Volume 2, Number 3, September 2010
Introducing our new organiser, Libi Carr Kia Ora, My name is Libi Carr (no relation), and I am pleased to be working as an Organiser for the TEU at the University of Canterbury over the next six months, on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I work Monday, Tuesday and Friday as an organiser for the Rail and Maritime Transport Union at Port of Lyttelton – a job Paul Corliss also held for a number of years. I’m looking forward to a variety of experiences moving between two very different environments, the Halls of Academia at the University and the industrialised heavy machinery operations of the Port. I have been working as a Union Organiser for nearly 10 years now, starting with the Service and Food Workers Union in 2000 after graduating from the Nelson Campus of the Christchurch College of Education with a Diploma of Teaching and Learning. I shifted from Nelson to Christchurch in 2003 to take up an organising position with the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union (where I met Gaby) and worked with the EPMU for just over 4 years. I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to work part time with the Rail and Maritime Transport Union and now, additionally, an opportunity to enter another new field in the Union Movement with the TEU.
From the Branch Vice President Jennifer Middendorf I hope you are all beginning to recover from the earthquake, and aren’t being too shaken by the aftershocks. I was lucky enough to get away with just minor damage at my place, but I’m very aware that not all our members have been so fortunate. My sympathies go to those who have lost homes and treasured possessions. It will take a long time before things start to feel normal again, so please take care of yourselves, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. If you have any work-related concerns please talk to one of the organisers (their contact details are listed at the end of this newsletter), or if you just feel like a cup of coffee and a chat feel free to pop into TEU House at any time.
TEU Willie asks: “Is it true that HR is $1.25 million over budget?”
I look forward to getting to know you all over the next six months and to working with you. In solidarity,
Libi
“Yes” “Why?” “Ahmmm…”
Te Uepū Update Richard Manning and Jim Anglem are developing a Te Tiriti programme for the local TEU Branch. The intention is to also invite TEU representatives from Lincoln Uni and CPIT to participate in the workshop. The thrust will be the rights and responsibilities of the treaty partners rather than a straight history lesson, along the following lines: What is working within a treaty framework? How do we (TEU) support a Māori kaupapa? How do we move from a position of intellectualising a Treaty discourse to recognising what it looks like when it involves individual people and issues? How does this discussion fit a multicultural campus/society? Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is a special occasion at the University of Canterbury to encourage the use of our treasured language and to share culture and customs that makes people unique as Māori. TEU Organiser Paul Corliss (left) threw himself into the thick of it. He is shown here with his just completed ta moko carried out in the Central Library by Kai Tahu artist and master carver Fayne Robinson.
Pasifika News Pasifika greetings everyone, A huge thank you to everyone who came to support the TEU Fono at the Macmillan Brown Centre. The key purposes for the Fono were to: 1. Discuss our Pacific members' place within the TEU 2. Develop potential Pasifika networks and structures 3. Identify possible links with other Pacific networks 4. Discuss recruitment and support for our Pasifika members
Fairness at Work If you don’t think it will affect you, so you can’t be bothered putting your hand up in opposition, at least consider what it could do to your daughters or sons? You owe them this legacy at least… Fairness at work is about the basic rights we all have as workers to respect, safe employment conditions, and the chance to spend time with friends and family. It’s about workers working hard, but also knowing our work is respected, fairly paid, safe, and family-friendly. John Key announced the government's plan to drastically change employment law in New Zealand. If passed the changes will take away workers' rights, union rights, remove protections, cut pay, reduce holidays and diminish access to sick leave. Stand up now, not later…
5. Seek guidance for a possible TEU national Fono in 2012 It was a big success, with the help of National President of TEU Tom Ryan, Vice President of the Women’s Committee Suzanne McNabb and TEU Head Office Organiser Lee Cooper that facilitated a productive first time fono. Fa'afetai lava Tom, Suzanne and Lee for your time, energy and passion for making a difference for Pasifika TEU members and our communities. We were able to discuss the 5 key purposes (above) with lots of laughs, healthy discussion and pagi popo! We would also like to acknowledge the help of our trusty organisers Gaby Moore & co, not to mention our branch Vice President Jennifer Middendorf. We appreciate the hard prep/cooking behind the scenes that made the fono & lunch a hit! Thank you also to Macmillan Brown Centre for hosting and David Gegeo for the warm welcome. Our Otago members were in awe with the amount of support that our Pasifika members get here. Canterbury is certainly leading the way! For those who missed out - sorry you will have to wait until our next fono to get your TEU lavalava... We will keep you posted on further exciting TEU developments. Ia manuia, Jo & Rose, Your TEU Reps
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TEU member Philippa Drayton speaks out in front of the Central Library
Project STAR Thanks to the efforts of dedicated TEU members across the library, academic departments, and the wider university, over 20 jobs were saved in Learning Resources. Members saved from disestablishment include the Interloans team, most of Library IT, the Mailroom Coordinator, and the SMS Helpdesk Advisor. A number of assistant librarians who had been proposed to be disestablished have been retained as Resource Discovery Librarians, and the Central Library Manager, Law Library Manager and Education Assistant Manager have been retained as Liaison Librarians.
Southern TEU Toilers Meet Posed among the shrubbery at TEU House are the TEU’s South Island staff from Canterbury and Otago who cover all the tertiary institutions in Te Wai Pounamu. L to r: Paul Corliss; Cindy Doull (Lincoln); Kris Smith (Dunedin); Carol Grant; Shaun Scott (Dunedin); Nanette Cormack (Deputy National Secretary); Gaby Moore; Phil Dodds.
Our joy at these wins has been tempered by the losses, though: 37 more staff received redundancy notices last Monday, bringing the total for Project STAR to 132.
More Te Uepū News Maori academic and General Staff TEU members had a constructive hui with Sacha McMeeking, the Kai Tahu rep on the University Council. Members present took the opportunity to seek clarity on the direction of ‘things Maori’ at the University and express their concerns where they felt it was going off track. Among a wide range of points discussed and questions posed, the following are just some of the key points noted: Critical connection with mana whenua. A feeling that Māori are not being taken seriously enough. The VC has acknowledged that SMT is lacking in Treaty understanding It’s good that the VC has seen the need for an AVC Māori, but what will the institution do to back up the role? Māori staff are overburdened in holding up the university’s Treaty obligations, upholding the Treaty should be the job of all staff Kaupapa Māori content in courses is restricted by the EFTS model Concern that Māori will be disadvantaged by the admissions policy
Sacha commented that she had enjoyed the opportunity to meet with Māori staff to hear the concerns, issues and queries and is keen to maintain a relationship with TEU Māori members.
Flow Chart Familiarity? “Downsizing reduces workers to a number insufficient to accomplish the current level of work in the manner institutionalized by the old corporate structure and middle management levels. Under episodic initiatives like ‘radical decentralization’, the power of the upper levels of the three-tier hierarchy is reduced, providing a necessarily supportive environment for the restructuring work. These initiatives to flatten the hierarchy spearhead the destruction, and, ultimately, the obsolescence, of the three-tier hierarchy. Making the traditional hierarchy truly obsolete, however, is a long-term process dependent on the organization’s success in creating new IT-enabled network structures.” Page 58 in „Creative destruction: a six-stage process for transforming the organization‟ / Richard L. Nolan and David C. Croson. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press, c1995.
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Fairness at Work Rally
CTU President Helen Kelly said: “This was the start of our campaign against these unfair law changes. Today we are announcing a national day of action on Wednesday 20 October.” Saturday’s rallies were addressed by workers, some of whom had been sacked unfairly under the 90 day law for small businesses which the Government wants to extend to all workplaces. There were also speeches from church leaders and union officials, as well as musical performances, dance and other entertainment. “The Fairness at Work campaign will include submissions to the select committees on the Holidays and Employment Relations Acts, and we will be taking our message to Parliament, to employers, to workplaces and to the public over the coming months,” said Kelly. “The government proposals are unworkable, unnecessary and unfair. For instance, the removal of the right to appeal against unfair dismissal in the first 90 days along with weakening of procedural requirements and remedies against unfair dismissal thereafter amount to an attack on the job security of every wage and salary earner in New Zealand.”
College of Education Voluntary Redundancies The TEU in partnership, with the College of Education recently went through a process of calling for expressions of interest in Voluntary Redundancies. This was in essence due to the College having some programmes across all three disciplines coming to an end and believing there would be a surplus of staff next year. In anticipation of that the College invited staff to indicate if they would be interested in taking a voluntary redundancy package. 16 staff took advantage of the offer. There were no criteria for being accepted by the College other than their interest in volunteering. All staff were of the highest calibre and we wish them well in their new endeavours whatever they may be.
School of Maori and Indigenous Studies Staff from the school have taken part in two hui with the PVC to discuss workload formula. These have been very productive to date and we look forward to the third hui which will now involve the new Head of the School Letitia Fickel, as well as the PVC.
A Fond Farewell… Dear friends & colleagues, Today is the last day of the best job of my life. I feel very privileged to have had this opportunity to work with so many remarkable people in the last 10 years, staff and students alike, listening to the life stories, sharing troubles and laughing at the jokes, eating dark caramel chocolate (only in emergencies of course), being amazed by the courage and the determination to succeed and the genuine delivery of support to students and to each other. So I leave here with much sadness for the loss of the collegiality of all the truly good people I have worked with over this time. BUT I do look forward to having time to do all of those things I have said I didn’t have time to do and I wish each & all of you all the very best.………. Stay fast to your ideals and enjoy your time at UC without losing sight of YOUR world beyond these walls. I thank you for your part in my adventures at UC. Cheers! Jude Laugesen For the very last time HARDSHIP SUPPORT
Student Advisory Services
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News from Christchurch, Nelson and the Coast Around 300,000 Kiwis shift jobs every year, that’s a lot of people working under a ‘fire at will’ law at any time. Perhaps you? Or the colleague next to you?
Contact your Organisers University of Canterbury: Gabrielle Moore 021 90 2396 extension 6485 tertiaryunion@ canterbury.ac.nz Paul Corliss 021 859129 extension 6288 paul.corliss@teu.ac.nz
Libi Carr 027 446 8779 extension 6288 libi.carr@teu.ac.nz
Other tertiary providers: Phil Dodds 027 44 99 422 Extension 6768 phil.dodds@teu.ac.nz
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology members held a Stop Work meeting 18 August to get an appreciation of member‟s response to a one off lump sum offer of $450 to renew their Collective Agreement. Needless to say, members voted unanimously to undertake an Industrial Action Ballot. They believe they are worth significantly more! Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology members in Nelson and Blenheim are also in the process of bargaining to renew their collective. A more realistic offer of a percentage increase to the salary scales is on the table. In the face of a large number of redundancies looming (approximately 15-20), members want to have their severance calculation based on their substantive salary rather than their salary that may have been reduced temporarily. Tai Poutini Polytechnic members are about to conclude their bargaining with CPI being reflected in their slary offer along with some improvements to promotion processes. Again members there are facing a restructuring that may see some members loose their positions. PEETO (Pasefika Education and Employment Training Organisation (a small Christchurch PTE)) are currently bargaining to renew their collective. Some gains are being offered by the employer such as 10 Institute days of leave, a paid days leave, and the employer subsidising EBS membership are seen by TEU as good employer practice.
Labour Day Picnic The TEU supports the Labour Day Picnic organised by Unions Canterbury. It will be held on Monday 25th October at the Heathcote Domain below the road tunnel. A classic old style picnic with free candy floss, popcorn, sausage sizzle and races and prizes for the kids and adults. Bouncy castles also! Bring the children and grandkids along, music, laughter and old-time fun….
UC TEU Branch Officers: President Megan Clayton Continuing and Bridging Education Extension 4931 Vice-President Jennifer Middendorf School of Humanities Extension 6212 Secretary/Treasurer Tim O’Sullivan Central Library Lending Services Extension 8826
See you there under the TEU banner!
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