University of Canterbury branch newsletter, March 2013

Volume 5, Number 1, April 2013

The President’s View The Union is deeply committed to the challenges brought by earthquakes and unrelenting financial crises. In addition to serving as a conscience for those making decisions that affect our employment, the Union also is a network from which creative solutions to problems can emerge. Our people represent the heart and the wisdom of the institution.

As we rebuild our workplace we rebuild our identity as members of a collective. I hope that you will lend me your voice, insight and strength this year to advance our University together, for the long term.

Jack The 2013 Branch Committee and AGM Following the Tertiary Education Union’s AGM, held at Kirkwood Village on the 20th March, these members are the TEU Branch Committee:

• President: Professor Jack Heinemann, Lecturer in Genetics • Secretary/Treasurer: Tim O’Sullivan, Librarian • Women’s Rep: Associate Professor Anne-Marie Brady, Political Science • Māori Academic Rep: Benita Rarere-Briggs, Lecturer, College of Ed • Pasifika General Staff Rep: Lynsey Talagi, Pasifika Student Mentor • Rob Stowell, Video Production Co-ordinator • Grant Bush, ICTS • Warwick Anderson, Finance Lecturer • Associate Professor Steven Gieseg, Biology • Karen Turnock, Senior Tutor, Early Childhood The AGM guest speaker was Press columnist Chris Trotter. His address to the AGM was recorded on video and is now available on the TEU website: http://teu.ac.nz/2013/03/chris-trotter-talks-to-theuniversity-of-canterbury-teu-branch/

Cleaners and Car-Parking Costs Our cleaner members are the lowest paid section of TEU and accordingly we were concerned when we started receiving complaints from some of them that the impact of the new parking policy was going to affect them disproportionately and cost them some $300 for parking for an hour between 8am and 9am. We also started receiving calls of support for the cleaners predicament from both academic and general staff members.

A lot of the cleaners start work at 4am and finish at 9am. Due to the ‘one size fits all’ parking policy approach, this would have represented nearly six days’ wages of their wages for an hour’s parking a day. We are pleased to advise that, while we haven’t fully resolved all unfair cleaner outcomes, the University acknowledged this represented case and agreed to adapt the policy start time to prevent the potential injustice occurring.

While this could have compounded the impact of the 0% wage settlement, the TEU Committee and staff decided that cleaners needed to be shown that they were respected and considered positively. On that basis ‘gift packs’ containing TEU branded material donated by the national union and a few local edible and drinkable ‘goodies’ were put together by Gaby and Jo Goven and distributed to all cleaner members as a token of our support and recognition.

Associate Professor Jo Goven assists with the preparation of TEU’s small gift to all our cleaner members.

Health & Safety The TEU views Health and safety as one key area where the outcomes are beneficial to both employees and the employer.

The right to return home each day from work in as good (or better) shape as when you left for work is a fundamental objective. The union supports and cooperates with the University in achieving this by way of the joint Health & Safety Committee.

Recommended number of reps University-wide: 103 Actual number of reps: 71 TEU H&S Reps are still needed in these areas: •

School of Humanities: 2

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Geological Sciences: 2

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Centre for Fine Arts, Music and Theatre: 2

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Education Studies & Human Development: 1

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Accountancy & Information Systems: 1

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Education Plus: 2

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Economics & Finance: 1

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Student Services: 2

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School of Law: 2

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Learning Preparation & Support: 1

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Education Studies & Human Development: 2

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Facilities & Operational Services: 4

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Electrical & Computer Engineering: 2

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Deputy Vice-Chancellor's Group: 2

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Mechanical Engineering: 1

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Early Years Care & Education: 2

If you want to contribute please contact H&S Managers Sharon Butt or Moura Minnock direct. Or contact TEU Organiser Paul Corliss on paul.corliss@teu.ac.nz

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Farewell to Megan Clayton Most members will be aware that our popular and once very active Branch President Megan Clayton (from Bridging Programmes as it once was) took time out for Parental Leave following the birth of her second daughter.

Since then Megan has been successful in applying for an academic position at Lincoln University so has accordingly resigned her Canterbury role.

The Branch and staff wish her a most successful career and record our genuine thanks for her support and hard work on behalf of TEU members, particularly her and Jennifer Middendorf’s efforts during the difficult ‘Project STAR’ months. Members will also be pleased to hear that Megan’s skills will not be lost to us completely; she has been successful in her election as one of the university academic representatives on the TEU’s national body, the Industrial Professional Committee.

Collective Agreement

CTU Picnic

Just to highlight the recent ratification of the various collective agreement settlements, we list a few key points below: • Factoring in the parlous financial state of the University post-earthquakes, the settlement is for three years (expiry 20 June 2015) with 0% for the first year and % increases to wages and allowances linked to the Consumer Price Index % for each subsequent year (as at September of that year).

• All four Collectives have been combined into one: ie the General Staff, Cleaners & Custodians, Medical Practitioners and Maintenance (we have a tradesman member).

The Academic Collective is currently standalone but we will jointly work on trying to amalgamate it during the term of the agreement. Any “unintended consequences” arising as result of combining any of the documents will be resolved in good faith, if they arise.

• We advise that while the PSA and the Service and Food Workers Union (the other Union parties to the agreements) have also ratified the settlement, it was rejected by tradesmen members of the EPMU. Accordingly all other Unions have formally signed off and the EPMU will be pursuing their own strategy and will no longer form part of the multi-union Collective.

Rail & Maritime Transport Union Organiser John Kerr lines the children up for the first race for 5 years and under children at the CTU Picnic Day held at the Heathcote Domain.

Following the disastrous weather last Labour Day the Council of Trade Unions postponed its annual picnic and converted it to a ‘Welcome back to Work’ picnic.

Held in early February at the Heathcote Valley Domain the weather was magnificent as was the fun. Based on the ‘old-style’ picnics there were sack races and threelegged races, children’s’ races, bouncy castles and candyfloss. The various Unions had displays of the role they play in the community and the type of work they do in support of their membership.

The TEU local Committee supports this occasion financially and one of our Organisers serves the exhausted toilers with after-match refreshments at the cricket club facilities.

Retirement considerations

Flu Vaccinations

Members are reminded that if considering retirement they should arrange to discuss their options with one of the Organisers prior to giving the employer formal advice. This can be done by email in the first instance and followed up by an appointment with one of the TEU Organisers if necessary.

Flu Vaccinations will be fully subsidised for all staff and are available now. To arrange for a vaccination, staff need to book an appointment by contacting the Health Centre on ext 6402 to organise a time to visit. Clinics are held between 9-10am and 23pm Monday to Thursday and 2-3pm Fridays. When booking please advise that the appointment is for a flu vaccine.

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A new president steps up Following the departure of Christian Long as Acting Branch President, TEU members needed to rely on the efforts of the Branch Committee, and especially on long-serving SecretaryTreasurer Tim O’Sullivan, who filled the breach seamlessly. But despite their efforts, with the increasing pressures on the Branch and its TEU Organisers as we try to deal with what seems to be a constant flow of change proposals, restructurings and extraordinary belt-tightening, we have had an understandable and initial reluctance from anyone prepared to fill the considerable Presidential shoes.

Following meetings among key TEU members and activists, both Academic and General Staff, we have seen a slightly trembling though voluntary hand reach skyward. Professor Jack Heinemann will be remembered by many from the previous occasion he held the presidential reins, and all members will no doubt join us in thanking him for his generosity and his support during these trying times.

Clockwise from top: Former Acting Branch President Christian Long; Branch Secretary-Treasurer Tim O’Sullivan; Professor Jack Heinemann demonstrates the size of the popular support he received in his tilt at the Branch Presidency; our new Branch President displays his one-eyed commitment to the TEU.

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TEU Staff Arrivals & Departures Farewell and good luck to our erstwhile administrator (and previously UC cleaner) Carol Grant. Supported by the TEU, Carol has pursued a law degree at the university while holding down her TEU role and has been successful in gaining a job with a local industrial lawyer. Her farewell was well attended and her contribution well recognised by members and staff from both Canterbury and from Lincoln University where Carol also filled a part-time role.

Luckily, TEU House will soon have a high standard of member service reestablished, as Madison Walker has accepted the position as regional administrator in the Canterbury office. From 2006-2010 Madison was a humanities student at the University of Canterbury, studying mostly Sociology, Psychology and Political Science based papers. During this time she worked in hospitality, and as a member of SFWU developed an interest in Trade Unions, volunteering time to phone canvas on the Christchurch Mayoral Campaign.

After living in London for the past few years, she has moved back to Christchurch with her partner and 9 month old daughter, and is very excited to have been appointed as the new Canterbury TEU administrator. She looking forward to getting to know a few faces around campus as she get settled in, and hope to assist numerous members in the future!

Marion Cadman

Madison Walker

We have also recently farewelled Marion Cadman, the TEU National Administration Manager. Marian has been discussing for some time now a process for her to firstly reduce her hours and then to resign fully from her position. The TEU is always regretful when valued members of our staff leave, but also know that people move on and need to look at their own career choices and advancement or in Marian’s case moving out of the full time workforce and heading to retirement. National Office’s Ed Goode and Susannah Muirhead are also ‘moving on’ but assure you that there is no connection other than coincidence.

Both of our Organisers, Gaby Moore and Paul Corliss, suffered from a combination of a fairly serious accident and illness late last year. In true Trojan-style both appear to have recovered and are back toiling at the chalkface. The support offered by National Office, southern organisers and the local Branch ensured members interests were still protected and supported.

TEU Membership A TEU member recruitment campaign is currently underway through the branch Committee. Our best recruiters are in fact other members who pass on to new employees the benefits of TEU membership and the importance of the widest possible coverage in order to speak with one voice and represent interests of members. Individual members can make a significant contribution to TEU strength by encouraging current and new colleagues to join TEU and increase their influence and base numbers.

The tertiary education sector is a rapidly changing work environment dominated by a number of potentially harmful political, management, and funding trends. The consistent underfunding of tertiary education since 2008 and the application of ‘market’ principles to public tertiary education has led to on-going attacks on the working conditions of TEU members. The attacks have included (but are not limited to) the increased casualisation of the workforce, greater productivity demands, and the intensification of work. Additional areas of TEU concern at Canterbury include increasing use of part-time roles, Fixed Term Agreements and Individual Employment Agreements. Of course, the physical and financial impact of the earthquakes has created far greater additional stresses relating to Change Proposals, redundancies, space allocation, operating flexibilities and funding constraints.

Membership of the TEU ensures the best possible support and professional representation when confronted with the consequences of workplace changes.

The Tertiary Education Union currently negotiates 70 collective agreements (CAs) across the sector, covering universities, institutes of technology/polytechnics, and wānanga. The union also negotiates a limited number of collective agreements in the private sector and for other providers or organisations.

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Win an iPad3 One of the Branch committee’s priorities this year is recruitment and our aim is to recruit 100 new members. We are pleased to announce that the Branch Committee is offering two prizes to encourage recruitment.

Te Toi Ahurangi A big ‘Haeremai’ to our new Māori General Staff Representative, Liz Brown.

Liz is Kaiārahi Māori based at the College of Education. Liz joins Benita Rarere-Briggs in ensuring Maori interests are represented in the Branch activities and policy.

Benita Rarere-Briggs

iPad draw All new enrolments and active recruiters will be entered into a draw to win an iPad3.

Best Recruiter Additionally, an iPad3 will be a awarded to the member who achieves the highest number of new recruitments.

The draw will be held at a meeting to be called when 100 new members have been recruited. All new members and members who recruited the new member from January 2013 will be entered in the draw.

If you have recruited a new member, please email our Branch Treasurer/Secretary Tim O’Sullivan on tim.osullivan@canterbury.ac.nz and you will be entered in the draw once the person you have recruited has filled out and submitted the TEU online membership enrolment form. There will be only one entry per person in the draw. The second prize will be awarded to the member who recruits the most new members. New members who then recruit a new member will also be eligible for this prize.

New staff on an IEA are also eligible to become members and to go into the draw.

Global Corporate Challenge The University is taking part Challenge and will encourage staff or students to participate. world moving” by encouraging and genuine lifestyle changes.

in the 2013 Global Corporate the registration of teams of UC The competition aims to “get the an increase in personal activity

Teams of seven compete for a variety of rewards over a 16 week period from 23 May to 11 September 2013. Motion sensors are provided to each participant to record all physical activity. The more active the team, the greater the rewards. Additionally participants are asked to volunteer in the completion of a health questionnaire pre and post the challenge. The results of this questionnaire will assist the University in identifying health and wellbeing initiatives for possible implementation in 2014.

All staff and students can register here: http://www.gettheworldmoving.com/portal/1206632798/university-of-canterbury

Contact your organisers University of Canterbury Gabrielle Moore 021 90 2396 extension 6485 tertiaryunion@canterbury.ac.

Other Tertiary Providers Paul Corliss 021 859129 extension 6288 paul.corliss@teu.ac.n

Phil Dodds 027 44 99 422 extension 6768 phil.dodds@teu.ac.n

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