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COVID-19: A timeline of union action
COVID-19 COVID-19: a timeline of union action
By Kirsty Henderson
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The beginnings of a pandemic
Never has the community faced a challenge like that posed by COVID-19. Since a fleeting mention in January, the virus has come to dominate every aspect of life, with schools and TAFEs being no exception.
The outbreak was quickly declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and although the virus spread at a slow and steady rate throughout WA, public hysteria swiftly began to escalate.
Whilst the federal government did its best to orchestrate a national public health emergency plan, it stumbled to deliver clear and consistent messaging to the public.
States and territories were left to follow their own paths in dealing with the crisis and in turn the levels of anxiety among the public and WA teachers increased exponentially.
There was no longer a consistent and transparent national response.
It was no longer business as usual.
The implementation of strict social distancing measures and hygiene restrictions saw the closures of businesses both great and small, with thousands of people suffering unemployment.
All the while, the Morrison Government was asking educators to battle the front line in the complex world of teaching, where hygiene is questionable and social distancing almost impossible.
Throughout the crisis, the SSTUWA worked tirelessly behind the scenes, consulting and lobbying with the state and federal governments, the Department of Education (DoE) and the Director General about the rights and safety of its members and students. View the timeline on pages 9-10.
In the face of the crisis SSTUWA and COVID-19 timeline
11 March 24 April
11 March
The SSTUWA liaises closely with the government on issues relating to COVID-19 and attends briefings to raise member concerns, along with assisting members in their individual industrial issues. During this time the SSTUWA backs the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in calling on the Morrison Government to provide two weeks special leave for all workers.
16 March
A state of emergency comes into effect in WA. The union calls for the government to communicate openly with educators across schools and TAFEs during the health crisis and requests a full explanation of the reasoning behind nonclosures of education facilities. Advice is also sought on the practicalities of managing social distancing in a school context, which is of particular concern in early childhood and special needs settings. The union welcomes advice from the Director General to principals advising the cancellation of non-essential gatherings of over 500 people and to not provide additional work/lessons for students who have been withdrawn from school before the end of term, without further direction from the government. The WA Government announces up to 20 days paid leave for public sector workers in response to COVID-19.
18 March
In a bid to ensure the safety of the school community the SSTUWA requests the urgent release of detailed medical advice from the state’s Chief Medical Officer and Minister for Education behind their decision to keep schools and TAFEs open. On this day, we also hear from the Minister for Education and Training, Sue Ellery. In a letter of appreciation to educators, the Minister claims a national approach is being taken, while maintaining schools are being kept open and that all schools are safe. The Minister reiterates the importance of social distancing measures and encourages implementation of strategies to reduce transmission, yet fails to provide teachers with sufficient guidelines and parameters.
19 March
The SSTUWA, through the Australian Education Union (AEU), writes to the Prime Minister raising a number of issues around keeping preschools, schools and TAFEs open during the COVID-19 crisis. A briefing is requested with the Chief Medical Officer and Federal Education Minister.
Shortly thereafter, Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan agrees to meet with the AEU leadership on 24 March.
20 March
The Education Council announces NAPLAN will not proceed in May 2020.
23 March
The SSTUWA requests for either the introduction of pupil-free days, until the commencement of the school holiday period, or to bring forward the school holidays.
Union President Pat Byrne meets with the Director General and requests an urgent meeting with the Minister for Education.
The SSTUWA issues urgent COVID-19 advice to TAFE members and calls on TAFE managers to immediately cease requests to staff to create and develop online learning materials.
24 March
The union continues to seek solutions for members regarding their personal industrial rights, including one where a member with a heart issue was denied a request to work from home. The union intervened and the decision was reversed.
25 March
SSTUWA President Pat Byrne writes an opinion piece featured in The West Australian, entitled Why school students should stay at home.
26 March
WA Premier Mark McGowan’s call for parents to keep children at home is welcomed, but the news that pupil-free days would not commence until 6 April causes frustration among the union and educators.
The union pressures the state government to address both health and safety concerns, along with curriculum issues as a matter of urgency.
The SSTUWA curates a specific COVID-19 web page for members to issue regular advice and updates.
The union’s Education and Training Centre (ETC) cancels face-to-face courses until further notice and moves to providing educators with online learning opportunities.
27 March
Urgent requests are made to the government asking for clarity on TAFE issues and addressing safety, which are not mentioned by health officials in many previous announcements.
In a letter from the SSTUWA to the Minister for Education, the union raises several issues for TAFEs including calling for the implementation of student-free days, the waiving of TAFE fees, an immediate review of OSH practices and more.
The AEU wins significant commitments that enhance members’ safety and working conditions across the country, following intensive lobbying.
30 March
The state government announces travel restrictions in WA to be effective as of midnight 31 March. The DoE works with the state’s emergency control centre to seek exemptions for staff working in regional locations who need to return home to their place of permanent residency for the holiday period.
Premier Mark McGowan encourages parents keep their children home from school from this date.
(continued from page 9) learning opportunities for professional development. Over 15 online events are scheduled for Term 2 where participants can interact with educators from across Australia. A TAFE update and acknowledgement is issued to delegates. Daily TAFE delegate teleconferences begin at 5pm every day, sharing information and collating issues not able to be resolved at the local level.
31 March
The SSTUWA Executive cancels the June State Council meeting scheduled for 12- 13 June 2020. The Australian Electoral Commission cancels all elections that are underway and will resume these elections at a later date.
The union issues advice and guidance to principals surrounding the new Alternative Working Arrangements (AWA) by the DoE for educators surrounding rostering, cleaning, casual relief staff and more.
Simultaneously the SSTUWA Executive endorses an Agreement In Principle (AIP) for the Schools 2019 EBA.
1 April
Both the union and the DoE seek travel restriction exemptions for educators, but police advise broad exemptions are not possible.
2 April
Upon the issuing of the DoE AWA, the union urges members to familiarise themselves with the eligibility criteria and to seek further assistance from Member Assist if they require support regarding wrongful decisions being made about entitlement.
Schools are set to remain open postholiday period for those who need their children to attend school to maintain employment, for those who live in families with aged relatives and for those where it is safer to be at school.
New regional travel restrictions apply within the Kimberley.
3 April
The state government brings forward school holidays for students and sets this date as the last day of Term 1.
7 April
The union undertakes urgent discussions with the Director General to address confusion and seek further clarification over the AWA and staffing requirements for Term 2.
The new definitions categorising “high risk” individuals released by National Cabinet leads to confusion at the school level when determining AWA on a medical basis.
9 April
Union leaders are set to meet with the Director General during week one of the holidays to discuss Term 2 operations for schools and TAFEs.
To date, the union provides assistance to 1,500 members via phone and 1,200 via email.
SSTUWA officials attend meetings and consultations with various bodies in an effort to increase workplace safety for members in schools and TAFEs.
The union is still seeking more transparency and commitment to a guaranteed income for casual and relief teachers.
17 April
The Premier and Minister make a surprise public announcement declaring WA state schools will take a "cautious" approach to re-opening in Term 2, commencing 29 April. The government invests a $43 million package to support schools in this transition. The decision, based on national health advice, strongly encourages Year 11 and 12 students to attend school. It remains optional for parents to send their children to school, distance education and online packages will be sent to those students learning at home, onsite cleaning will be increased and the arrangements to be reviewed ahead of Week 4, 18 May. The union seeks urgent clarity on several issues and requests a number of measures to be implemented and adhered to in Term 2. The SSTUWA has a significant win and secures an extension of COVID-19 leave to staff in high risk groups and those staff caring for a family member in a high risk category. Members no longer need to exhaust other forms of leave in the first instance and the leave can be backdated.
19 April
Following the Premier and Minister’s announcement about school operations for Term 2, the SSTUWA Executive holds an urgent meeting on Sunday, passing resolutions in relation to planning and the health and safety concerns of members around COVID-19. This includes the immediate delivery of a survey to all members to determine personal safety perceptions about their impending return to work in Term 2.
22 April
SSTUWA President Pat Byrne writes a second an opinion piece featured in The West Australian in light of the potential ramifications surrounding the return of students in Term 2.
The DoE begins a series of advertisements in The West Australian as schools prepare to re-open to all students in Term 2. The department asserts safety is their top priority and assures the public the extra $43 million investment will guarantee student and teacher safety.
The SSTUWA Executive endorses a recommendation from the TAFE Committee to provide in-principle agreement to the offer from the Department of Training and Workforce Development regarding the 2019 TAFE EBA.
23 April
The SSTUWA survey results are in.
With 7,451 members taking part in the survey, the results send a clear message to the government – an overwhelming 70 per cent of teachers claim they are not confident about the WA government’s decisions made about school operations in Term 2, nor has consideration been given to their welfare, and health and safety upon their return to work.
The resulting data will feature in a story in The West Australian.
24 April
The SSTUWA runs a full page ad in The West Australian urging parents to keep their children home from school once Term 2 commences, if they can, to keep schools as safe as possible until we can all be back at school together.
Standing together
In times of crisis such as these, we see those around us come together to form a united front.
From 29 February to 24 April, more than 665 educators joined us in our collective fight.
During the short space of a week in March, the SSTUWA saw a significant change among our members.
There was a sharp increase in anxiety and distress among our educators about both their personal and family health.
Members contacted the union on issues such as leave matters, DOTT, workload, employment contracts and OSH.
The union's eNews and social media platforms became critical mediums to ensure our members were regularly kept up to date during the crisis.
Social media statistics from the period of March show a sudden spike in social media engagements with an increase in comments, likes and shares of post material.
From 1-31 March, the union's Facebook page reached 9,400 engagements and within that month, post content reached 125,977 people. This continued to grow in April, with engagements of 77,000 and post content reaching 254,000 people.
In desperation and sheer frustration, members began contacting the union via social media, venting their concerns and divulging the grim circumstances they faced in some of our public schools.
Some of their comments were:
“Our classrooms aren’t cleaned well enough; there are too many students in small spaces and our job requires us to come into contact with over 100 students a day putting us at severe risk.” The West Australian, 24 April 2020
the brunt of the criticism from students and parents who don’t understand why schools are open.”
“I have a duty of care for my students and the responsibility to not put my family at risk, but in the current situation I cannot protect my students, myself or my family,” wrote one member.
Another wrote: “I can’t keep 24 Year 12 students from touching each other, I can’t imagine how a kindy class would try to practice social distancing!”
“We need more support, training and to be provided with hand sanitiser at the very least. I have never seen my colleagues more stressed out and we are taking And another added their appreciation: “Thank you SSTUWA for keeping us up to date and supporting teachers through this time.”
And this message from a school leader: “A seemingly forgotten occupation who have faced unprecedented challenges to their work is union staff. Around the country, union leaders and staff have relentlessly supported Australian workers as we battle the uncertainty and complex challenges that this crisis has brought us. It has undoubtedly been a very hectic and stressful time for all union workers, including SSTUWA staff. “The SSTUWA’s staff commitment and support to members at this time has helped us to face this immense challenge in schools. “I would like to pass on my thanks to all of your staff who have been listening to our frustrations and fighting for our industrial rights and wellbeing at this time.”
COVID-19 COVID-19 Term 2 return: In members' own words
Good, clear leadership from within the school. Expectation of three modes of learning is not possible when such a high percentage of students are attending. I have been directed to coordinate the online learning for two year groups but will also be required to teach face-to-face classes as the percentage of students increases. I feel as though no consideration has been given to this issue at this current time.
My children’s school has allowed parents of K/PP/ Year 1 students to enter school grounds for drop off and collection. These parents congregated in playgrounds on pathways and around the kiss and ride area, making drop off unsafe for all other students who had to walk through large groups of adults.
Even though schools had contacted parents prior to school resuming to gauge what we were likely to experience first day back, not all parents responded (60 per cent) so this made managing the first day somewhat difficult. Now that we are back, it is a bit of trial and error as to how things are working and what may be better due to "having never experienced anything like this before". There are obviously situations that we haven't thought of, or situations which have been planned for, but did not work as efficiently as hoped, like drop off/ pick up routines. It really makes me believe that there was a better way the government could have handled this. They have done their best but have left schools with many additional headaches. Yes we are professionals, we are excellent at forward planning and changing things at the drop of a hat, but the government doesn’t understand what pressure and extra work load that they have put on all school staff.
At times during this crisis, the treatment of teachers by politicians has made me consider leaving the profession. I also feel like politicians, media and members of the public have made out like teachers are being precious or entitled by being concerned about our work conditions. I feel safe and happy to be back with my students now, but it will take a long time to recover from feeling like our government doesn't value our lives or mental wellbeing. Teachers are by nature selfless and dedicated to what we do, but this whole thing has really hurt my previously unwavering dedication to this calling.
My principal has looked after at-risk staff very well and the extra precautions are excellent.
I am concerned about workload. I have been asked to teach solely online but am routinely required to be in classrooms, due to staffing and higher-thanexpected student numbers.
While I have been told that I am not expected to "do online teaching", I have been required by my school to teach face-to-face lessons and the school has communicated to parents that I will respond to questions messaged to me by students within 48 hours where possible. I am receiving a significant number of questions in messages from students and I consider this to constitute online teaching, which I supposedly don't have to do, in addition to the face-to-face teaching I am required to do.
I feel very well supported in my school. I just hope others teachers feel the same.
No paper towels in staff bathrooms and no hot water in staff bathrooms either.
I felt safe because I only had six students. I think I will feel differently when the class is full again.
The school I work at has done an amazing job but it has taken considerable planning and effort by staff to achieve, with much of this done on our holidays. The unexpected turn around by the government by encouraging all students to attend school was not appreciated after being advised to prepare for online/ work package learning for the majority of students for the beginning of Term 2. I personally think two more weeks of only being open for families with no other option, or those students in high risk family situations, would have caused less confusion, worry and anxiety for staff and parents.
I understand that schools need to make decisions that reflect their particular environments but when it comes to Year 12 ATAR students, the decision about first semester exams and assessments should be specifically outlined so that students and teachers have certainty and some degree of a level playing field.
There are inconsistencies across schools. One school was provided with disinfectant wipes to clean desks after each student left, ready for the next. We have none. I may end up buying my own. There is complete disregard, especially by the federal government, for the stress teachers are currently under. We cannot provide normal curriculum and have minimal communication or guidelines from SCSA.
I feel it is a little premature to have students back at school.
Not impressed with the PM and Premier making teachers feel guilty if we weren't embracing the return to school. This virus is new and possibly unpredictable. Why doesn't social distancing apply to school situations? The rhetoric that students' education is in the balance is ridiculous. Children throughout the ages have experienced a far more disrupted education (wars, earthquakes in NZ, etc) and they adjust and catch up.
The logistics of structuring the school has been very challenging in regards to staffing and making accommodations, managing a home learning team, additional duty, conflicting information about returning student numbers, recording attendance codes for those learning at home, at school or other reasons e.g. student is unwell to name a few. However, once the school had settled for the day we were able to manage the challenges. My main concern is that our student numbers will change daily and therefore the school structure is going to continue to change, which of course is unsettling for staff and students.
It's hard to employ extra cleaning staff in remote areas.
It’s a difficult situation and I recognise that I am a younger, healthier member of staff, so I do not have the health concerns of some of my colleagues. But I also teach students at educational risk. Thirteen out of 21 have shown up and they are so pleased to be at school. Most of them have parents at home so if we restrict to essential workers only they will not attend. I'd like to think we can find a way to teach every kid who wants to be at school.
