Organising, Campaigns & Communications

National Organiser (Media & Engagement): Michael Evans National Organiser (Digital): Jake Wishart National Organiser (Publications): Paul Clifton Admin Officer (Membership & Campaigns): Julie Ann Veal It has been an intensive year for campaigns, communications & organising in the NTEU national office, with a series of crises affecting Australia, our sector and our union. Bushfires in summer were followed by the COVID-19 pandemic-recession, followed by an ideological Government attack on fairness and funding for higher education. These rolling events have created an unprecedented challenge to some of our traditional methods. Despite these challenges, the campaigns, comms and organising team in the national office has played an important role in pioneering new ways of working together, campaigning, communicating and organising in an often-hostile environment. Based on Melbourne, we have worked remotely and relied on our ability to experiment with new forms of digital strategy, tactics and co-ordination. We are proud of the role we have played in advocating for our sector, our members and our union in which has truly an annus horribilis for many people. It is encouraging to see a growth in union membership and activity, and we believe some of this can be linked to the work we have undertaken. In addition to our front-facing campaign work to defend our union from major attacks, behind the scenes we have been working to improve our digital capacity, including the development of a range of new tech tools to track, communicate with and organise our members, potential members and community supporters. This work will be an ongoing focus to ensure we can recruit, organise and build power into the future. As new tech tools come online to support our organising and campaigning efforts, there will need to be a programme of training and new practices developed to ensure staff and workplace leaders are supported to get the best out of the tools available. The below timeline and attachments are a short summary of some of our work this year. Much of our front-facing communications work is also publicly available for review on our social media channels.

2020 Running Timeline

January 2020 9th Members were emailed about the NTEU Emergency Grants scheme of up to $1,000 for members affected by the fires, OHS information about hazardous air quality and their workplace rights about accessing leave and other entitlements.

February 2020 10th NTEU writes to all Vice Chancellors raising concerns about workplace health and safety, workloads, maintaining work for casual staff, and racism on campuses. 14th NTEU writes to Education Minister calling for a support package. NTEU holds live TV cross at Monash University to advocate for staff, those in insecure work and international students.

27th Australian Government declares that COVID-19 will become a global pandemic. During this time, universities were scrambling to get as many courses as possible ready for online delivery.

March 2020 1st First recorded death from COVID-19 in Australia.

10th NTEU launches COVID-19 website.

11th WHO declares a pandemic. 12th Government announces first stimulus package, with no relief for casual workers or the higher education sector. 16th NTEU launches scorecards displaying how Vic universities are looking after staff and slowing the spread of COVID-19. All states and territories covered in following days. By the end of March, 28 universities had committed to at least a minimum 10 days special leave to cover isolation periods, including for casual staff. 18th Australian Government introduces an indefinite international travel ban.

19th NTEU launches megaphone petition ‘Don’t make uni staff pay’ for COVID-19 with members Steve Adams and Amy Thomas, demanding paid leave for uni staff (including casuals) and a support package for our sector. Petition attracts 12,5700 signatures – including members, non-members and community supporters. NTEU commissions union artist Sam Wallman to produce artwork around theme of isolation and solidarity to support our recruitment and communications efforts during the crisis. 19th NTEU writes to all VCs raising members’ concerns about the failure to ensure social distancing rules. 22nd Federal Government announces second stimulus package (increased JobSeeker payments through Newstart), excluding our sector again. 25th NTEU National Executive agrees to open discussions with employers on a sector-wide response to COVID-19, calls on universities to guarantee pay and conditions for all staff and protect staff health and safety, and calls on the Federal Government for a support package. 30th Federal Government announces third stimulus package (JobKeeper subsidy). Universities effectively ineligible for JobKeeper subsidy.

April 2020 1st Briefings commence for NTEU Branches on the possibility of a jobs protection framework.

5th NTEU email to members launching ‘Morrison Monday’, encouraging members to post on social media and ring PM Morrison’s office calling for a rescue package. 7th Universities Australia warns the sector is facing a deep crisis, with up to a $4.5 billion shortfall in revenue this year, threatening up to 21,000 jobs in the next six months. 12th Federal Government announces socalled ‘relief’ package for the sector. NTEU response is that the package is ‘smoke and mirrors’, as it effectively contains no new money for the sector. 14th NTEU email to higher education staff details extent of crisis, outlines a possible Jobs Protection Framework, and asks staff to send an email to the Education Minister calling for a real rescue package. 23rd Over 1,800 people send an email to the Education Minister, and over 12,000 sign the petition. 24th Online briefing for NTEU National Councillors. The briefing endorsed the NTEU’s negotiation with VCs for a National Job Protection Framework, with an 85% majority voting in favour of the motion. 28th Dr. Alison Barnes and members flood the ABC Q&A program with videos & questions for Minister Tehan, demanding a real support package to #SaveHigherEd. 29th NTEU launches Sentry online magazine to keep members informed and in touch during the COVID-19 crisis.

May 2020 1st Video released on social media to reflect the crisis we are facing and the campaigning, advocacy and resistance of our union & members

13th Landmark agreement between NTEU and universities, the National Jobs Protection Framework (NJPF), launched. 17th IDAHOBIT Day – Celebrated diversity and equality with members and the

QUTE network digitally, standing against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. 20th NJPF endorsed by 80% vote at a meeting of NTEU National Councillors. 21st NTEU National Day of Action, ‘You have one calling for a genuine rescue package for the sector. Trending number 1 in Australia, flooding the internet with thousands of photos of members and supporters. Full-page ads in newspapers. Video of NDA action here. 26th NTEU withdraws NJPF following at least 20 VCs refusing to support it. 28th Action out the front of Josh Frydenberg’s office.

June 2020 Ballots on NTEU-endorsed variations to enterprise agreements modelled on the NJPF are carried at La Trobe, UTAS, WSU, UWA and Monash, following intensive campaigns involving online workplace meetings and calling individual members and other staff. A ballot on an agreement variation that was opposed by NTEU members at the University of Melbourne was defeated, while a similar ballot at ANU was narrowly carried. A ballot on various options at the University of Wollongong was defeated, for management to consider a further Union-endorsed option. 12th I Stand with Gerd campaign win – Murdoch backs down and reached settlement with Gerd.

17th Members at NAVITAS win back $100,000 after NTEU successfully pursued the ATO.

19th Education Minister Dan Tehan announces the proposed Jobs-Ready Graduates legislation, which will cut overall sector funding by $1 billion and more than double the cost of many courses, particularly humanities.

19th On the same day as Minister Tehan announces this attack, NTEU launches a digital campaign in rapid response, with an online petition and strategic communications to defend access to education for all. Petition garners 16,000 signatures and forms foundation for the Fund Uni Fair campaign. continued overpage...

Image (this page): SaveHigherEd full page advertisement, The Age, 21 May 2020; Agenda, Sept 2020; Australian Universities’ Review, Sept 2020. Images (opposite page): Sentry, Oct 2020; Advocate, July 2020; Connect, Sept 2020; Social media graphic from Fund Uni Fairly. 28

July–October 2020 NTEU launches ‘Fund Uni Fairly’ campaign to oppose the Tehan package. We utilised a myriad of tactics deployed to block the bill and change the conversation. Campaign activities included: • Over 16,000 people signed our Fund Uni

Fairly petition to Education Minister Dan

Tehan. The petition was tabled in the

Senate by ALP Senator Louise Pratt on 2

September. • Actions with members in Tasmania and

South Australia, pressuring key political decision makers. • Nearly 6,000 people sent emails to the crossbench Senators urging them to block the government’s legislation. • Over 100 members from three NSW

Branches sent emails to National Party

MPs and Senators urging them to block the Bill because of the potential effects on regional universities. • Nearly 600 members and supporters sent submissions to the Senate inquiry on the government’s proposed legislation (over 80% of the submissions received by the

Senate inquiry were negative about the proposed changes to funding). • We developed a Fund Uni Fairly pledge that was signed by ALP and Greens MPs, independent Senator Rex Patrick from

South Australia, and Tasmanian MP Andrew

Wilkie. • We regularly targeted social media ads at the crossbench Senators urging them to block the Bill. • We ran a full-page advertisement in the

Burnie Advocate on 21 August, urging the crossbench Senators (and Jacqui Lambie in particular, as Burnie is her hometown) to block the Bill. • We launched a mobile billboard with

Rebekha Sharkie’s face and own words on it and drove it around her electorate. • Our ACT members demonstrated against the Job-Ready Graduates Bill in front of Parliament House on 28 August, the first sitting day of the last Parliamentary session.

• Over 80 NTEU Tasmanian members, students and supporters attended an online meeting on 24 September to discuss the Bill and our campaign. • Over 180 people attended a national online seminar on 25 September to hear a presentation on the Bill and the campaign.

The meeting culminated in participants sending emails to the crossbench Senators, phoning their offices, and tweeting and posting on social media to get the message across to the MPs. • Nearly 300 people attended a snap online action called on 2 October and sent messages and emails to Centre Alliance

MPs, urging them to block the Bill Despite the Bill eventually narrowly passing the Senate by 1 vote on 8 October, our campaign successfully changed the frame and won public support in a conversation which was about fairness and access, not ‘no-job vs. pro-job’ degrees. We engaged with and mobilised thousands of members and supporters, and strengthened our political networks with the ALP, the Greens, Senators Rex Patrick (SA) and Jacqui Lambie (TAS) to vote against the Bill. Our campaign for fair uni funding will continue to run until the next federal election. We have reviewed our campaign strategy, tactics and team management so as to build a shared knowledge of best-practice for the next big fight. 13th NTEU wins court case defending the right to protest against NSW Police.

Magazines and journals

Advocate Advocate (editor Alison Barnes) was published in November 2019 (vol. 26, no. 3), March 2020 (vol. 27, no. 1) and July 2020 (vol. 27, no. 2). The March edition was the first with a renewed cover and layout design. The July 2020 issue was sent to all members’ home addresses due to the lockdown.

Advocate is sent to all members. Average print run for the last year was 24,500, plus 7,000 e-delivery. The last three digital editions averaged 578 PDF downloads (with

PDF downloading doubling for the lockdown issue of July 2020), 4,440 email unique opens and 625 issuu e-mag impressions.

www.nteu.org.au/advocate

Sentry Sentry (editor Alison Barnes) was launched in March 2020. It is a new digital monthly magazine, created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sentry was designed to keep members informed and up-to-date during the shutdown of campuses. Published monthly, between issues of Advocate, it contains updates on NTEU campaigns and policy work, plus stories and advice from members relating to current events. Sentry is sent to all members. Overall, the five editions have been well received, averaging 740 PDF downloads, 19,500 email unique opens and 1,790 issuu e-mag impressions.

www.nteu.org.au/sentry

AUR Australian Universities’ Review (AUR), edited by Ian Dobson and overseen by the AUR Editorial Board was published in February 2020 (vol. 62, no. 1) and September 2020 (vol. 62, no. 2). AUR is sent to all members who opt-in to subscribe. Average print run for the last year was 3,050, plus 12,750 e-delivery. AUR digital editions average 1,330 PDF downloads. The two editions this year averaged 5,800 email unique opens and 2,000 issuu e-mag impressions.

www.aur.org.au

Connect Connect (editor Alison Barnes, produced in conjunction with the NTCC) was published in March 2020 (vol. 13, no. 1) and September 2020 (vol. 13, no. 2). The March edition launched a new cover and layout design. Connect is sent to all casual members. Average print run for the last year was 6,275, plus 2,075 e-delivery. The 2020 digital editions averaged 184 PDF downloads, 1,080 email unique opens and 565 issuu e-mag impressions.

Agenda Agenda (editor Alison Barnes, produced in conjunction with WAC), was published in September 2020. It was a digital-only issue, and was partially re-designed to suit this format.

Agenda is sent to all members with sex listed as female or other. Digital print run for this year was 18,951. The edition garnered 315 PDF downloads, 6,130 email unique opens and 400 issuu e-mag impressions.

www.nteu.org.au/agenda

NTEU Tax Guide 2020 Produced in conjunction with Teacher Tax, the NTEU Tax Guide was published in July (A4, 10pp, digital only). The 2020 edition has totalled 7,383 PDF downloads (an increase of 490% on 2019), and 1,967 issue e-mag impressions (increase of 360%).

www.nteu.org.au/tax

Campaign publications

National Jobs Protection Framework A 18-page digital brochure explaining the Union’s Job Protection Framework (JPF) was published in May. The PDF was downloaded 11,000 times (the highest ever for any NTEU publication), and there were 47,378 issuu e-mag impressions. Scorecards were produced for each Division detailing every institutions’ commitment to protecting and supporting staff. These were updated whenever new information was received, and were successfully used to lobby VCs to deliver better outcomes for members. A range of fact sheets were produced covering the JPF for casual members, for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander members, for women, with relation to JobKeeper & the Higher Education Rescue Package, and the vision for higher education.

Wage Theft Fact sheets, social media graphics and a website were created in support of the wage theft campaign.

Fund Uni Fairly Fact sheets, briefing papers, banners, social media graphics, videos, newspaper adverts, Zoom backgrounds, a website and multiple activist tools were produced for our campaign against the Job-Ready Graduates package.

www.nteu.org.au/fundunifairly

Events

Print and digital items were created for:

QUTE Conference (January 2020)

Bluestocking Week (August 2020)

National Council (October 2020). ◆