Connect, Sept 2008

CONNECT An NTEU Publication for Casual and Sessional Staff Issue No 1, September 2008

Our universities matter

INVESTING IN PEOPLE & SOCIETY

Our Universities Matter New national policy and bargaining campaign

More than a casual revolution NTEU calls for minimum standards of employment for Casual/Sessional Academic Staff

NTEU National Casual & Sessional Academic Staff Conference Preparing for Collective Bargaining 08 What you can do!

University of Ballarat study

Balancing work and life as a Casual Academic

Victorian Casual & Sessional Staff Survey

The work/pay inbalance ISSN 1836-8522 (Print)/ISSN 1836-8530 (Online)

read online at www.unicasual.com.au

Inside Editorial......................................................2 Better opportunities for casual staff a key part of new campaign..............................................3 Collective Bargaining 08 . .............................4 Connect is a publication of the National Tertiary Education Union. All Rights Reserved 2008.

Cover image © Anne Janeczko For more information on Connect and its content please contact the NTEU National Office: Post: Phone: Fax: Email: Web:

PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 (03) 9254 1910 (03) 9254 1915 nteunat@nteu.org.au www.nteu.org.au www.unicasual.com.au

Local Branch details: www.nteu.org.au/bd The views expressed in this issue of Connect are those of the individual authors, and not necessarily the official views of NTEU.

Good news for casuals in bargaining at UB.......5 NTEU presents paper at AIRAANZ 2008..........................................6 Casual academics and the work/life balance....6 Member Focus: Sigrid Christiansen, UniSA.............................7

Welcome to Connect Welcome to the first national edition of Connect, the NTEU magazine focussing on issues affecting casual and sessional academic staff.

Following the launch of the NTEU campaign

Smart Casuals in 2007, casual academic staff members and NTEU Branches have been building towards achieving some real improvements in pay and employment conditions for casual and sessional staff during this collective bargaining round – see page 6 for details of the NTEU claims.

NTEU National Academic Casual and Sessional Staff Conference..........................................8

NTEU has also launched a major campaign under the banner of Our Universities

Matter – Investing in People and Society,

Indentured Labour: Casual Academic Working Conditions survey....................................... 10

which seeks to integrate our bargaining

Casual Membership Form............................ 12

debates occurring about the future shape

claims with the important public policy and direction of the higher education sector. More details about the campaign are on page 3.

For these campaigns to be successful, we need your input and involvement. Our NTEU Branches are organising networks of casual academic staff to discuss and provide feedback on our claims and to hold events that publicise the issues. Contact your local NTEU Branch office for details of what’s happening at your university.

We would also appreciate your feedback on Connect. Tell us what you like and don’t like, and what you would like to see in future editions.

Grahame McCulloch, General Secretary

2

CONNECT

Better opportunities for casual staff a key part of new campaign

By Michael Evans, National Organiser

Targeted funding initiatives to support the development of young academic careers is a major element of the NTEU’s ‘Our Universities Matter – Investing in People and Society’ campaign, launched in July.

The campaign seeks to integrate our bargaining claims with the current public

Our universities matter

INVESTING IN PEOPLE & SOCIETY

policy debates about the future of the higher education sector.

Australia’s academic workforce urgently requires renewal. A substantial number of current university staff are close to retirement age and universities will need numbers of newly qualified teaching and research academics over the next decade.

Maintaining high quality undergraduate and postgraduate teaching should be a priority for the Rudd Government. But this is threatened by the growth in casual academic employment, which undermines permanent and full-time academic work and limits future career opportunities for newly qualified or emerging academic staff.

Bargaining initiatives High on the priority list for NTEU’s bargaining campaign is improving the working conditions and job security of casual academic staff, and restricting the size of the casual academic workforce.

The three key initiatives are: • Improvements in casual academic staff pay and conditions.

• More secure jobs and better career opportunities including an agreed number of Early Career Development Fellowships (ECDFs).

• Limits on and reductions in the casual

staff and the community to register their

academic labour pool at each university.

support for higher levels of Commonwealth

More details about these claims are on

investment, maintaining the distinctiveness

pages 4 & 5.

of universities, more affordable university

Public policy initiatives

education and improved student services.

In the public policy context, the campaign’s

Getting involved

centrepiece is the Charter for University Renewal, a statement of underlying principles

NTEU is campaigning around these initia-

about the higher education sector’s future

tives to encourage debate about the future

shape and direction.

shape and direction of higher education,

The Charter calls for significant increases in Commonwealth investment in universities and a new planning and funding

both within the sector and in the broader community.

Public events in most capital cities will

framework. NTEU has launched the Charter

occur over the next two months as part

as a basis for dialogue with the sector’s key

of the campaign, and NTEU Branches are

players, hoping to reach some common

organising various local campaign events

views that can deliver a more effective

at universities.

voice to the Government.

Supplementing the Charter is a State-

Local NTEU Branches are organising groups to enable casual academic staff to

ment on Academic Freedom and University

get involved in campaigning and bargain-

Independence, calling on the Rudd Gov-

ing activities at each university.

ernment to provide legislative protections for these important principles.

A National Petition has also been developed to enable union members, university

Visit your local NTEU Branch office or

www.nteu.org.au/ouruniversitiesmatter for more information, details of campaign events, and how to get involved.

www.nteu.org.au/ouruniversitiesmatter 3

Collective Bargaining

Collective Bargaining 08

Together we can make a difference

Better job security, pay and conditions for casual academic staff

By Michael Evans, National Organiser This year NTEU will be negotiating a new Collective Agreement for staff at your university. A key part of these negotiations is to improve terms and conditions for casual academic staff.

In 2007 NTEU launched a national casual

sionals reported performing significant

and sessional academic staff campaign,

unpaid and underpaid work, especially

ployment and

‘Smart Casuals’. Hundreds of casual and

in relation to marking. Guaranteed pay-

career develop-

sessional academic staff participated in

ment for all work performed, including

ment. Academic

conferences and surveys, agreeing that

separate pay for marking, should be a

casuals deserve

basic entitlement.

a real career

their key concerns about university employment were:

2. A significant improvement in casual/ses-

• Underpayment and non-payment for work performed, especially marking.

• Lack of job security and a meaningful career path.

opportunities for

pay rates for tutoring and lecturing, bet-

experienced casuals to access promo-

ter superannua-

tion and ongoing employment.

5. Improved facilities and inclusion in col-

to annual pay

legiate activities. Casual and sessional

members of the academy within their

increments are

academic staff should be entitled to the

university.

crucial to ensuring

same resources, facilities and collegial

a living wage for

opportunities as other staff.

• Poor facilities and resources.

Bargaining claims

casuals.

3. Limits on the extent of casual employ-

Early Career Development Fellowships

To tackle these issues, casual and sessional

ment. Academic work should be casual

academic members developed a range of

when it is truly ‘casual’ in nature. When

Our bargaining claims around more secure

new Collective Bargaining claims, includ-

work is ongoing, employees should be

jobs and better career opportunities will

ing:

able to access permanent or fixed term

include seeking an agreed number of Early

1. Payment for all duties performed and

employment with better pay and job

Career Development Fellowships (ECDFs).

security.

These new Fellowships would be teaching

hours worked. Many casuals and ses-

4

path, including

sional academic pay. Improved overall

tion and access

• Lack of status and inclusion as full

4. Access to more secure forms of em-

CONNECT

and research or research-only two-year

of members on campus at lunchtime incurs

fixed-term contracts available to current

costs.

casual academic staff through a competi-

The financial resources of the NTEU come

tive merit-based selection process. Eligible

from membership dues. More members

candidates would require a minimum

= more resources. Now is the perfect time

teaching service threshold and completion

for your colleagues to join NTEU, and the

of, or substantial progress in PhD study.

most potent invitation to join comes from a

The ECDF initiative should be accompanied by a wider program of funded professional development and research mentor-

co-worker.

Elect a Union contact

ing for all longer-term casual staff.

The bargaining process requires commu-

Find out about bargaining at your university

nication between

Your local NTEU Branch can arrange a

ongoing advice

department/faculty information session

and strategy feed-

SESSIONAL?

members and negotiators for

to give a use-

back. Talk to your

ful overview of

colleagues about

everything to do

ensuring a representative in your area has

with bargaining,

been identified and contact your local

particularly the

Branch if you are interested in assisting.

claims for casual

Stay informed

academic staff.

CASUAL?

Casual staff are often isolated from col-

Your local Branch will produce regular bul-

leagues and can find it difficult to be ‘in the

letins in the lead up to and during negotia-

loop’. Contact your local NTEU Branch for

tions. National and State bulletins will also

details of local meetings.

give updates on what is happening in

Make your opinion count

other institutions.

Your local NTEU Branch should hold regular

Advocate will report regularly on progress

information sessions for members on

made in bargaining, and we will update the

NTEU’s national members’ magazine, The

NTEU is the union

for all university staff.

NTEU understands casual academic work usually isn’t all roses. Casuals have no job security and often face problems like underpayment, poor facilities and little collegial and professional recognition.

what is happening around bargaining and

progress around

campaigning activities. Branches will be fo-

the casual aca-

cussing on making contact with casual aca-

demic staff claims

demic staff, to get your input on our claims

in each issue of

Find more information online at

and provide feedback on the progress of

Connect.

www.

negotiations. Contact your local Branch to find out the details of when sessions are occurring.

Recruit your colleagues The more staff that are in the Union, the stronger our voice as the representative of staff. More members = a stronger voice at the bargaining table.

Collective bargaining also takes time and resources.

Negotiators usually have another full time job at the University. Simply holding a meeting

Get Active. Get Covered.

unicasual .com.au WIN A $200 BOOK VOUCHER!

See reverse of this bookmark Good news for casuals in bargaining at UB The first new Collective Agreement in this bargaining round has now been finalised at the University of Ballarat. The new Agreement includes significantly improved employment conditions for casual academic staff, including: • 25% loading for all casual and sessional

• Lecturing paid at Level B casual academic rates.

• Four full-time Early Career Development Fellowships to be instituted for casual academic staff.

• Paid induction for new casual and sessional staff.

staff, up from 23%.

• All marking outside of the classroom to be paid separately.

Further details can be found online at

www.nteu.org.au/bd/ballarat

5

NTEU presents paper at AIRAANZ Victorian Division staff Robyn May and Linda Gale, together with Dr Iain Campbell from RMIT University, presented their paper on the NTEU Casuals’ campaign to the Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand (AIRAANZ) conference in Melbourne in February 2008.

The conference is the annual gathering of industrial relations

The paper summarises the aims and activities of NTEU’s cam-

academics from Australia and New Zealand, with many academ-

paign to improve pay and conditions for casual academic staff in

ics coming from further afield to present papers and hear about

Universities. The paper also examines the context and setting of

antipodean industrial relations developments.

casual academic work within the university sector, the challenges it

Many of the Australian academics attending the conference had

presents, what the Union is doing and what the Union can do.

found themselves in the firing line of the former Howard Government for undertaking research critical of that Government’s approach to industrial relations policies.

If you would like a copy of the paper please send an email to office@vic.nteu.org.au and ask for ‘AIRAANZ paper’.

University of Ballarat study:

Casual academics and the work/life balance University of Ballarat (UB) academics Dr Lorene Gottschalk and Dr Steve McEachern have published the results of their research on why people undertake casual academic work, and the impact of this on their sense of security and capacity to manage a work/life balance.

Almost 200 UB staff, all casual employees, responded to the survey.

The research also found that whilst casual academic staff at Ballarat thought that casual work allowed them to achieve a level of

The research confirmed findings in other studies which show that casual employment is not the preferred employment type for

work/life balance, this was at the cost of job and income security.

The study made a number of recommendations backing the

casual staff, indeed less than a third of those surveyed in the Bal-

Union’s claims, which were put to UB management. The recom-

larat study said that they preferred casual work.

mendations covered separate marking payment, consistency across departments of payment practice, payment for attending meetings and training, adequate facilities, proper induction processes and a preference for part time or fixed term employment.

At the time of writing, agreement had been reached at UB on many of these issues (see p. 5 for details).

Photo: Michael Fuller

6

CONNECT

Member focus

Sigrid Christiansen University of South Australia

“

My experiences as a casual academic have been exciting and disappointing at the same time.

I’ve enjoyed introducing students to different ways

of looking at the world. It was great to help them learn new skills, so they could do well at university, and make the big transition from high school.

But I always felt like working as a casual academic limited how well I could do these things. There is more to teaching than I learned in that one day workshop.

When I faced difficulties with students, I had little in the way of knowledge to call on. I was sad about having to choose between planning a great tutorial, and working the hours I was paid for.

How could I have taught, marked, planned lessons and done the appropriate reading in six hours per week?

I was also disappointed when, at the end of last semester, I worked out my pay and hours and realised I had just spent three days marking final essays... for free! And all this was with a progressive lecturer who treated her staff as well as the institution would allow.

Being a casual has given me serious doubts about staying in academia. Having worked as a casual non-academic staff member at the university, I have already found out what it is like to go through the Christmas holiday period with no money and no work. I have already found out what banks and landlords think of people with no obvious or reliable source of income.

I definitely didn’t spend seven years at university to live without fair pay, sick pay, holiday pay, or knowing whether I would have any work in a few months. I didn’t spend seven years at university earning a research degree, only to find out I’m allowed to teach undergraduates, but not develop my own intellectual potential through research. If I can’t find an ongoing position within a reasonable time after my graduation, I’ll be leaving academia for good.

That’s why the NTEU’s bargaining claims for casuals are a huge step forward for higher education. They address the structural inequalities surrounding casual staff, both in our conditions now and our ability to carve out a secure future in the academic world.

The university I worked at didn’t seem to think of casual staff as real staff. I could not borrow books from the library. Never during the whole semester did IT manage to give me a functioning computer login or indeed a functional computer. I had to use my home computer and my own phone for any work related calls I needed to make. It was weeks into semester before they got

Sigrid Christiansen is a casual academic staff member from South Australia who is a member of the NTEU’s National Academic Casuals Committee (NACC). She has worked actively with NTEU’s South Australian Branches to get casual academic staff involved in the Union’s campaign.

around to paying me.

get connect online read this magazine as a flip book or pdf @

www.unicasual.com.au 7

NTEU National Academic Casual and Sessional Staff Conference

By Karen Upton-Davis, Conference Delegate, Edith Cowan University NTEU’s ‘National Academic and Sessional Conference’ was held in Melbourne on 4–5 December 2007 with a view to the collective bargaining round currently underway. The Union will seek to negotiate better terms and conditions for casuals as a bargaining priority.

The objectives of the two day forum were

• A lack of professional recognition of their

outlined as:

contribution to research, teaching and

• Discuss the policy, professional and

scholarship, plus low status within the

industrial concerns of casuals.

• Increase the voice of casuals.

sector.

• Extremely limited opportunities to con-

• Develop bargaining claims.

vert jobs into permanent positions.

• Create a basis for the Union to have

All of this is exacerbated by low visibility.

networks of casuals at local, state and national levels.

Setting Priorities

The Present Situation

The 74 conference attendees, including

With over 100,000 casuals employed in

focused their energies on bringing the gen-

the sector, the higher education sector is

eral concerns of casuals, raised in the state

second only to hospitality in the number of

by state meetings held earlier in 2007 as

casuals employed. Best estimates suggest

well as in an on-line survey, into a coherent

that academic casuals account for over 60%

set of priorities on which the Union could

of the academic workforce.

base its negotiations during the forthcom-

The Problem

ing bargaining round.

Despite the huge volume of casuals in uni-

centered on the three broad areas of mon-

versity employment, casuals suffer from:

etary issues, career paths and job security,

• Very low pay for the hours of work

and resources and collegiality.

delegates from each university in Australia,

Group discussions and workshops

performed.

• Employment insecurity.

• Under resourced working conditions.

8

CONNECT

Recommendations The recommendations to flow from the conference were that all NTEU Branches would pursue the following claims relating to casual employees: • A significant improvement in casual academic pay, including pay for all duties performed and hours worked.

• Improved definition of duties and roles of casual academic employees for the full range of work tasks.

• Improved superannuation.

• Incremental progression.

• An increase in preparation time for lectures.

• In relation to career paths and job security for casual employees, a limitation on the extent of casual employment, subject to arrangements allowing designated casuals access to more secure forms of employment and career development opportunities.

• In relation to resources and collegiality,

Because of this, building networks of

The Role of the Union

improved facilities and, where appropri-

casuals was a further aim of the meeting. It

ate, necessary allowances.

was agreed that each conference delegate

The Union not only has a role in working to

would work in their particular university to

increase the entitlements of casuals but to

build a network of casuals in 2008.

enforce existing entitlements.

The Next Step Drawing from the delegates attending the

A few delegates to the conference,

National Industrial Officer Josh Cullinan

conference, a National Academic Casuals

including Chris Latham from Murdoch,

reported that NTEU had updated the Smart

Committee was formed with a brief to:

began this task in 2007 and reported to

Casuals booklet and created a dedicated

• Advise the Union on issues of particular

the meeting on strategies and successes.

web site for casual academic staff (www.

relevance to casual and sessional aca-

Strategies included much leg work, as

unicasual.com.au) , as a way of alerting

demic staff.

obtaining a comprehensive list of casual

employees to existing entitlements. The Union’s intention of building

• Provide a forum for national networking and communica-

networks of casual academic

tion among casual academic

staff in each institution will also

members and state/territory

assist with this.

However a strong union is

and local casual networks.

built on strong union member-

• Raise the visibility of casual academic members and issues

ship. Even though the NTEU

with the Union.

performs well in this regard – with 30-40% of university em-

• Develop campaign strategies to advance the interests

ployees belonging, only 4.8%

of casual academic staff, and

of these are casual employees.

to build union membership

This is what I, as the Edith Cow-

among that group.

an conference delegate, intend to work to change in 2008.

Building Networks Building networks of casuals who can support one another and who can adequately give voice to the particular situation and working conditions of a very large section of the academic workforce is imperative if

employees from the universities is a nearimpossible task. Being vocal and visible in the university corridors helped, as did organising get-togethers for casuals which offered free food!

the lot of casuals is to be improved.

9

Indentured Labour NTEU Victoria Division’s Survey Results on Casual Academic Working Conditions

By Adam Fernandes & Terri MacDonald

Are casual academic staff getting a raw deal? NTEU Victorian Division’s survey of casual staff working in academia indicates that they are.

Casualised academic labour in higher edu-

for so long that they view themselves as

cation has been a feature of the workplace

‘permanent casuals’.

for some time. Traditionally viewed as the ‘apprenticeship’ for future academia, many

paign designed to highlight the problems

casual academic staff thought that the time,

of casual academic employment and to

energy and devotion they put into their

encourage casual academics to become

jobs would lead to an on going academic

active around these issues.

career.

As part of the campaign, NTEU con-

However, the push over the last 11 years

ducted a comprehensive survey on the

for more ‘flexible working arrangements’,

working conditions of casual academic staff

culminating in 2005 with the former Govern-

in Victorian institutions. The survey focussed

ment’s removal of all restrictions on casual

on class preparation, subject delivery,

employment, has undermined this concept

student and staff consultation and marking

of the ‘apprenticeship’.

and assessment.

The dynamics of casual academic em-

By focusing on these core issues, the

ployment have changed, and increasing

survey sought to examine the balance

numbers are finding themselves caught

between workload and pay. It also aimed

in the permanent holding pattern that is

to determine what are the employment

casual academia. With far fewer rights,

patterns at different institutions.

inferior conditions and no job security,

10

In 2007 NTEU launched a national cam-

One such pattern in the data emerged

some casual academics have been on the

almost immediately. While there is a

merry-go round of casual employment

perception that casual academics are

CONNECT

“When you receive a salary, then you feel that there is pay for the days you work. When you work at an hourly rate, you are always exploited as you will never be able to complete your job to the standard you and they expect in the limited paid time set aside.” younger, often postgraduate students (the concept of the academic ‘apprenticeship’), only 34% of respondents said they were enrolled as postgraduate students. In fact, over half (57%) of respondents were aged 41 years and above, and of these, approximately one third were aged 61 years or more.

Longevity as a casual academic was also a pattern. Over one third of respondents (37%) had been working for 5 or more years as a casual academic, and of these, another third had been working casually for 10 or more years.

The nature of casual academic work presented more disparities between the

theory behind hiring casual workers and

Marking and assessment was another

However, there was a perceived lack of

the reality. Three quarters of respondents

contentious matter. Although the loading

professional collegiality and often poor

indicated that they prepared for their

for the ‘teaching hour’ includes a compo-

recognition of their academic skills and

subject/s prior to the start of semester. Of

nent to cover reasonably contemporane-

dedication.

these, the majority (55%) indicated that they

ous marking and assessment, the subjec-

spent 7 or more hours in preparation. How-

tive nature of this component (i.e. how is

ever, for most of the respondents (77%),

‘contemporaneous’ defined?) has left it

this time was unpaid.

open to allegations of abuse.

The inequity between work and pay did not improve once the teaching period

For many, the solution has been to separate marking from the teaching payment - almost two-thirds of respondents (63%)

“There certainly is not adequate compensation for it and it brings a tension to how much preparation to do: I like to do a good job and that is important to me ... I have a responsibility to my students vs ‘I’m not paid for this’, so why should I do it ... this is exploitation ... when an employer myself [school principal], I never treated my staff like this.” commenced. Many casual academics are paid by ‘the teaching hour’, a loaded rate that is, in theory, designed to incorporate preparation, delivery, student consultation and contemporaneous marking.

However, the ‘teaching hour’ is a very a contentious issue, with many complaints of abuse. Central to these is the considerable disparity between what casuals are paid for and what is actually required to successfully do their job.

While most respondents were paid for around 3 – 4 hrs of teaching/contact, the

“I am paid for a 13 week teaching semester only, including minimal preparation time.

The salary does not cover a FRACTION of the amount of work involved. I have frequently prepared unit guides, searched for appropriate readings, designed units, and coordinated courses in my own time.” great majority worked substantially longer hours.

The survey indicated that student consultation times were either underpaid or not paid at all. The majority of respondents (57%) did not believe that student consultation was included as part of their hourly teaching rate. Of these, only 11% stated that they were paid separately for consultation.

indicated that marking was not included

NTEU has a role to play in assisting those who supervise casual academics to better

“I am not invited to any meetings, and this year not even to the Christmas party or convening meeting for the program. It is useful to go, if only to be seen by the Head of School, but I never get paid if I do go.”

in their payment loading. However, not all departments are paying separately,

enable their inclusion in the academic life

or even at all - of the two-thirds, 29% of

of the department and institution.

respondents indicated that they were not paid for marking.

Related to marking and assessment are

A priority for the Union is to ensure that the workplace exploitation of casual staff ceases. While much of this will relate to the

ballooning student/staff ratios, with over a

Union’s continued campaign to improve

quarter of respondents indicating they had

workplace rights and conditions, collegial

“I am as angry as all hell about this situation and can’t believe that these inequities are allowed to exist.” large student loads (of 81+ students). While also a contentious issue for permanent academic staff, student/staff ratios are very significant for casual academics, who do not always have the appropriate resources, experience or collegial support to deal with larger assessment loads.

Overall, the survey results overwhelmingly support the claim that there is considerable disparity between work and pay, including for those who are paid under the

support by permanent academic staff is also essential in our attempts to overcome the problems faced by casual academic staff.

Finally, it is obvious from the survey that casual academic staff are concerned with the pedagogy of their profession. Many voiced a genuine desire to improve their skills and knowledge in teaching and learning, and many made comments stating a genuine enjoyment in and dedication to their profession.

“Always underpaid - I value feedback and give it but I hear often students only get ticks. Quality?”

‘teaching hour’ loading.

The majority of respondents believed

This investment should also be seen as

they were either significantly underpaid, or

an important element in planning for the fu-

not paid at all, for basic duties and tasks in-

ture of the academic workforce. Institutional

cluding student consultation, class prepara-

figures show that there is an ageing cohort

tion, marking and assessment and general

in academia, and unless new generations

administrative duties.

of academics are supported and encour-

It is also necessary to examine the collegial aspects of casual academic work.

aged, the quality of teaching and learning in Australia’s tertiary institutions may suffer.

Many respondents have been working as casual academics for a considerable number of years and are well known and experienced in their area of study.

“We meet at the pub for tutorial meetings about every 3 weeks and are ‘shouted’ a beer.”

The survey was used to provide the mandatory log of claims in the current round of bargaining.

To find out more about the survey, go to www.nteu.org.au/vic and follow the links.

11

NTEU CASUAL/SESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP FORM FOR CASUAL/SESSIONAL STAFF ONLY. Full time & part time, continuing/permanent or fixed term contract staff should fill out a separate form.

1

Personal & Employment Details

Title

Surname

This information is needed for a number of areas of NTEU’s work and will be treated confidentially in accordance with our Privacy Statement.1

Institution

Given Names

Employer

Home Address

Campus

Mail/Bldg Code

Faculty

Dept/School

State

Postcode  Please use my home address for mailing

Home Phone (include area code)

Position

Work Phone (include area code)

Classification Level (e.g. LectB, HEW4)

Step/Increment

Mobile Phone

Annual Salary (equiv. full time)

Month next increment due

Work Fax (include area code)

Staff/Payroll No. (if known)

Email

Category

Date of Birth

/

/

Sex

 Male  Female

 General Staff Casual

Specify average hours per week: Only staff classified as casual employees (those employed on an hourly basis) can join the Union using this form. Other staff should contact their local NTEU Branch for the appropriate form, or download one from www.nteu.org.au/join.

Are you an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person?  Yes

2

 Sessional Academic

Were you previously an NTEU member?  Yes At which Institution?

Membership Declaration

I hereby apply for membership of NTEU2, any Branch and any associated body3 established at my workplace Office use only: Membership no.

✘ Signature

3

Date

Determine your fee amount

NTEU casual membership rates, set out below, are based on estimated annual earnings.

Please determine your estimated salary range and fee amount, and tick the appropriate box: Estimated salary range

6 month fee (incl GST)

Annual fee (incl GST)

$10,000 and under

 $27.50

 $55.00

$10,001 – $20,000

 $38.50

 $77.00

Over $20,000

 $55.00

 $110.00

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1: Privacy Statement: Information provided by members is only used in accordance with NTEU Privacy Policy, and to conduct the principal activities of the Union as described in the Policy (available on request). The information collected on this form is treated as confidential. Information requested for payment of membership dues is provided only to the relevant financial institutions. In respect of commercial or marketing activities, individual member information is only provided to third parties with the consent of a member, or to verify union membership where the member has approached that third party. More detailed information is collected from members in relation to individual cases.

2: Membership Declaration: You may resign by written notice to the Division or Branch Secretary. Where you cease to be eligible to become a member, resignation shall take effect on the date the notice is received or on the day specified in your notice, whichever is later. In any other case, you must give at least two weeks notice. Members are required to pay dues and levies as set by the Union from time to time in accordance with NTEU rules. Further information on financial obligations is available from your Branch.

3: Associated Bodies: NTEU (NSW); James Cook University Staff Association (Union of Employees) at James Cook University; University of Queensland (UQ) Academic Staff Association (Union of Employees) at UQ; Murdoch University Academic Staff Association at Murdoch University; Union of Australian College Academics (WA Branch) Industrial Union of Workers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) & Curtin University; Curtin University Staff Association (Inc.) at Curtin University; Academic Staff Association of ECU (Inc.) at ECU.

Choose a payment option FEES FOR FULL TIME, PART TIME, CONTINUING/ PERMANENT OR FIXED CONTRACT STAFF DIFFER. Please use the separate membership form available from your Branch or online at www.nteu.org.au/join

I wish to join NTEU as a Casual Staff Member and have indicated the appropriate fee level above.

Cheque Payment

 Please accept my cheque/money order for the amount indicated above.

OR Credit Card Payment

Please debit my:

 MasterCard

 Visa

For the amount of: $

Description of goods/services: NTEU Membership Dues

Name on card Address State

Postcode

Card No. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Card Expiry Date __ __ / __ __

✘ Signature

I hereby authorise the Merchant to debit my Card account with the amount and at intervals specified above and in the event of any change in the charges for these goods/services to alter the amount from the appropriate date in accordance with such change. This authority shall stand, in respect of the above specified Card and in respect of any Card issued to me in renewal or replacement thereof, until I notify the Merchant in writing of its cancellation.

Date

NTEU National Office, 1st floor, 120 Clarendon St, South Melbourne VIC 3205 T (03) 9254 1910 F (03) 9254 1915 E nteunat@nteu.org.au W www.nteu.org.au

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Please mail this form to: NTEU National Office, PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205