are welcome. These do not reflect endorsement if printed, and may be edited for size and style at the Editor's discretion. They should be forwarded to: Newsmonth 485-501 Wattle Street ULTIMO NSW 2007 GPO Box 116 SYDNEY NSW 2001 Tel: 8202 8900 Toll free: 1800 467 943 Email: ieu@ieu.asn.au www.ieu.asn.au facebook.com/ieunswact twitter.com/#!/IEUNSWACT Instagram.com/ieunswact This publication was produced on the unceded lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

The Independent Education Union NSW/ACT acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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In early learning, Nicci worked to maintain connections Niccole McDowell, or Nicci, is an early childhood teacher, early years learning advocate, and recently appointed Director of the community based Kurri Kurri Preschool in the Hunter Valley. Nicci has been a teacher at the preschool for the last ten years and stepped into the role of director in October 2019.

Prior to working at Kurri Kurri, she spent time teaching in NSW public schools before moving to England to work with disadvantaged communities and refugee families in inner-city London schools.

Preparing for pandemic Nicci says her experience as a new director, thrown straight into the deep end managing the local community impacts of the bushfires, helped prepare her and her preschool for the pandemic that was to come.

“We had to think fast,” said Nicci.

“We had to draw on our emergency planning, to have contact with emergency authorities and think very quickly day to day.”

Returning from the Christmas break, Nicci and the team had developed clear curriculum directions for how they were going to talk about the traumatic implications of the fires, what it meant for the country and the impact of that devastation.

“Then, obviously, the coronavirus came along and our curriculum direction had to change again really quickly.

“We wrote a social story, because we know young children respond well when we use their own language. We started talking about what they knew already, what they’d heard in the media and at home.

“And then all of a sudden we weren’t at preschool.”

Most families were already connected with the preschool through social media, proven an effective communication tool during the bushfires. Rather than adding to the burden of already stressed families by introducing another new communication method, they pivoted to a virtual classroom powered by Facebook.

“We knew that our families were familiar with that and we knew that it had worked in the past…. We didn’t introduce an app or some new process that they had to get their head around.”

After securing privacy and communicating expectations for the online classroom, to ensure families understood the preschool continued to operate professionally, the next big task was developing an ‘online learning framework’. Based around existing regulation frameworks, like the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard, they built strategies that were relevant for an online classroom, interwoven with the code of ethics set out in the Early Childhood Australia statement on young children and digital technologies.

With that in place, staff were rostered onto the virtual classroom, as if rostered to one onsite. The rostered teams provided provisions for playing and learning at home, uploaded links to video content, as well as host periodic Facebook Live sessions.

“We would go Live at different times through the week so that children could see us, and the parents could facilitate communication between us and them. Families also then had the opportunity to upload the play and learning that was happening at home for us to see.

“Maintaining connections was our main thing.”

“We have a wonderful team here … we needed to really step outside of our comfort zone and do our job differently.”

The big shift Nicci said her primary concern, alongside obvious community health and safety issues, was the impact that a pandemic was going to have on the lives of our young children.

“Some children only get one year at preschool, so I was worried about the impact of not being able to access our program because it’s so important for their development in those early years.”

It was obvious that the pandemic was going to have a major impact on how the team worked.

“We have a wonderful team here… we needed to really step outside our comfort zone and do our job differently.”

They quickly assembled a comprehensive risk assessment, putting children at the centre of their plans, as well as the staff, and implemented clear guidelines especially around hygiene and cleaning.

“Even though we had to work a little bit harder, and we had to work differently, I think the staff had peace of mind that we were drawing information from authorised agencies and we turned that information into strategies to keep ourselves and the children safe.”

Maintaining connections While the preschool remained open for essential worker families, over 90 per cent of children were now playing and learning at home.

Advocating for support As a community based preschool, there was a lot of uncertainty around what funding support was going to look like.

“It took a lot of advocacy. Personally, as the director of the preschool, I made contact with a lot of members of government, our local member, state and federal.”

Nicci says a lot of people, including even the federal member, didn’t realise that the federal government’s free childcare announcement wouldn’t include community based preschools. She has been continuing conversations with families and key members of the community about that lack of understanding and knowledge about what early years education can look like.

“What happens in those first 1000 days of a child’s life really impacts the trajectory of their learning.

“I worry that things will just go back to the way they were. In such a short amount of time some really big issues had to be understood, and some huge ethical understandings have to be put forward to shift that conversation from childcare to early education and care.”

Angus Hoy Journalist

Andrew reflects on the shift online Andrew says his big takeaway from this period of time has been that technology is often not addressed by schools, until it’s a problem.

Andrew Cornwall is HSIE and Learning Technology Coordinator at St Bede’s Catholic College in the Hunter Valley. As Learning Technology Coordinator, Andrew’s role has been to coordinate how the school has rolled out technology and build a culture around effective use of technology for teaching and learning, placing him squarely in the centre of the dramatic unfolding of online remote learning.

Prior to joining St Bede’s in 2018 as one of the foundation staff members, Andrew was an Education Officer for Learning Technology in the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office, and is a Highly Accomplished Lead Teacher and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.

Hazy memories When asked to recall the atmosphere in the school when the realities of the scope of the pandemic became apparent, Andrew laughed.

“I had a bit of an accident right on the announcement that the school was going to go remote, and I ended up with a pretty serious concussion and a half dozen stitches in my head. So my recollections are somewhat vague for that 24 or 48 hours,” he said.

“When our staff gathered to go through what needed to happen to prepare, I was there with a bandage wrapped around my head and my face looking pretty awful and swollen, trying to make sure all the staff were ready to go for remote learning.”

He said that there were understandable anxieties being felt by staff, and that was felt by colleagues in other schools.

But while the health concerns were being felt universally, at St Bede’s they felt equipped with the technology tools necessary to move forward effectively.

Shifting online St Bede’s is one of the few schools in the region with a policy of bringing your own specified device, a decision Andrew thanks his principal for supporting. This meant that students were all working off a standardised laptop, enabling teachers to confidently and effectively plan programs and activities. This enabled the use of the full suite of tools available in Microsoft Teams, including: video calls, quizzes, short video question and answer submissions and other rich media tasks. This is compared to other schools where they couldn’t necessarily rely on the technology and sometimes were required to plan activities for the lowest common denominator.

With the worst of the pandemic now hopefully behind us, Andrew is enthused by the prospect of interrogating some of the rich data and information that has come from this technology experiment. One trend was that a number of students who previously struggled with their learning suddenly seemed to find their feet in an online learning environment.

“This may be because we were able to personalise their learning really effectively in a digital format, or simply just

the removal of the distractions and anxieties associated with classrooms really supported their learning.”

What they also found was a small percentage of students who, whether it was due to issues at home or otherwise, found it difficult to remain engaged with learning. This raised questions for teachers about those students and their learning when back in the classroom.

“Is this something we need to investigate? Is it just presentee-ism? That speaks to what we’re hearing around student voice and engagement in the broader educational dialogue.

Reflecting on the change Andrew says his big takeaway from this period of time has been that technology is often not addressed by schools, until it’s a problem.

“One of the things I’m always trying to focus on is building capacity, so that when things happen, we’re ready for these kinds of eventualities.

“We were able to be really agile going into and coming out of this period because we did nothing that we weren’t already doing; we just changed the nature of how we were doing it. And that required a lot of early training.

“Day in and day out many schools deal with the challenges of getting people up to speed with technology.

If it’s just the way you do things, it’s surprising just how effective it can be.”

Members become proactive and more involved Dana Patterson has been teaching in Catholic education for almost 35 years and has been a member of the IEU “since day dot”. Dana was made union rep at La Salle Catholic College in Bankstown, last year after working at the school for the last 14 years.

Dana’s chapter has around 58 IEU members now, all of whom she reports as wanting to be very proactive and involved, helping them become a close-knit chapter that communicates well. These characteristics became even more important when the coronavirus pandemic arrived.

“I think I’ve been pretty proactive and very much present for my members at my school,” Dana said.

“I think that’s been shown in the way that people feel very comfortable being part of the union and participating in chapter meetings, and also feeling able to approach me on their own individual basis.”

Navigating uncertainties of pandemic Trust and communication were vital for this chapter as they navigated the uncertainties and anxieties presented by the pandemic. At the height of the uncertainties, Dana organised an online video conference chapter meeting to be held over Zoom. This meeting was

attended all 58 union members – a fantastic achievement in its own right – as well as the chapter’s IEU organiser.

“That meeting was very much content driven,” said Dana.

“It was all about communication and people just wanting their questions and concerns answered.”

To that end, in the week prior to the meeting, Dana had sent around a Google Doc to all of the chapter members, who were encouraged to write down any questions, comments or concerns they may have been experiencing. It was this document that then provided the basis and structure for the chapter meeting.

“It was an opportunity for members to remain anonymous if they wished, but still have the chance to write down questions that they knew would be presented at the chapter meeting and which would be answered for them.

“So with James (IEU Organiser) we looked at a lot of health and safety issues, we looked at teachers at risk and families at risk, pregnant wives and elderly parents living with them. It was a really broad spectrum, but still really quite detailed and open to covering a great range of issues.

Members get questions answered “I think union members could walk away feeling like I’ve had a lot of questions answered, a lot of things now make sense as far as what the union has to say on the matter as compared to what Sydney Catholic Schools have to say, and see if there is any conflict with what the union is saying… it really cleared up a lot of things and put a lot of people’s minds at rest.”

After the meeting, Dana brought any remaining unresolved issues to the attention of the principal, who she says

“We have been really upfront and proactive in doing that, and I think that has made the staff feel that they are being really well supported.”

she has developed a very good working relationship with.

“He was really responsive to the claims and issues raised in the meeting. He’s been pretty incredible during this period “He’s been really respectful of me, knowing that I’m working closely with the union members and together we’re just trying to keep a nice calm environment, while keeping everyone very well informed.”

Dana said that, despite the anxieties and disruptions that have come about during this intense period of time and transitioning to online remote learning, is that members in her chapter have been given plenty of opportunities to express their concerns and raise questions and receive adequate responses.

“We have been really upfront and proactive in doing that, and I think that has made the staff feel that they are being really well supported.

“Obviously that’s through me initially, as the union rep, but also we sort things out with Mick (the principal) and I working together, and keeping those lines of communication really open.”

Angus Hoy Journalist

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Gender equity and your workplace independent school, it showed that there are 220 employees with a gender composition of 62 per cent female and 38 per cent male. Twenty per cent of employees were part time and no part time staff gained any promotion positions.

Pam Smith Assistant Secretary

Catholic dioceses, other education systems, and independent schools with over 100 staff report each year to the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency, with this year’s reporting deadline extended until the end of July because of COVID-19.

Under the provisions of the Workplace Gender Equality Act, these employer reports should either be forwarded to the IEU as a relevant union or the union formally advised that the report has been lodged with WGEA.

Reports are a valuable resource The reports to WGEA are a valuable source of information for IEU members as they include statistical information about the employer or workplace, such as the percentages of female and male staff and access to flexible arrangements such as part time and job share positions.

For example, in a recent report received by the IEU from an

The reports to WGEA also indicate whether there are policies (or not) in regard to key gender areas or if these are ‘under development.’ These areas include: • selection, appointment and promotion processes • pay equity/gender pay gap • access to flexible working arrangements for parents and carers • policies and practices to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace • support for staff who may be experiencing domestic or family violence • processes in place to consult with staff and their union.

Focus on flexible work arrangements In 2012 the legislation was changed to become the Workplace Gender Equality Act with a focus on ensuring that,

for example, both women and men have access to parental leave provisions and to flexible work arrangements as parents and carers.

The practical implications of this equity language are significant and part of the IEU’s current claim for the next MEA for independent schools is to seek paid parental leave (rather than maternity leave) for the primary care giver. This provision already exists in the Catholic sector so that the 14 weeks paid parental leave can be paid to the primary carer of the baby who in some circumstances may be the father or a parent other than the birth mother.

IEU members in Catholic and independent schools and other workplaces have a right to be informed about their employer’s report to WGEA and to raise any issues or concerns directly with the employer and/or with the union.

These reports are also placed in due course on the WGEA website at www.wgea.gov.au Pam Smith Assistant Secretary

Brave new world of Sydney Catholic Schools Liam Griffiths Assistant Secretary

For more that 12 months Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) has been undertaking an extensive review and planned restructuring of services provided to schools within the Archdiocese of Sydney which compromises some 150 primary and secondary schools.

Restructured model not without controversy A new organisational structure for SCS has recently been determined and announced by its authorities. A fundamental element of this restructured model is the removal of the three regional office model (Eastern; Inner 4

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West and Southern Regions) with their own appointed educational, leadership and administrative staff to a model compromising a revamped central office supporting 13 education networks or precincts. This proposal which is now in implementation phase is not without controversy or pain for employees of SCS. Initially this transformation was to occur for 2021 but the timetable for the new organisational structure has been fast tracked to commence from July this year.

All 400 plus current staff employed within the SCS offices including staff holding educational positions attached to the regions have been involved in meetings with senior personnel to discuss employment options and opportunities available within the revised structure going forward.

A number of current staff will move into newly created similar roles, be redeployed

into school based positions of leadership and teaching, opt to take redundancy where no appropriate new position exists or seek other employment possibilities.

Union actively assisting members There is considerable upheaval and anxiety for members caused by this massive restructuring given the levels of uncertainty created for the future of many staff members. The union has been actively assisting members to manage their interactions with senior SCS personnel, providing advice and advocacy on their behalf while trying to fully comprehend the nature and scope of change envisaged across the organisation of SCS which has created a significant number of new roles and positions, reimagined many other roles and abolished a large number of existing positions.

It is unknown the extent of redundancies that will occur and it is anticipated that more than 90 persons will be redeployed to school based positions for next year. IEU members are rightly worried about prospects for their future employment and continue to seek advice and support of the union.

Staffing and functions remain a mystery Further, the establishment, staffing and functions of the newly created 13 networks of schools remains a mystery with little detail available as to the scope and nature of their operations and responsibilities.

This appears to have been delayed until some time next year. IEU members should continue to liaise with their IEU organiser for advice, assistance and support during this process of restructuring of SCS. Liam Griffiths Assistant Secretary

Industrial news – federal and state Mark Northam

trust that progress is measured by more Australian's enjoying secure work as the nation transitions from the COVID-19 crisis.

Ensuring Integrity bill canned At a national level, negotiations have resulted in the Ensuring Integrity bill being withdrawn from the legislative agenda.

This is a considerable step forward in terms of industrial relations; the Ensuring Integrity bill was a thinly veiled attack on unions. Its harshest elements included a threat to freedom of association and the deployment of an approach to catch unions out on minor and technical contraventions.

Unions under this vision could be deregistered at a whim. An opportunity now exists to adjust the balance.

Australians understand and value the notion of workers having a legitimate voice in the workplace. Australians are accepting of a balanced industrial relations system.

The Secretary of the ACTU, Sally McManus has reached out to the Federal Government to be a partner “in good faith”. The partnership will involve seeking consensus on workplace relations reform.

The basis of the broader union movements’ involvement is twofold; enhancing and extending secure work provisions and ensuring the nation’s wealth is distributed fairly. Five working groups will focus on industrial awards, enterprise agreements, casual employment, compliance and enterprise agreements for ‘greenfields’ projects.

The time frame attached to the process is comparatively brief, by September this year.

IEU members welcome the initiative and

NSW Government pay freeze The NSW Government has decided to not utilise a ‘consensus’ approach to industrial relations as we hopefully exit the pandemic.

Rather the Berejiklian government sought to impose a wage ‘freeze’.

IEU members’ salaries and wages are inextricably linked to public service outcomes. Put simply, the adage of the NSW Catholic Bishops’ Conference (for many years) has been “Never before and not a cent more” for IEU members in Catholic systemic schools. When public servant salaries and wages are impacted negatively, the outcome is a negative for all workers.

The current impasse in NSW industrial relations has been generated by the NSW Government seeking to impose a 12 month freeze on public servants. The union understands if an industrial agreement has been signed off it will be honoured. Upon expiry however the 12 month freeze will be put in place. This decision would have far reaching consequences.

The opposition and cross-benchers have ensured defeat of the proposal in the NSW Upper House.

While the matter will now play out in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission, the rejection of a pay freeze in the NSW Upper House was profound.

We need to be ever vigilant and prepared in this changing industrial environment if we are to secure the best industrial outcomes for teachers and support staff in NSW and ACT.

Secretary

Teachers backing nurses: IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Mark Northam and Deputy Carol Matthews with NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association General Secretary Brett Holmes, at a nurses’ rally outside NSW Parliament House, protesting against the Berejiklian government’s announcement about a pay freeze.

Catholic independent schools – NOT THERE YET

Carol Matthews Deputy Secretary

The union is currently in negotiations with the Catholic Commission for Employment Relations (CCER) for new enterprise agreements (EAs) for teachers and support staff in about 30 Catholic independent schools. The current EAs expired at the end of 2019 so, like the Catholic systemic schools, a pay rise has been due since the beginning of 2020.

Employer proposal The employers wrote to the union on 1 June to confirm their position and met with the union on 11 June.

They have offered a two-year EA with pay increases of 2.5% in 2020 and 2.28% in 2021 (reflecting the State Government increases for teachers). They have also offered some improvements in the teacher classification structure, which would assist teachers moving from interstate or overseas or who have experience as a NESA accredited early childhood teacher.

What they left out CCER did not agree to many of the union’s claims. Schools have argued that they are under cost constraints at the moment because of fee waivers to parents. However, even items of low or minimal cost have been rejected.

The union strongly put to CCER at our meeting on 11 June that schools need to reconsider, at a minimum, our claims for: • guaranteed support for early career teachers and their mentors or supervisors

• changes to teacher classifications to match provisions in government schools (that is, for limited recognition of unpaid parental leave and child rearing as teaching service) • emergency disaster leave of five days per annum • cultural and ceremonial leave • a disputes procedure clause in the EA permitting the Fair Work Commission to arbitrate a dispute when the dispute is unable to be resolved at school level or by mediation.

Simply saying ‘no’ to provisions already agreed to by other Catholic employers, or to provisions that make sense and come at no cost, is unacceptable.

We will again pursue other claims, such as additional pay rises and improved long service leave for support staff, in the next round of bargaining in 2021.

Arbitration of disputes Up until 2017, the right of employees and the union to refer disputes to a tribunal for arbitration (or a binding resolution) had been assumed to apply to all of our enterprise agreements. The current Catholic Independent

School Multi-Enterprise Agreements were made in early 2017 before CCER challenged the existence of the right to arbitration under another of our EAs. At the end of 2017, following extensive industrial action by members in Catholic systemic schools, CCER agreed with the IEU to restore this fundamental workplace right for employees in Catholic systemic schools.

Similar dispute provisions explicitly providing for arbitration by the Fair Work Commission were agreed for Catholic independent schools in the ACT in 2018. Catholic independent schools, including Edmund Rice and Marist Brothers schools in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania also have similar provisions in their agreements.

CCER representatives have stated that only some NSW Catholic independent schools oppose this right but CCER is opposing it on behalf of all Catholic independent schools.

Next steps Voting on the EAs has been foreshadowed for early in Term 3. CCER will provide draft EAs to the union for comment in the week commencing 22 June. Another meeting is proposed for the week commencing 29 June.

The union has urged CCER to resolve the arbitration issue and engage more constructively with the union’s claims.

Simply saying “no” to provisions already agreed to by other Catholic employers, or to provisions that make sense and come at no cost, is unacceptable.

Members in the 30 schools are currently meeting and voting on the chapter motion that has been circulated. We encourage the IEU chapter committee in each school to meet and discuss these issues with the school principal. newsmonth - Vol 40 #4 2020

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The incredibles I hope by now life is heading towards normal both in your home, school, centre or college. It has been a whirlwind of new experiences, new learning and certainly huge disruption to life in general. However, we are now moving into the next phase and looking to the future.

I would particularly like to focus on the ‘incredibles’ in all of our workplaces – our support staff. Where would we be without them? They do an amazing job each and every day in so many roles in our workplaces, in the front office, behind the scenes, in the canteen; they are the laboratory assistants, the TAS assistants, the library assistants, the maintenance and

groundsmen and women, and last but not least our support staff assistants in the classroom.

These wonderful people are there every day doing what they do best and always with a smile. If it needs fixing, cleaning, copying, building, typing, collecting, collating, washing, cooking, preparing, answering, paying, mending, comforting, assisting, cataloging, greeting and supporting then these are the people that do these tasks every single day. World Support Staff Day was officially 16 May when we are able to acknowledge and thank these wonderful people who play a very important role every day in the schools.

A common thread across all speakers was the disproportionate and adverse impact the crisis is having on support staff, highlighting their already vulnerable status within education.

Support staff (known internationally as educational support personnel) are crucial to well-functioning, safe schools and help to provide quality education.

However, the widespread closure of schools as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has meant many support staff jobs have been threatened or lost. Education unions around the world are working tirelessly to protect support staff jobs and to advocate for long lasting improvements to their employment conditions.

Educational International, the global federation of education unions from around the world, hosted an online meeting to recognise World Education Support Personnel Day 2020.

This meeting enabled union leaders around the world to share their experiences of defending support staff rights as well as share successful strategies and lessons learned. The aim was to make our movement stronger and better able to serve the support staff we represent.

It also provided an opportunity to celebrate the unsung heroes who make it possible for school students to have a good education and learn in safe environments and for teachers to work in safe environments.

The online meeting celebrated the important work support staff do and aimed to become a show of unity as support staff fight to ensure terms and conditions are upheld and improved in line with the important work they do.

Seven countries shared their stories, and the spotlight: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Spain, the United 6

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This year we were faced with the COVID-19 restrictions and the fact that so many staff members were working remotely from home and not able to have regular celebratory morning or afternoon teas, or other activities. Please don’t let this important celebration pass without letting these staff members know just how much you appreciate their work and contribution to staff, students and school communities. If you haven’t already, I suggest you hold a special morning tea or afternoon tea when things get back to normal. Support staff work and do so much often without being asked, during their lunch breaks, before and after school. They do things that are not in their

job descriptions and never complain.

Thank you one and all.

As the term rolls on and exams, marking and report writing are happening, remember that the holidays are just around the corner. The chance to leave the comfort of the family home and a chance to explore our state is awaiting. I wish you all a very restful break, time to visit friends and family, pick up that book that is waiting to be read, Netflix for a good movie or series, a good long walk in the bush or bike ride or just a chance to get out and enjoy the fresh air and hopefully sunshine.

Chris Wilkinson President

UNSUNG HEROES WORTHY OF SUPPORT States and Zimbabwe. Union leaders from around the world shared their experiences of defending the rights of support staff. These reports focused on how to make the movement stronger. Interpreters were provided, as were translations of written comments.

Adverse impact of coronavirus Data gathered through an Education International survey of member organisations reveals many support staff have experienced loss of pay, loss of jobs and loss of hours.

They are becoming one of the most vulnerable groups of workers within education around the world.

A common thread across all speakers was the disproportionate and adverse impact the crisis is having on support staff, highlighting their already vulnerable status within education. They have been subjected to stand

downs, terminations, loss of hours and have even been expected to keep working in risky situations, often without access to personal protective equipment or recourse

to work, health and safety provisions. They have been required to work in new ways and adapt with little training, support or recognition.

Rising to the occasion Stories from around the world also highlighted the dedication and professionalism many support staff have shown in meeting new demands and using both their skills and school resources to deliver social support to those in need within the broader community. Support staff have provided food, acted as community liaisons across sectors including aged care, set up technology hubs for access to remote teaching and learning, and developed and delivered learning resources so school could continue.

So far 2020 has been a different and difficult time for everyone around the world. People have been confined to their homes so groups and societies have had to connect through other means: working, learning and socialising mainly through the internet.

The importance of support staff all around the world is undeniable, especially over the past few months as school closures have rolled out across most countries. So many support staff have gone the extra mile to make life easier for teachers, students and children and their communities and families. They deserve our support in return.

Carolyn Moore Industrial Officer

PRESENTTENSE

English language sector struggles for survival Even with the JobKeeper program, the sector is finding it hard to see a way forward, but Australia’s success in containing the virus may provide a seed of hope.

The news about the coronavirus pandemic may be generally good in Australia, with daily new cases dropping to single digits in most states, but its longterm effects are still reverberating and the ELICOS sector is being hit particularly hard.

This is not surprising, given the industry is entirely reliant on the constant arrival of international students, but as long as the borders stay closed to non-citizens, it’s hard to see a way forward for many colleges.

JobKeeper has kept many colleges afloat in the short term, allowing them to keep many teachers on the books, despite having little or no real work available for them. Teachers, support staff and colleges have done a phenomenal job in rapidly moving all delivery to online mode, and some colleges have been able to sign up some students living overseas. But sooner rather than later, student numbers will start to dwindle, and the viability of many colleges will be called into question.

The IEU has sought briefings from many colleges, as well as English Australia, about how they see the road ahead. Most colleges are attempting to keep operating in the short term, but Kaplan International Languages has already advised it anticipates having only 18 students nationwide by August, while venerable institutions such as Sydney College of English have already closed their doors for good.

Several colleges have indicated an intention to 'hibernate' their operations, in the hope of restarting in several months when the borders reopen and something close to normal starts to return.

The Federal Government has made some effort to cushion the blow for many employers, not least through the JobKeeper program, as well as numerous tax breaks for smaller providers. However, the government is yet to commit to any broader relief package for the industry, and until support is forthcoming, most colleges will continue to struggle.

JobKeeper, while a welcome lifeline for many in the sector, has been uneven in its effects, and some employers have found the program’s requirements of the program onerous and cumbersome, particularly the requirement to pay employees first before seeking reimbursement from the government – cash flow concerns are front and centre.

In 2021 and beyond colleges could market Australia as a safe destination in which to study. Whether there will be enough colleges still around to take advantage of this is an open question.

There are emerging risks for employees, too, with recent suggestions that they may be required to repay any JobKeeper payments provided by employers later found to be ineligible for the program.

The Federal Government is also seeking to remake the industrial relations landscape in the wake of the pandemic, and to that end, it has convened a 'round table' of stakeholders, with the ACTU invited to join numerous business groups to see if there is any common

ground for changes to the industrial relations system.

While co-operation should always be encouraged, and union members can feel confident in the leadership of ACTU Secretary Sally McManus and President Michele O’Neil, the history of anti-union and anti-worker sentiment in the Liberal Party should give all union members pause for concern about what might come out of this.

Longer term there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. Australia has emerged as one of the 'good news' countries, with early restrictions and good social buy-in helping greatly to limit the spread of the virus.

Australia has avoided some of the horror that occurred in Europe, the United States, the UK and elsewhere.

This provides an opportunity in 2021 and beyond to market Australia as a 'safe' destination in which to study.

Whether there will be enough colleges still around to take advantage of this is an open question.

Union membership has never been more important, so do encourage your colleagues who are not already members to join the IEU. Your union is run for the benefit of members, but union rules limit what assistance can be given to new members, especially those with a problem that arose before they joined. There are several ways to join: over the phone: 8202 8900 email: membership@ieu.asn.au online: ieu.asn.au/join-page Union fees are tax deductible and there are many broader benefits of IEU membership: ieu.asn.au/member-benefits Encourage your colleagues to join today!

Kendall Warren Organiser

School cleaners save the day Schools welcome hygienists Every school can boost safety for teachers by accessing federal funding for soap, hand sanitiser and specialised cleaning.

The Diocese of Broken Bay has already employed 44 casual hygienists to work in all schools across the diocese. After undertaking training, they work four hours per day, during school hours, five days a week, carrying out extensive cleaning to eliminate the potential for a COVID-19 outbreak in schools.

On 14 May, the Federal Government offered funding to both the independent and Catholic school sectors to support COVID-19 hygiene measures. This funding was contingent upon schools planning to have at least half of their students back in the classroom by 1 June.

The funding could be used for “soap, hand sanitiser or extra cleaning”.

On 28 May, Education Minister Dan Tehan said that of the 2738 non

government schools throughout Australia, 96 per cent had signed up for their share of the $9.3 million on offer.

Some of the hygienists in Broken Bay are new casual employees, while others are existing employees who may have worked in the canteen or as after-hours cleaners in schools. Normal school cleaning will also continue.

Members and principals have reported that the measures taken by the Broken Bay diocese have made a substantial impact on staff and parents in schools. Members say they feel safe and valued, and they appreciate the measures undertaken by the diocese to ensure safe working environments during the pandemic.

They have been engaged until at least the end of Term 2.

“Members say they feel safe and valued, and they appreciate the measures undertaken to ensure safe working environments during the pandemic.”

Megan Bruce Oganiser

There is a group of people in our schools who usually go unrecognised and often unseen. They are our school cleaners.

During the recent bushfires, many of our school cleaning staff were asked to come in during the break to clean our schools. The soot and ash left a film over all surfaces, both inside and out. When wet, it was more like sludge. Yet, we all came back to clean schools.

Then, there were the floods. Schools again needed to be cleaned. Let’s not forget about the dust storms, which left dust in inaccessible places. After that, hailstorms!

More cleaning to be done.

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic. During all this time our cleaners have been working, week in week out, for they are deemed essential workers. No option to work from home for them. While we’re all feeling a bit weary from the anxiety of the year so far, our cleaners have worked through without a break.

Cleaners are the first line of defence in keeping our schools safe and the core element to the successful return of students and staff to schools. “Deep cleaning” has become a new phrase in their lives. Our school cleaners are responsible for disinfecting and scrubbing the areas and surfaces that can host the virus. In cleaning away dangerous germs they risk infection themselves. Yet they go unnoticed and receive little thanks for this.

Let’s offer our thanks – loudly and frequently – for all their work in keeping us safe.

And don’t go criticising them if a window ledge has a little dust on it!

Thank you alone is insufficient for our schools’ most undervalued and often underpaid workers. It’s time to show our gratitude to those we should value in our society and how we treat them.

Thank Your Cleaner Day - 21 October 2020 We cannot afford to become complacent, so please play your part by reminding each other about observing the 1.5 metres social distancing between adults.

Carolyn Collins Vice President Support Staff newsmonth - Vol 40 #4 2020

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State of early learning is ever changing but fails to reform

On Monday 8 June, in a public holiday surprise announcement, Federal Education and Early Learning Minister Dan Tehan announced the government’s intention to ‘snap back’ to the old childcare model, despite intense lobbying from employers, unions and parents. The concern is that this decision will leave the sector in a policy and funding vacuum, with the old model unfit to work in a post pandemic economy in the throes of deep economic recession.

Advocates from across the sector, including the IEU, have urged the government to sustain and expand the relief package that was announced on 2 April, to give the sector and government a chance to work together to redesign an early childhood education and care sector that will provide dividends to the Australian economy for years to come.

Numerous studies have shown, in a statistic that bears repeating, that for every $1 spent by government on early childhood education and care, the economy receives more than $2 in benefits in return. In this way, investing in early childhood education and care will boost Australian GDP, including through increased female workforce participation.

Most services are currently operating at significantly lower occupancy rates, with many operating at below the breaking even point. A survey of almost 1400 parents with young children conducted by The Parenthood showed that 44 percent of respondents had suffered a reduction of income due to the coronavirus, with 33 percent stating they would be forced to reduce days or remove their children from early

childhood when full fees return. Such a rate of withdrawals from centres will only result in further financial stress for the sector.

In the government’s announcement, the minister indicated a continued suspension of the parental activity test. This is in line with the union’s requests and is an important measure to ensure people on JobKeeper and JobSeeker are able to still access subsidised care.

The relief package, which acted as emergency life support for the sector, still fell short of the mark in many regards – with many families unable to access care, providers struggling to stay afloat and many staff without jobs.

However, to simply revert back to the old system because the replacement was also inadequate is not the answer.

During the lockdown, governments at all levels declared early childhood services essential services. Centres have remained open, with staff showing extraordinary commitment throughout this stressful and uncertain time to ensure health and other essential workers could continue in their roles protecting the community. Of additional concern is the government’s announced intention to cease JobKeeper payments for early childhood education and care workers, in lieu of a reduced transitional payment. Now is the time for the government to recognise the vital role that quality early childhood education plays.

There is no better time than now for governments at all levels, providers, and unions to come together to design and implement an early childhood education and care

system that is affordable and accessible, so that no child is left behind and the value of early childhood workers is properly recognised.

Negotiations to recommence for a new Goodstart agreement Despite the pandemic having a severe effect on their finances, Goodstart was able to ensure that all permanent staff were retained, as well as many long term casuals.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Goodstart held weekly briefings to keep us informed and asking for our input on what they were doing to assist their employees through this time.

Initial negotiations had started in February this year but were suspended during the pandemic lockdown.

Staff received an interim salary increase in February this year. While we will be negotiating now in a very different economic environment, we are hopeful that we will still be able to gain improvements in the working conditions of teachers and directors.

Early childhood agreements As we emerge from the shroud of the pandemic and centres start to look to the future, we are seeing a renewed interest in negotiating agreements. Should you like to discuss a new agreement for your service, please contact your union organiser, or Verena Heron verena@ieu.asn.au Verena Heron Senior Industrial Officer

IEUA NSW/ACT WOMEN’S CONFERENCE 2020

WORK, WELLBEING and the WAY FORWARD

has ce n re fe n co is th 9 -1 ID V O C to Due ns io ss se e n li n o to d e rr e sf n a tr n e be See https://www.ieu.asn.au/event-list 8

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Good humour and kind words appreciated

National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions:

Friend or foe Learning progressions are intended to be valuable teaching resources. But constant change without consultation only adds to workloads.

Educators are masters of change. As schools responded to the coronavirus pandemic, the switch from face-to-face teaching to remote learning and back again is ample evidence (if anyone needed it) of the flexibility, adaptability and professionalism of teachers.

Pandemics aside, the pace of change in education over the past decade or more has been relentless. Teachers are constantly expected to adopt new educational initiatives, often before they’ve finished properly implementing and evaluating the last batch.

There is no doubt that some change is worthwhile and supported by teachers. The current reviews of the Australian Curriculum and NAPLAN will hopefully provide educators with the autonomy to determine the best way to cater for the needs of students, and address issues of equity, student readiness and time for consolidation that pose such a challenge in classrooms.

In the meantime, the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions are in development and have already been trialled in some schools. Teachers who have worked with the Literacy and Numeracy Continuums will recognise the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions as an expansion of these resources. Currently up to Version 3, the progressions have undergone various iterations.

Throughout this development, the expressed intention has consistently been to provide resources for teachers to focus on

Under immense pressure and stress

specific areas of student need, whether that be for remediation or extension.

Unfortunately, teachers have frequently experienced the transformation of a useful resource into a checklist that needs to be completed for every student – thus weaponising the resource and reducing it to nothing more than an unnecessary burden for teachers.

As always, teachers should be consulted about the timing and extent of implementation of any new resource into their classrooms. Members who are concerned that the method of implementation at their school may negatively impact on their core work of teaching should seek assistance from their IEU organiser.

The National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions should be a useful resource for teachers – provided teachers have appropriate control over how they are used.

Teachers should be consulted about the timing and extent of implementation of any new resource into their classrooms.

Veronica Yewdall Organiser

The last three months has seen early childhood services, teachers and educators put under immense pressure and stress.

COVID-19 saw services scrambling to develop and implement new policies and procedures in response to an ever-changing health environment. Funded services received little or no help from the department to develop and implement these, yet they were required to keep operating with little thought for the health and well being of those working in early childhood. They were considered essential services who were supporting essential services. They were not treated as such.

Teachers have come away from this feeling extremely undervalued and used. Despite this they continued to provide safe and educationally sound programs as well as developing remote learning packages for children who did not attend. They juggled staff and funding in order to mitigate health and financial stress. They spent hours cleaning and disinfecting and trying to maintain physical distancing. They were subjected to over the phone compliance 'visits' and had to provide proof of policies and procedures relating to COVID-19 but were given no support.

As we moved through this health crisis we had the big announcement. For the first time in my experience early education was to be “free”. Everyone breathed out. It was a short breath.

Funding packages from the government turned out to be beneficial to some service types but not others who were forced to operate with only 50 percent of their funding.

Many of these services may not survive this. Some teachers and educators were eligible for JobKeeper and others were not. Short term casuals and those on visas were left out. Also those who were

A big thank you to the over 500 casual and extended casual members who contacted us to participate in the six month COVID-19 fee exemption. Thank you for your responses, kind words, good humour and gratitude. We sincerely hope the exemption helps during these uncertain times.

Here’s another friendly reminder to all members to make sure we have your current email and mobile contact details.

We need your updated contacts so that we can send you up to date information in relation COVID-19 and agreement negotiations.

As an organisation we always aim to keep you updated on information or offers that may be relevant to you professionally. If you’ve recently changed details and are unsure if you advised us, you can always email membership@ieu.asn.au to confirm.

Alternatively, we’re only a phone call away, please call 8202 8900 and press 1 to go direct to the membership department.

Union fees are tax deductible and it is nearly tax time again. Please be reminded that if you are paying via payroll deductions your union dues will be included on your payment summary (previously group certificate) as issued by your employer.

For those members paying via credit card, direct debit or Bpay, please email membership@ieu.asn.au to seek a statement for the 2019/2020 financial year.

Thank you for your support and take care.

Membership team

employed by large organisations. Family daycare and in-home care services were especially hard hit. For many, free childcare for families has been funded by educators and services, not the government.

Through this the IEU has continued to advocate strongly and support early childhood teachers. Other peaks also stepped into the breach. The Federal Government’s announcement on the June long weekend, announcing the cessation of its concept of “free childcare” on 12 July, was disappointing, lacking foresight and understanding of the industry and the Australian community.

So where to now? What have we learnt as we emerge post COVID? There is a very strong call for a total restructure of early education funding and a revamp of the whole early childhood system.

Lisa Bryant, one of our staunchest advocates, wrote recently: “This is a chance to radically reform how we provide childcare in this country. We could design a system that really works to enable women as the primary carers of children to fully participate in the workforce, that isn’t subsidised on the backs of the labour of its largely female, and grossly underpaid, workforce. A system that it is not set up in a way that allows shareholders, landlords and private equity investors to profiteer from its provision and above all one that provides our children with the early education and care they deserve.”

This is a vision we should all embrace and for which we must continue to advocate.

Gabrielle Connell Vice President Early Childhood Sector

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IEU shines with solar

Installation of the IEU’s new 70Kw solar array is now complete – and the results are everything we had hoped for.

Readers may remember the bare rooftop of the IEU’s Sydney headquarters pictured in May’s edition.

The roof of the heritage listed Briscoe Building in Wattle Street, Ultimo is now adorned with 170 high quality, 410w Sunpower solar panels from the United States that are linked in “strings” of 17 to provide an efficient combined power of 70Kw. The system will provide, on average, 54 per cent of the building’s energy needs, and save the union $15,000 a year. The project to be cost neutral in less than four years.

Along with the financial benefits, the IEU will relieve the environment of 67,000kg of carbon emissions every year.

Work on the project was undertaken with great professionalism, without incident or setback, in less than two weeks and well ahead of the expected completion date.

To complement the new system, other minor energy saving measures have been applied to windows and doors throughout the building to retain air-conditioning more effectively and thus further reduce consumption and cost.

If any members would like more information, please call IEU Organiser James Jenkins-Flint.

“Along with the financial benefits, the IEU will relieve the environment of 67,000kg of carbon emissions every year.”

James Jenkins-Flint Organiser

Coming and going: Duty of care at the school gates

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Many members are finding themselves with extra duties at the beginning and end of the school day. We look at the legal issues around pick-up and drop-off.

Schools owe a duty to provide adequate supervision at bus stops used by students, even those not immediately adjacent to school premises. Similarly, schools owe a duty to supervise the safe arrival at and departure from school grounds for students.

With the COVID-19 social distancing requirements, many schools have stipulated that parents must remain offsite, and that drop-offs and pick-ups be choreographed to minimise parental contact with other students, staff and parents. In practice, the burden of managing this, particularly in primary schools, falls to teachers and support staff, resulting in further workload increases through additional duties.

The requirement to identify and put in place arrangements to protect students and others from foreseeable risks lies with the school. However, the duty of care in the provision of supervision is a shared responsibility of both the employee and employer.

staff if a student suffers serious injury while under their supervision. The issue of providing reasonable supervision overlaps with several common law duties owed by employees to employers, the most notable being the duty to obey reasonable and lawful directions, and the duty to exercise reasonable care in carrying out their employment.

Reasonable care The IEU is often asked what the practical consequences are for a teacher or member of support

Protection from liability Many employers will be insured against liabilities arising from negligence. Where an insurance company

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The IEU is often asked what the practical consequences are for a teacher or member of support staff if a student suffers serious injury while under their supervision.

Generally, at law, an employee can be sued in negligence where there is said to be a failure to meet a duty to take reasonable care. However, there is also the principle that employers are vicariously liable, meaning they can also be held legally responsible for the acts or omissions of their employees that occur in the course of employment. In almost all cases, a claim would also be brought against the school.

covers a negligence claim brought against an employer, there is federal legislation that prevents the school from recouping money from the employee as long as the employee had not engaged in serious or willful misconduct.

IEU members in NSW have added protection in the form of the Employees Liability Act 1991. This Act positively requires an employer (whether insured or not) to indemnify their employees in respect of any liability incurred for negligence in the course of their employment, except in cases of serious and willful misconduct.

If you take reasonable care for the safety of students under your control and supervision, you can be confident you will be protected.

While much is dependent upon public health developments, IEU members should not be expected to bear the responsibility for additional COVID-19 gate supervision requirements indefinitely.

As Term 3 approaches, the union will be looking to ensure schools review the appropriateness of, or method of implementing, such arrangements. Our aim is to remove this additional workload demand on members.

Iain Bailey Industrial Officer

Online learning: Principal praises staff

Principals’

news

The IEU again thanks its principal members for their own great efforts and those of their staff, in meeting the evolving challenges of Term 2 as students returned to the classroom within the context of ongoing COVID-19 issues.

Principals discuss the issues by Zoom Principal's sub branch met by Zoom on 2 May and online meetings have also been held with principal members in the Sydney Archdiocese and the Parramatta Diocese. Issues raised at these meetings included: • the COVID-19 situation and managing workload for staff and also ensuring appropriate work health and safety and hygiene provisions • government and system expectations around assessment and reporting in Term 2 • clarification of arrangements for the 2020 HSC, including students’ major works • whether there would be any changes this year to the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data process which is linked to funding for students with special needs.

For principals in the Catholic systemic sector, the union looks forward to working with our members to progress EA negotiations. Principals have strongly expressed the view that any further delay to bargaining because of COVID-19 is unreasonable and unfair to staff, including principals, who have been carrying out their work with extraordinary dedication and commitment in very challenging times, without the 2.5 % already paid to their NSW DET colleagues. In the words of one principal, “we have received the praise but not the pay.”

Appreciation is expressed to Sydney and Parramatta principals’ meetings for voicing their support for an interim 2.5 % pay rise to be paid pending finalisation of the EA. Call for pay rises As principals are aware, IEU chapters in schools have also been meeting to endorse resolutions calling for Catholic employers to resume bargaining with the union in relation to pay and conditions for teachers, support staff and principals, and to match the 2.5% pay increase from January 2020 for government school teachers in NSW (3% from July 2020 for teachers in the ACT) and for a minimum 2.5% pay increase for principals and support staff.

These chapter resolutions have also called for support staff pay to be raised in line with increases received in 2019 by support staff in NSW government schools. World School Support Staff Day was held on 16 May and the union thanks those principals who acknowledged their support staff and held various activities to celebrate this occasion.

Survey shows no reduction in workloads With regard to principals’ health and wellbeing, the latest report from the Teachers Health/ACU survey of the health and wellbeing of school leaders unfortunately shows no reduction of principals’ workload and stress.

The survey was undertaken pre-COVID and it is highly likely that the workload and stress factors have increased in recent times.

The IEU values the opportunity to work with principal members to address current challenges and to protect and advance their industrial, professional and wellbeing interests now and into the future.

The principal of the Assumption Catholic School in Bathurst, David Maher, pays tribute to the hard work and dedication of the school’s teachers and support staff.

The Assumption Catholic School in Bathurst, like many others, was thrust into an unexpected situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. The theme that developed throughout this learning cycle is “engagement and connection”. It is important for the students to be engaged, and the connection with parents and students took place regularly through Seesaw, emails and phone calls.

All events and experiences have a starting point. Mrs Peck (Primary Coordinator) had attended Google classes organised by Vickie Vance (Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Bathurst). Together with Mrs Smith (Assistant Principal), they established a Google connection for the school website’s landing page. Through this, the children and their parents could see what was organised for remote learning across the school.

The teachers’ commitment to contemporary learning practices, which includes technological competence, has greatly benefited the Assumption School community.

The teachers are proficient with Google Classroom and Seesaw. Year 6 teachers Mrs Hanley and Mrs Barrett set work remotely and communicated with students at home from the very first day. All other grades followed quickly. Special mentions go to Mrs Richards and Ms Hotham for creating remote learning work for their Kindergarten students.

Other notable efforts have been teachers preparing videos and organising Zoom and Loom telecasts. Year 4 teacher Mr Gibson had many students enthusiastically join his Zoom lessons until they decided they wanted to come to school. He soon had more than half his class at school.

Mrs Nicolson has also established connections with her Year 4 students through Zoom while Mrs Bryant (also

Year 4) has taken her class through lessons online. Mrs Peck and Ms Davis (Year 2) prepared videos for their students to connect with through Google Classroom.

The teachers have also created iMovies to connect with students and parents.

Early in the process, Mr Windsor (Year 5) used Loom telecasts to explain activities to students. Mrs Lynch (Year 5) translated her high standards from the classroom into remote learning. Mrs Brown (Drama) and Mrs Powell (Music) explained and demonstrated lessons through video.

Mrs Arrow ensured quality library lessons were available for all grades. Year 1 teachers Ms Kelley and Mrs Stevens used Seesaw after setting work packs in Term 1.

Year 3 teachers Mr Hayes and Ms Jarrett connected with the students using Google Classroom and Seesaw.

The school’s learning assistants demonstrated the same commitment to adaptability, as did canteen supervisor Mrs Parker. As the canteen was closed, she took on the role of learning assistant in Year 2. Kindergarten assistants also shared their time with other grades. Along with their many other tasks, the availability of these assistants enabled greater communication between teachers, students at home and their parents. Assistants in Years 3-6 grades provided this same support.

Thank you to the Assumption School parents for their positive approach throughout the course of remote learning. Each family will have stories well worth listening to in the weeks, months and years to come.

Our school considers a safe environment for students, staff and parents to be very important. We pray for the safety of our local community and Australia and we have much for which to be thankful.

Our school is on the country of the Wiradjuri, Gamilaraay and Wailwan peoples. We pay respect to their Elders, celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.

Pam Smith Principals Organiser newsmonth - Vol 40 #4 2020

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Labour bites Michael Stinziani

From Canberra to Colorado

Black Lives Matter Tens of thousands of people protested across Australia over the June long weekend to oppose the deaths of Indigenous people in police custody.

They followed Black Lives Matter protests held around the world in recent weeks after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in the US state of Minneapolis.

Rallies were held in most major cities, along with some regional centres. Major protests were held in Melbourne and Sydney - after the New South Wales Court of Appeal ruled in favour of a last ditch attempt to lawfully authorise a Sydney protest.

The last minute decision meant those marching in Sydney were immune from prosecution for breaching public health orders.

Tens of thousands people turned up to the rally, with organisers and volunteers seen handing out masks and pumping hand sanitiser into the hands of attendees.

In America, the marches are sweeping every state. Hundreds of thousands of people have braved the pandemic to protest George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police.

Like the teacher strike waves of 2018 and 2019, today’s protests against police violence have the support of a majority of Americans. A Monmouth poll showed 78 percent think protesters’ anger about the killing of George Floyd is wholly or partially justified.

What reform would actually make change? Body cams and de-escalation training have not worked. Protesters have been demanding consequences for violent racist officers — not just firing but criminal charges.

In an unprecedented step, the charge against officer Derek Chauvin was upgraded to second-degree murder and the other three involved officers were also charged.

But in Minneapolis and around the country, there’s another rising demand that could have even more profound effects: Defund the police. Scale back their outsized budgets and redirect the money to much-needed services.

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Federal decision on casuals In a significant ruling of the Federal Court at the end of May, the court found that an employee Mr Rossato who was employed under several written casual contracts by labour-hire company, Workpac was entitled to claim payments for annual leave, personal leave and compassionate leave.

The court found that Mr Rossato was not a casual under the enterprise agreement or otherwise as his employment was stable, regular and predictable. Rosters were set well in advance. Accordingly, the court found that Mr Rossato was entitled to annual leave, personal leave, compassionate leave and public holidays.

This decision has been applauded by unions across the country.

The finding means that the employer could not “set off” the 25% casual loading it had paid to Mr Rossato against the claim for annual leave, personal leave and public holidays.

The Federal government has announced it is already considering changes to legislation to effectively reverse the impact of this court finding.

Vale Jack Mundey On 10 May 2020, the Australian union movement mourned the passing of an icon, Jack Mundey, who died at the age of 90 in Sydney. Mundey was an environmentalist, a social justice activist and a staunch union leader, widely celebrated for his internationally pioneering role in the “green bans” movement of the early 1970s.

Mundey was leader of the NSW Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) from 1968 to 1975. During this period Mundey and his comrades forged alliances with local residents across Sydney and NSW to impose 42 union bans on potential construction sites in the state in a bid to save sites of environmental, social, and cultural significance.

Mundey advocated for unions’ obligation to act with a socially responsible purpose extending beyond wages and conditions to include: social and environmental justice, the struggles for women’s liberation, Indigenous civil rights, LGBT equality, and to advocate for the interests of working class people.

I don’t remember jigsaw puzzles being on the list of new skills and experiences an exchange year would bring me.

I’m not complaining, mind you – jigsaw puzzles are a soothing and mindful exercise, requiring spatial awareness and dexterity. I had been hoping for a little more than this out of a year in Denver, Colorado. But there is still time.

President Trump keeps reassuring us he has the coronavirus under control.

Here in Denver, we four Aussie exchange teachers (together with our families) have been sheltering at home since mid March, and teaching online since late March, with no face to face school to look forward to until after the summer holidays. This means we won’t be back in the classroom until at least September. It’s not quite what we signed up for, but it is what it is, and if ranting and raving would help, you would hear us from Australia. We are making the best of it with Friday afternoon drinks via Zoom, family walks around the neighbourhood lake, and those jigsaw puzzles.

In my school district, Adams12, the approach has been fairly low pressure, with the expectation that teachers will set work for students to do on a weekly basis. The technological learning curve has been steep, and not without crises, but we are all discovering things we didn’t know we didn’t know and

working out how to work them out.

Although this is a fairly middleclass district, we don’t make assumptions about home routines or work patterns for parents or students, so all students are marked as “attending” as long as their work is done and handed in by Friday.

Grades cannot fall during this online period – they can only stay the same or improve, as long as the students complete their work. I have hosted zoom catch-ups with my classes, just to see the students and say hi.

There are meals available for collection from the schools for whoever wants them, and Chromebooks are available for each student to take home. This has been a blessing in my family: with three school-aged children, plus me, the fighting over our one laptop may just have made us internet stars.

I had heard of a white Christmas but we enjoyed a white Easter: snow came down on Easter Sunday, with temperatures around minus-4 during the day (it was 22 degrees the day before – spring is the season of temperature volatility here). There were no hollow chocolate eggs – another way life in the US familiar but different in little ways.

We’re keeping our Aussie upper lips stiff, our heads high, and our senses of humour intact. And if anyone has found that last piece of the jigsaw puzzle, please let me know.

Take care of your financial health All across the country, many of us have experienced significant changes to how we live and work. As well as looking after our physical health, now is a good time to consider our financial health. Here are seven tips to help reshape your finances so you can feel more confident and in control of your financial wellbeing as we transition back to life as normal.

R for REVIEW It’s important to know how you spend your money so you can work out everything you earn, save and spend.

Christine Munzer

From Colorado to Canberra

Teaching in Australia has been unlike any other teaching position I’ve had in my 15 years in the classroom. The biggest difference is working at a boys’ Catholic school – I was simply not prepared for the energy level of a classroom of 32 young boys. They just cannot sit still and are so curious about each and everything we discuss in class. I have really enjoyed their excitement for learning.

Another huge transition has been playground duty.

In the comprehensive high school where I teach in the United States, my supervision duty involves ensuring students have passes and IDs on as they make their way through the hallways. Here, I supervise during recess and lunch where it is non-stop sport for the entire break. Boys make their way to the sports fields, scarfing down their lunches so that they can take full advantage of the time to run and play. In the US, I can’t tell you the last time I saw all of the students just play during their lunch breaks – usually all of their attention is on their phones.

The period of online learning was a huge learning curve. I’ve never been one to embrace the constant use of technology in the classroom – I once thought using a projector was too much technology in the classroom.

However, this shift has been eye-opening and has helped

me realise the abundance of awesome online materials, exhibitions and websites. Many of these cool sites have only recently become free to educators, and I hope they will keep access open once we move back into the classroom.

Still, the joy in my day was connecting with my classes using Zoom. This was also the highlight for my own two children because it gave them a chance to connect with the new friends they’d made before the coronavirus necessitated the shift to online learning.

While we had planned to travel to New Zealand for the Term 1 break, we are making the best of it by exploring our temporary adopted hometown.

To celebrate Canberra’s 100th birthday, a 145 kilometre trail was created that circles the Australian Capital Territory. We decided to cycle every section of the trail during our break. By the half way point, we had ascended quite a few peaks and taken in the majestic views and the beautiful array of autumn colours.

The coronavirus lockdown made us realise we should never again waste an entire weekend doing laundry or grading classwork because there is just so much to see in our short year in Australia.

Why reps are greatly needed in the workplace At the time of writing, just over 70% of Catholic systemic schools have returned resolutions calling on the employers to come back to the bargaining table and to pay the 2.5% increase that was due at the beginning of this year and had been budgeted for in 2019. Further resolutions are expected to come into the IEU office over the next week.

This has been achieved in only two weeks, as members have faced daunting workloads while schools transitioned back to face to face teaching. Resolutions have been voted on during face to face meetings, zoom meetings, via email or through a combination of the above.

Thank you to reps and chapter committees for having made this possible.

When the IEU sent out the NewsExtra to Catholic systemic chapters we identified 63 chapters that did not have a rep listed on our membership. That number is now down to 39. 'Thank you'

to those who have stepped up offering to act as rep or as a contact point until a rep or committee can be elected.

It is worth noting that of the 39 chapters without a rep, fewer than a quarter have returned the resolution.

Without a rep or an active chapter committee, the voices of members in these workplaces is definitely more likely to go unheard.

Without a rep or an active chapter committee, the voices of members in these workplaces are much more likely to go unheard.

your chapter does not have a rep please consider standing as rep – contact your organiser for advice. If your chapter does not have a chapter committee, but does have a rep, please consider speaking with your rep about supporting her or him on a chapter committee.

Union officers are a phone call or email away to offer support and advice.

The IEU pays employers to release reps (and chapter committee members) so that they can attend Reps Training Days conducted by the union. For training dates and locations (many are online), see www.ieu.asn.au

E for ELIMINATE debt The key to eliminating debt is to make a plan and stick to it. www.moneysmart.gov. au has great tips on how to get on top of your debt.

S for SET a budget The 50/30/20 Rule is an excellent guide to sticking to a budget: 50% Needs – the necessities you need to survive, including rent/mortgage, groceries, insurance, healthcare and utility bills.

30% Wants – the things you can do without, such as a Netflix subscription or UberEats.

20% Savings – while this is a great target, regular savings of any amount is an important step in building a strong financial foundation.

H for HONE your spending The more you know about how you spend money, the easier it is to manage. You don’t need to write down all expenses, but our budget planner can help manage your spending: www/tmbank.com.au/ calculators-and-tools/budget-planner A for AUTOMATIC savings Set a monthly savings amount and automatically transfer it to your savings account every payday. Forming financial habits can be hard, but setting up an automatic deposit will help develop a healthy attitude toward saving: www. tmbank.com.au/accounts/savings-accounts P for PLAN for retirement The earlier you start saving for retirement, the more you’ll have. Look into any government subsidies or employee cocontributions that are available to you.

E for EMERGENCY fund This is a buffer to help cover an unexpected bill, a loss of income or some other finances. Recommendations for the amount you’ll need vary from having enough to cover expenses for two to six months.

With a little dedication, we can all build healthy habits so we are more in control of our finances now and into the future.

For more information on how we can help, please visit www.tmbank/com.au (Important: Information provided in this article is of a general nature only and should not be construed as providing advice on the topic discussed.)

David Towson Organiser

If you are unsure who your workplace rep is, please make enquiries. If you find newsmonth - Vol 40 #4 2020

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“From the moment the Uluru Statement from the Heart was endorsed and made public, teachers around the country didn’t hesitate to start teaching children about the gift that it is – they didn’t wait for curriculum or resources, they just did it.”

Finding the Heart of the Nation In Finding the Heart of the Nation: The Journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth, Thomas Mayor has created an unforgettable work of spirit, struggle and survival. He talks to IEU journalist Monica Crouch about the power of collective action, and why he loves teachers.

Torres Strait Islander man, author and unionist Thomas Mayor says his book, Finding the Heart of the Nation (Hardie Grant, 2019) is his gift to the campaign for constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

It certainly is that, but it’s also more than that: it’s a gift to the entire nation. Mayor’s book gives voice to more than 20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who help pierce the “Great Australian Silence” that denies Indigenous people their rightful place in their own country.

In this beautifully written, generous and compassionate work, with its breathtaking photography and intricate drawings by Mayor's daughter, Shayla, we join Mayor as he tucks the Uluru Statement from the Heart canvas under his arm and takes it to the Australian people. Featuring artwork by a group of Anangu women artists led by Rene Kulitja, the original canvas is signed by more than 250 delegates who attended the historic First Nations Constitutional Convention in 2017 at which the statement was endorsed.

Along with Mayor, we are welcomed to country and invited to hear stories of history, hardship, community and overcoming. Voice by voice, story by story, we learn more of Australia’s past and gain an understanding of the Uluru Statement’s inclusive vision for our collective future.

Righting wrongs But first, we need to talk about Black Lives Matter. “The protests in the United States over police brutality and racial prejudice have provided the opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here to hold the mirror up to Australia,” Mayor said.

“Through the Uluru Statement, we have already tried telling the Australian people that we suffer from systemic racism here. In the statement, we point out that ‘Proportionally we are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We are not an innately criminal people.’

“If we were to update the statement today, we would likely add a line about more than 430 deaths in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and how in 2015, a Dunghutti Aboriginal man, David Dungay, was killed in much the same way George Floyd was – on film, crying that he couldn’t breathe. For David’s family, there has been no justice.”

Over the long weekend in June, tens of thousands of people throughout Australia united in protest over Aboriginal deaths in custody, reflecting what Mayor

describes as justifiable anger over the nation's proud notion of a ‘fair go’ not being afforded to Indigenous people.

“I hope it will be our generation that rights the wrongs of the past and addresses the Indigenous plight in the present,” Mayor said. “The way to do that is to walk with us both on the streets in protest and by sharing the hope in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.”

Ripe for change Throughout his travels, Mayor found the Australian people greeted his book with the same positivity as they have the Uluru Statement. “Like the Statement, it is just a matter of people reading it – listening, really – and wanting to understand how we can repair the damage done by colonisation and more than 100 years of hurtful policy,” he said. “I think the Australian people are ready for the truthtelling and are looking for hope.”

The Uluru Statement takes that hope and translates it into two positive actions: enshrining a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution; and establishing a Makarrata Commission (meaning “coming together after a struggle”) to advise on agreement making and truth telling between governments and First Nations people.

Constitutional change is crucial to avoid one government’s progress being wiped out by the next. History is littered with examples: police and political intimidation put an end to the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association (1924-27); the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) was established by the Hawke government in 1990 and abolished

by Howard’s in 2005; and in 2013 the Abbott government defunded the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, so it was forced to wind up in 2019.

But attitudes are shifting: Mayor has found consensus where once there was conflict. “Across the spectrum of political ideologies, I found it common that with the facts and logic behind a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament, support was forthcoming,” he said. “It is this support from across the political spectrum that tells me the nation is ready. We just need the political leadership and campaign resources now to win a referendum.”

Class act “I love teachers,” Mayor declares. “From the moment the Uluru Statement from the Heart was endorsed and made public, teachers around the country didn’t hesitate to start teaching children about the gift that it is – they didn’t wait for curriculum or teachers’ resources, they just did it,” he said.

In Finding the Heart of the Nation, Mayor describes a visit to Thursday Island, his ancestral home, where he visits Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School and talks to an assembly of excited students about the Uluru Statement.

“This is one of the reasons I wrote the children’s book, Finding Our Heart,” Mayor said. “Teachers teach kids, kids go home and teach their families. I think it is vital that teachers are supported to do this work by the system. I understand that teachers are under-resourced and are often going to great lengths, at personal cost, to provide the education the nation’s children need and deserve. This important work should not be a teacher’s burden, it should be Australia’s priority, collectively.”

Collective action A wharfie by trade, Mayor is the Deputy Branch Secretary of the Northern Territory branch of the Maritime Union of Australia (a division of the CFMEU). From the 1936 Torres Strait Islander maritime strike against the exploitative pearling industry to the Wave Hill Walk-Off of stockmen and servants protesting stolen land and wages in 1966, Mayor sees workers acting collectively through unions as central to social justice.

“Like all campaigns for progressive social change in our history, the union movement is integral,” he said. “We cover millions of workers who have their own networks and families that can ultimately move a government to put the First Nations Voice question to the people, before voting ‘Yes’. We have already seen great support from unions, and soon, through the ACTU, we will be delivering Uluru Statement Advocacy courses to help educate and empower union members to participate in the campaign.”

Mayor says union-minded people readily understand the notion of a constitutionally enshrined voice. “It is simply a call for a First Nations’ representative body (a union) guaranteed by the rule book of the nation (the Constitution),” he said.

Destruction of heritage But wait, there’s one more issue we still need to talk about.

On May 24 this year, mining giant Rio Tinto blasted the Juukan Gorge rock shelters in remote Western Australia that held evidence of Aboriginal occupation dating back 46,000 years. “I was saddened and disgusted that Rio Tinto could destroy such sacred cultural treasures without legal repercussion,” Mayor said.

Reducing this heritage site to rubble reflects a broader, nationwide problem. “It indicates that our laws remain frozen in time – a time when First Nations people were excluded from the Constitution on the basis of us being a dying race,” Mayor said. “This indictment on our nation reinvigorates my resolve to pursue the Uluru Statement’s call to establish a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice, because without a strong voice in the centre of decision making, we will continue to struggle to see that laws and policies are updated in a way that protects Indigenous peoples and our culture.”

We’re giving away a copy of Thomas Mayor’s Finding the Heart of the Nation: The Journey of the Uluru Statement Towards Voice, Treaty and Truth. See page 18 for details (Thomas Mayor was to be guest speaker at the June IEU Council, which was cancelled due to COVID-19. We hope he can join us at another union event this year.)

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Virtually together Last year I had minor eye surgery. As I laid back in the chair, the surgeon hesitated above me. “Do I know you?” he pondered. Confused, I murmured to the negative. He paused a moment longer and said, “My wife’s a teacher, and we’ve watched all of your accreditation courses over dinner!” I laughed a little, my mind too focused on the scalpel to process what he was saying. Later I recounted the story with a laugh to my friends and one of them commented on the power of online communities.

Much is happening in the world that makes each of us feel isolated. A void in visionary leadership, increasing disparity of access to success, rising inequity in conditions, a failing environment and a global pandemic are just a few things that can leave us exhausted.

Tiredness can affect our ability to reach out and connect and, coupled with physical restrictions on movement, many have felt increasingly alone in these fraught times.

Growth of an online service One of the great joys in my role as the union's Professional Officer has been the establishment and growth of an online service to members. The live online sessions have included professional development, information sessions, branch and committee meetings.

The move to online, and later at night, meant that we could engage with members who couldn’t travel to face to face

meetings, whether due to geographical hurdles or simply that they had to care for family members. A different section of our membership activated and became vocal members of the union. It was exciting to see.

Members have flocked to the professional development program in particular, creating some of the largest gatherings in our union’s history. The ‘Responding to bushfire trauma’ course ran with close to 300 members, drawn together by a common event that affected their work and personal lives.

The four ‘Behaviour management’ courses have averaged 250 members per session and the five ‘Anxiety’ courses have engaged close to 600 members at time of writing. Last year, the LGBTQI+ program brought similar numbers across its many demanded repeats and the accreditation and voice care courses continue to be popular.

Growing sense of community But the story goes beyond numbers. It is actually about the members and the growing sense of community that is arising. Members have been drawn to the PD as the union runs topics that aren’t easily accessible in their workplaces but have direct impact on the members, their work and their safety. Members began to volunteer as presenters in our Tips from Members series, book clubs and education debates.

Early in 2019’s LGBTQI+ program I saw a member type

into the chat window, “I feel alone at my school on this issue.” It took a moment, but other members began to type out similar feelings of isolation. I’ve seen similar statements in the voice care course, where members who lost their voice felt detached from the workplace due to a very common, but largely unaddressed workplace injury. With the anxiety and trauma courses came a sense of camaraderie that everyone was working through personal and professional struggles in 2020.

The behaviour courses highlighted that no member was alone in recognising that they needed to reflect on their practice.

In all courses I saw members reaching out with ideas and resources, with reassurances and care for each other.

Friendships have started forming, and I know a few have created chat groups on topics they wanted to continue exploring together.

Some members watched as married couples, some as parents and grown children, all union members together.

Most watched while eating dinner, and many in their pyjamas. The union is back as a topic of conversation at the dinner table, as is activism and change mindsets.

An online meeting place brought members virtually together, and it has been inspirational to watch our members flourish.

Amy Cotton Professional Officer

New organiser: Sue McKay New organiser: Jeff Pratt “Discussions around the table about unions, the Labor Party and workers’ rights always resonated with me.”

Jeff Pratt became an IEU organiser in April and he’s gearing up to cover primary schools, secondary schools and early learning centres in Western Sydney and from Penrith to the Blue Mountains.

Jeff began his working life as a boilermaker. He went on to teach manual arts in Queensland state schools before joining Mount St Patrick College in Murwillumbah where he taught Technology and Applied Studies, including industrial technology and design, for 18 years. The union representative there took Jeff to a State Council meeting, and he was immediately hooked. Jeff subsequently became the union rep at the school for 16 years and a member of the IEUA NSW/ ACT Council for 17 years.

Jeff eventually headed south to Sydney to teach at Marist College North Shore and St Andrew’s Cathedral School. He has been a member of the IEUA NSW/ACT Executive for more than three years.

Coming from a long line of unionists, Jeff has found his groove. “My great, great grandfather was on the eight hour day committee representing the Bundaberg Foundry, my great uncle was a branch councillor for the Postal and Telecommunications Union in Brisbane and my father was a shop steward in the Electrical Trades Union in Brisbane,” Jeff said “Discussions around the table about unions, the Labor Party and workers’ rights always resonated with me.”

Making a difference in people’s lives is another reason Jeff is drawn to union work. “Giving working people a voice and respect in the workplace is crucial,” he said.

“The progressive nature of unions means we move with the times yet maintain core values of fairness at work.”

Jeff is keen to learn about the workplaces and their communities throughout his organising area. “I am looking forward to developing a relationship with and working with all of the different teachers and support staff of my schools,” he said. “I enjoy my daily interaction with dedicated teachers and support staff and I’m learning how to work through the industrial frameworks that cover our teachers and support staff.”

Jeff would like to see teachers given the time they need to perform their jobs, a decrease in their excessive workloads and a reduction of ever-increasing compliance demands.

An early morning surf is Jeff’s favourite way to start the day and coffee is his beverage du jour followed by “a steak sanga” at lunch. Off-duty he enjoys the occasional glass of wine and a beer or two watching a game of Rugby League. One of his favourite books is Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (2003). During the coronavirus lockdown he rewatched the epic science fiction flick Avatar (2009) and binged the Netflix series Peaky Blinders.

Sue McKay joined the IEU at the end of April, an important time to advocate for teachers and support staff of all stripes in early childhood, primary and secondary schools.

Sue will be taking in the scenery and clocking up plenty of kilometres as she visits schools and centres between Parramatta in the west and Penshurst in the south.

Before joining the IEU, Sue worked in Catholic schools and the Department of Education and Training for almost 30 years. “English teaching was my starting point and careers and vocational education and training was where I left off,” Sue said. “Careers counselling became my passion and a focus for postgraduate study.

“For most of my teaching career I worked in secondary boys’ education, not by design but simply because way

leads to way. The thing I miss most, besides my wonderful colleagues, is the noise and energy of the boys.”

Nonetheless, Sue is happy about her move to the union. “Working for the IEU feels like the right place to be right now,” she said. “Teachers and support staff in schools are among the most generous, creative, collaborative and authentic people I have encountered. It makes me bristle when key decision makers undermine the standing of our profession.”

Sue says taking up her new role during the coronavirus pandemic has presented her with some unforeseen challenges. “The political response has made it a really important time for unions,” she said. “Schools are still not back to normal, and I look forward to getting out to work with members in schools this term – it’s becoming possible now, although we’ll keep Zoom on standby for a bit longer.”

Beyond advising and supporting teachers, Sue is "looking forward to encouraging members to consider what the union is – not just an insurance policy and separate agency but the organisational wing of the collective,” she said. “I’m enjoying the learning, we know it never stops.” Sue welcomes the flexibility to go to the bathroom at any time – a freedom her counterparts in teaching lack.

Sue prefers coffee over tea and after hours, a glass of white wine – “unless it feels like a beer kind of day”, she said. Her favourite books include The Outsiders

by S E Hinton (1967) and Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet (1991). During the coronavirus lockdown, she worked her way through seven seasons of Gossip Girl with her daughter. “It’s a little like watching the ABC test pattern but somehow you want more,” she said.

“Teachers and support staff in schools are among the most generous, creative, collaborative and authentic people I have encountered.”

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IEU members Angela Canellis and Sarah Rose with Principal Brendan Maynard, social distancing at St Joseph’s Primary, Boorowa before preparing to deliver lessons remotely

Members (socially distancing) at Marist College, Kogarah vote ‘yes’ on IEU chapter motion

IEU members from St John the Evangelist High School Nowra – from left to right – David Muller, Sophie Willis, 30 year badge recipient John Jakimyszyn, retiring IEU Rep Peter Redman, current IEU Reps Mark Fuller and Support Staff Officer Rep Kerrie Edwards

Members voting at St Francis Catholic College at Edmondson Park, with organiser Dave Towson

IEU officers participate in a sub branch meeting via Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown.

30 year badges are presented to Simon Huntly and Stephen Lo Cascio, Mount Carmel Catholic College, Varroville, by organiser Dave Towson. Both Steve and Simon joined on the same day, 6 March 1990, while they were both working at St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown Photo credit: Andrew Rees (IEU Rep)

Women of Steel

Proud to be from the Gong, Women of Steel documentary makes festival of Sydney top 10.

The IEUA NSW/ACT gives a solidarity salute to Director Robynne Murphy and all the other brave women of steel on this momentous film achievement.

Women of Steel is a documentary film that depicts the struggles of a group of working class, migrant women who were denied jobs by one of the biggest employers in the Illawarra in the 1980s.

During that time BHP employed about 20,000 workers but had neither the ticker nor the will to hire women to do the same work as their male workforce.

These women stood up to BHP – they wanted to work and they wanted equality. They took the fight to the employer and continued it into the high courts and won.

Through their efforts and struggle they can stand proud. They helped pave a path to gender equality and to change discrimination laws. They challenged social norms and inspired a generation of girls and women to be confident in pursuing any vocation they choose.

The film has been a long time in the making and would not have reached this point without decades of support from local community volunteers, more than 500 donors and Robynne’s 30 year career on the floor of the Port Kembla steelworks.

The IEUA, along with other unions, has supported and promoted the film. At our IEUA NSW/ACT 2018 Women’s Conference, Robynne was a guest speaker at a Wollongong International Women’s Day event where she gained even more support for the making of the film.

Women of Steel tickets are available to the public and the film will be available for viewing from 10 June 2020: ondemand.sff.org.au/film/womenof-steel/ and view the trailer: vimeo.com/344035067 Tina Smith Organiser Valerie Jones Organiser

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Don’t take your eye off the ball With all the toing and froing with COVID-19 and remote learning, a staggered and staged return to school, COVID leave and the dreaded ‘test’, many teachers run the risk of losing sight of the bigger picture: their careers and ongoing employment. We all, of course, want the best for our students and to work in safe, supportive environments.

Many schools are making this a priority, as they should.

My big concern at the moment is that we are all distracted by the COVID climate and have lost sight of the coming teacher registration end date of 31 December 2022 for many of us.

A straw poll conducted across a range of independent schools has highlighted the lack of knowledge, lack of information, and a substantial underperformance with the mandatory professional development (PD) component of a teacher’s registration.

It is the individual’s responsibility to check their PD log in the e-Tams portal. A teacher

should regularly attend to PD evaluations and check that everything they have completed is recorded.

Teachers should also keep an eye on their NESA-approved PD as well as their teacher-identified PD to ensure the regulated 100 hours are completed by 31 December 2022.

It appears that many teachers are nowhere near where they need to be – we are, after all, half way through a registration period.

There is a plethora of online PD opportunities (particularly through our union) that are NESA approved. There is professional reading and watching and discussion groups that can all be registered toward your PD obligations.

Please keep your eye on the ball if you intend to remain employed in a school after 31 December 2022.

Bruce Paine Vice President Non Systemic

Mighty effort must be rewarded Congratulations to all teachers and support staff who have in these challenging times stepped up to make our schools work in the spirit of Catholic education. Teachers have gone out of their way to support and develop the education of their students.

Teachers and support staff have done this across various platforms and methodologies with great integrity.

Added to this, teachers and schools also stayed connected to the families and school communities to ensure students' wellbeing. It is the staff in our schools who have proven, in action, the misson of Catholic schools.

However, we are very disappointed that our employers do not have the same opinion. Their lack of action, the determined reluctance to acknowledge

the outstanding efforts by schools and teachers by delaying any sort of finalising of the award and workplace agreements is discouraging. As teachers, we are outraged that we are so poorly thought of, that hiding behind the COVID crisis is deemed an acceptable excuse.

CCER and the diocesean employers need to have a good look at themselves stand up to show their support for teachers and match their actions with their words. Chapters have been voting on the motion sent out in NewsExtra.

It is up to us to put pressure on our employers to remind them we will be heard. Action by members will force employers to demonstrate their support.

Bernadette Baker Vice President Systemic

Social media insights As the days of the pandemic turned into weeks and now months, there has been a steady and relentless drumbeat of coronavirus developments, tightenings and easings, success stories and failures. The frustration and confusion felt by everyone has been palpable. It dominates many conversations and leaves precious little oxygen for anything else. Despite this crowding of the airwaves, some stories still managed to make their way up and into our conversations.

Collated here are just some of the insights, concerns, praise and frustrations of our members, pulled from our social media platforms.

Resisting the ‘snap back' Damien: One of the critical ingredients in any reform process is having political leadership that supports it on principal. Unfortunately for Australia, the conservative parties have staked their identity on opposing equality in any context, and opposing any measures that might support or foster equality.

Public sector wage freeze Hayley: A big shout out to the amazing nurses who work extremely hard both before, during and after the pandemic. You are hardworking and understaffed.

Thank you for your support when I needed you.

Mel: Where is the gratitude towards front line workers who are getting a cost of living adjustment – because that’s all 2.5% is.

Janet: I may have missed something, but did our politicians take a cut? Pretty sure NZ's PM took a cut in her wages.

Paul: Thieves in suits.

Debbie: Government is making decisions without consulting key stakeholders. General statements that schools will have “this or that” and not ensuring all schools in the state have access to these resources, eg sanitiser, extra cleaners, classrooms that are versatile etc.

Pat: All that teachers have requested since this entire situation commenced is to be involved in the decisionmaking process. With no practising teachers currently in any decision-making role this seems entirely reasonable.

Ann: How disappointing and just no sign of pastoral care.

Patrick: I imagine that many of my fellow teachers would agree that school has been “on”, and that the actual delivery, and subsequent follow up of work has been quite onerous. I will be happy to get back into the classroom when it is deemed safe for me to attend.

Simon: The thing that seems to be causing the biggest stress right now for my colleagues is the constant changing of students returning to schools, the fact that the Berejiklian government simply has not consulted as to the mental impact her constant changes are putting on school communities, or the strain it is causing us personally.

Frustrated parents are now simply sending students to school. Today we have nearly a third of our students returned, and this is before the rostered one-day-a-week return system starts. And now they’re all coming back at the end of May! Support staff day Margaret: I couldn’t do my job without them. I’m so grateful for all they do!

Janet: The backbones of schools. The go-to people.

Maree: Thank you to all support staff. You are much needed and appreciated.

COVID-safe schools Michelle: It doesn’t help that every school is doing something different.

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Letter to the editor

History repeats itself The IEU May Newsextra asked members in Catholic systemic schools to vote on a motion calling on employers to provide pay increases to “match pay increases for teachers in the government sector to ensure pay parity”. This claim very much reminds me of the many campaigns I supported during the 32 years I taught in a Catholic school.

In 1968, I joined the staff at a Catholic independent school on the western outskirts of metropolitan Sydney after spending my first two years of teaching in a government school.

Not long after I began, a colleague asked how much I was being paid. I explained I was receiving the same rate I was paid at my previous government school. I think it was about $66 a week at the time. His response was “they sucked me in for $44 a week”. This was my introduction to the ‘grace and favour’ system of setting pay rates in non government schools.

I subsequently joined the Assistant Masters’ and Mistresses’ Association, the ‘union’ for teachers in non government schools. It did not take long for me to realise that this union would not have the effectiveness of my previous memberships in the Teachers Federation and an Engineering Union during my apprenticeship.

The AMMA appeared to be little more than a cosy club having been set up by the ‘common rooms’ of the GPS schools in response to government union legislation passed in the early 1950s. The only activity I was aware of was the annual general meeting in Sydney at the

end of the year to elect officers for the following year.

Fortunately, I soon became aware of another school teacher in a Catholic school, John Nicholson, who was seeking the post of Secretary of the AMMA. John’s aim was to reshape the AMMA into an active professional union to provide benefits for all non government school teachers. Consequently, my first campaign for the modern IEU was to attend meetings convened by John at the local Leagues Club and travel around to the non government schools in the district urging teachers to attend the AGM and support John’s bid to be elected Secretary.

"I am also proud that the IEU is continuing the fifty-year tradition of campaigning to improve the working life of non government school staff" John was elected Secretary and the first campaign of the new Independent Teachers Association (union) was “to ensure pay parity with teachers in the government sector”.

While John Nicholson went on to become Judge Nicholson of the NSW District Court, the union went on to run regular campaigns to improve the working life of non government school staff. As well as protecting pay parity, the campaigns aimed to improve working conditions such as sick leave, maternity leave and long service leave, as well as workloads. The union also provided members with representation in thousands of individual disputes.

My school chapter also grew with the union. It conducted a continual campaign to invite all staff members to join the Union. Regular school chapter meetings were held and clear lines of communication were established to communicate the members’ needs to both the school administration and the union organisers. Delegates were sent to the district branch and through the branch to the governing Council. The chapter always took industrial action to support state campaigns if called upon to do so by the Council.

When I retired from the school, the chapter presented me with silver goblets, which still hold pride of place in my display cabinet. I am also proud that the IEU is continuing the 50-year tradition of campaigning to improve the working life of non government school staff.

Colin Bull has been a member of the IEU for 50 years.

Giveaways Finding the Heart of the Nation The Journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth, by Thomas Mayor (Hardie Grant, 2019) This is a book for all Australians. Since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was created in 2017, Thomas Mayor has travelled throughout the country to promote its vision of a better future for Indigenous Australians. He’s visited communities big and small, often with the Uluru Statement canvas rolled up in a tube under his arm.

Through the story of his own journey and interviews with 20 key people, Mayor taps into a deep sense of our shared humanity. The voices within these chapters make clear what the Uluru Statement is and why it is so important. He hopes you will join the growing movement of Australians who want to see substantive constitutional change.

Mayor believes we will only find the heart of our nation when the First Peoples – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders – are recognised with a representative Voice enshrined in the Australian Constitution.

How Animals Build Moira Butterfield and Tim Hutchinson, (Lonely Planet Kids, 2017) – two copies This is a beautifully illustrated lift-the-flap hardback that explores the incredible world of animal architects. Children can open flaps and unfold spreads to discover amazing animal homes up high, underground, on land, and under the sea. From spider webs and rabbit warrens to birds’ nests ant colonies and even coral reefs and beaver lodges, we reveal the secrets to these extraordinary structures and how they’re constructed.

Do bees need cement mixers to build hives? Do beavers use cranes to construct dams? No, of course not! Like many animals, they’re building geniuses who don’t need building site tools to create incredible work. Welcome to nature’s very own, super-clever world of construction.

This book was created in consultation with wildlife expert, speaker, photographer and filmographer Michael Leach, who is also the author of more than 20 books on subjects ranging from big cats and owls to great apes and bears.

Email entries to giveaways@ieu.asn.au with the giveaway you are entering in the subject line and your name, membership number and address in the body of the email. All entries to be received by 1 August 2020.

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More on insurance Insurance provided through a superannuation fund is a genuine benefit based on a policy held by the fund trustee with an insurer. It is a benefit because Australia suffers from a very large underinsurance problem and super funds are able to plug this gap with default cover provided to eligible members. Until 1 April 2020, it was provided to new members on an ‘opt out’ basis for their convenience.

At NGS Super the trustee decided from the fund’s inception that default insurance for eligible members was in the best interest of the majority of members and it could be provided at low cost compared to retail policies because of the large number of members covered under the group policies. I have personally seen thousands of members and their dependants benefit from the provision of insurance through super in times of death, illness and accident.

NGS Super provides Death, Terminal Illness, Total and Permanent Disability and Income Protection as a member benefit and if members who joined before 1 April 2020 do not want their automatic cover they can opt out by filling in one form.

The most common complaint which comes across my desk is a demand for a refund on premiums on insurance the member does not want. Some of these complaints abound with conspiracy theories and in one recent case the member lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority demanding a refund of all insurance premiums going back to 1990.

This same member had received regular member statements clearly showing the levels of cover, the types of insurance and the premiums deducted which were all paid to our insurer for cover. If a valid claim had arisen, the member would have been paid. As a notfor-profit industry fund, any monetary compensation to this member by way of refund of premiums would of necessity have to be effectively deducted from the retirement accounts of other members.

There have been some recent legislative changes to insurance and all NGS Super members have been sent Significant Event Notifications explaining the new regulations which they should pay attention to.

First, under new Protecting Your

Super (PYS) rules from 1 July 2019, where an account has been inactive for 16 months, the fund is required to cancel all insurance unless the member tells us they wish to keep it. This is a significant change as many members elect to keep their inactive accumulation accounts to ensure their NGS Super cover remains in force. A rollover or contribution can work to remove the “inactive” categorisation and the account can remain open. NGS Super will notify members when their account has been inactive for 9, 12 and 15 months in order to provide an opportunity for members to maintain their insurance.

Under the new Putting Members’ Interests First legislation (PMIF) that came into effect on 1 April 2020, trustees can only provide insurance to new members on an opt-in basis if they are under 25 and have an account balance under $6000. This measure is obviously put in place to preserve the balances of small accounts and for younger members the government believes may not need this insurance. The veracity of this belief has yet to be seen as we have had many existing members under 25 claim on their insurance. Again, members fitting into the above categories can advise the fund that they wish to opt in to insurance.

So members are advised to think carefully about their insurance and whether the levels of cover are correct for their personal situation. For example, a member who belongs to two funds providing Income Protection insurance could be wasting their money as generally only one policy will pay the insurance. Similarly, a member who has moved to part time employment may be over-insuring their salary – paying for insurance on which they would not be able to claim.

NGS Super has again this year (for the third year in a row) won the Chant West award for best insurance offering of any superannuation fund in Australia.

Besides price, cover levels and member service, communication to members was also considered for this award. The NGS Super website (www.ngssuper. com.au) has all the information you need about your insurance cover, so please take the time to look at it or call us if you prefer to ask questions.

Bernard O’Connor NGS Super

(Important information: The information in this article is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a financial decision, please assess the appropriateness of the information to your individual circumstances, read the Product Disclosure Statement for any product you may be thinking of acquiring and consider seeking personal advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Any opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS Super.)

Experienced Teacher Accreditation Band 2–Band 3, 2020 Independent Schools Teacher Accreditation Authority (ISTAA) Due to COVID-19 and circumstances in schools, the submission date for portfolios has been extended from Friday 4 September until Friday 11 December 2020.

For more information, please email Elizabeth Finlay: elizabeth@ieu.asn.au

IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Executive

Secretary Mark Northam (pictured left) Deputy Secretary Carol Matthews (pictured right) Assistant Secretary Liam Griffiths (pictured second right) Assistant Secretary Pam Smith (pictured second left) President Christine Wilkinson St Joseph's Girls High School East Gosford Vice President Non Systemic Bruce Paine Kinross Wolaroi School Orange Vice President Systemic Bernadette Baker St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney Vice President ECS Gabrielle Connell Ross Circuit Preschool Lavington Vice President Support Staff Carolyn Collins St Michael’s Primary School Nowra Vice President ACT Angela McDonald St Thomas Aquinas Primary School Charnwood

Financial Officers Denise McHugh NESA Consultant Tamworth Peter Moore De La Salle College Cronulla General Executive Members John O’Neill Carroll College Broulee Anna Luedi St Mary’s Catholic Primary School North Sydney Suzanne Penson Mackillop College Port Macquarie Tina Ruello Catherine McAuley Westmead Helen Templeton Presbyterian Ladies College Armidale Phoebe Craddock-Lovett Marist College North Shore Amy Mead St Augustine’s Primary School Narromine Simon Goss Holy Spirit Primary School Lavington Libby Lockwood St Joseph’s Primary School West Tamworth

2020 Professional Development 23 June Protecting and enhancing wellbeing during challenging times ONLINE 28 July Women working in boys schools ONLINE 3 August 10 secrets of effective teachers ONLINE 4 August Australian industrial landscape and key issues for women ONLINE 11 August Union women discuss work, wellbeing and the way forward ONLINE 12 August Responding to extreme behaviours ONLINE 17 August Challenging conversations with parents ONLINE 19 August Workload Issues in schools – knowing your rights ONLINE 31 August Addressing gendered violence: Safety and respect in the workplace online See www.ieu.asn.au for updates and further information Reps Training These training sessions have been divided by sub-branches to help focus in industrial issues and needs.

26 June (Cumberland, Lansdowne, Penrith-Blue Mountains) ONLINE 1 July (metropolitan east, central metropolitan, northern beaches, northern

suburbs, southern suburbs) ONLINE

Sessions to be conducted by Zoom from midday to 2pm, go to

www.ieu.asn.au for further details and bookings.

with Professional Development and Reps Training

www.ieu.asn.au Our locations Sydney 485-501 Wattle Street, Ultimo NSW 2007 (02) 8202 8900 Parramatta Level 2, 18-20 Ross Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 (02) 8202 8900 Newcastle 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2302 (02) 4926 9400 Lismore Unit 4 Professional Centre 103-105 Moleswort Street, Lismore NSW 2480 (02) 6623 4700 ACT Unit 8, 40 Brisbane Avenue, Barton ACT 2600 (02) 6120 1500 newsmonth - Vol 40 #4 2020

19

We’ve made a promise.

To be a champion for our teachers - the way they’re champions for our kids.

So that even on days that feel a little tougher than usual, you can be sure someone’s there to care for your health and wellbeing.

Lisa, THF member

We’re for teachers – that’s our promise.

To find out more about what we can do for you, head to teachershealth.com.au/promise

Eligibility criteria and conditions apply.

Teachers Federation Health Ltd ABN 86 097 030 414 Eligibility criteria and conditions apply. Teachers Federation Health Ltd ABN 86 097 030 414 trading as Teachers Health. trading as Teachers Health. A Registered Private A Registered Private Health Insurer. THF-IEU-NSW/ACT-06/20 Health Insurer. THF-AEU-01/19

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

Crea t ing brighter futures

As we move cautiously back to ‘normal’, it’s important that we all work together to create a strong, positive future.

Super funds like NGS Super are part of that rebuilding process, investing in things that create jobs and keep businesses going.

Of course, our key focus is helping you towards the retirement you deserve.

You’ve been a crucial part of keeping Australia functioning through these challenging times and you may be wondering what lies ahead. We’re here to help you with the information you may need, whether it’s about your investment options, insurance or retirement planning.

ngssuper.com.au 1300 133 177 Issued by NGS Super Pty Limited ABN 46 003 491 487 AFSL No 233 154 the trustee of NGS Super ABN 73 549 180 515

4416 (0520)

Visit ngssuper.com.au. And to find out more about how we can help you make informed choices now and into the future, please call 1300 133 177 or visit ngssuper.com.au/advice