Welcome to your Union

Welcome

to Your Union

www.nteu.org.au

Contents Welcome!

1

What is NTEU?

3

What we believe in

4

Your working conditions Enterprise Agreements

6 7

Our achievements Academic Freedom Social Justice

8 9 9

Public policy & advocacy Some key issues we’re working on

10 12

Casual staff rights

13

Getting involved Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander members Women in the Union Queer Unionists in Tertiary Education

14 15 16 17

Your local Branch

18

Delegates are our voice

19

Discounts & benefits

20

Your member details 5 reasons to keep your member details up to date

26 27

Staying informed

29

NTEU Shop

31

Contact us

32

Welcome to Your Union. © NTEU 2019. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-9946377-6-5. 2nd edition.

Published by National Tertiary Education Union, 120 Clarendon St, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia.

Cover: Members Sara, Dion and Hayley at an NTEU event (N Clark).

Welcome!

Dear New Member, The National Tertiary Education Union represents working people in tertiary education. You have joined over 27,000 other staff at universities, TAFEs, research institutes, adult and community education institutes and private providers to ensure respect at work and to promote quality education for all.

Being active and involved in your Union is important. There are many ways to do this, and we encourage your participation.

To get more involved, to find out about upcoming events, to contact a local delegate or learn about your rights at work, simply contact your local Branch office.

We stand for the values of equality, social justice, dignity and respect at work, and a quality education for all.

To find out more about your Union, please visit www.nteu.org.au

Alison Barnes National President

Matt McGowan General Secretary

Gabe Gooding National Assistant Secretary

1

The National Tertiary Education Union is made up of working people from across the tertiary education sector. By joining together in the NTEU we ensure members are respected at work, receive help if something goes wrong, and that we improve our pay and conditions.

2

What is NTEU? NTEU is a member-driven Union. All important decisions of the Union are made by our members. Members who work at universities, TAFEs, research institutes and other institutions are elected to the Union’s National and statebased Division Councils, make up our National Executive and Division Executives, and local committees.

NTEU is a democratic Union that draws its strength from the activism and commitment of our members. We believe that by working together we can ensure that our universities, TAFEs, research institutes and other education workplaces are better places to work, teach and research.

NTEU is the professional voice for tertiary education staff. Through our public policy campaigns, national and state lobbying, submissions to reviews and inquiries, interventions in public debates and representations to key industry bodies and research funding organisations, NTEU ensures that the voice of staff influences the decisions that affect our working lives. No other organisation speaks for all staff in the professional debates that shape the future of our sector.

3

What we believe in Promoting a quality, freely accessible tertiary education system that values staff and students is the foundation of NTEU’s campaigns, organising and bargaining. Our members expect the Union to be a leading force advocating for our sector.

We believe that a well-resourced and freely accessible tertiary education sector that values intellectual freedom, a broad and inclusive curriculum, high quality research and democratic governance structures will not only benefit staff and students, but will ensure that Australia has the intellectual, cultural and practical resources to enable it to meet the challenges of the future.

4

NTEU’s objectives are to: ❖❖ Improve and protect the living standards of its members as well as their conditions of employment, working environment and professional interests. ❖❖ Promote the work of tertiary education institutions in Australia and preserve their independence and integrity. ❖❖ Foster the process of intellectual debate within the Australian community. ❖❖ Defend and promote the rights of members to teach, research and disseminate knowledge and information without fear of reprisal. ❖❖ Promote the concept of equal opportunity in employment and eliminate all forms of discrimination in tertiary education and in all spheres of the Union’s activity. ❖❖ Create and maintain an informed public opinion concerning tertiary education institutions and their staff.

5

Your working conditions NTEU works to defend, enforce and expand the rights and interests of our members. The Union negotiates Agreements that are the core instruments in setting salaries and employment conditions in each workplace, provides industrial support to individual members and groups of members, and participates in representative bodies at workplaces to ensure compliance and continued development.

6

Enterprise Agreements For nearly all NTEU members, your terms and conditions of employment are set out in an Enterprise Agreement, made between the NTEU on one side and a university, TAFE institute or other employer on the other. Each new generation of staff benefits from the efforts of thousands of union members who have gone before.

Agreements are approved by Fair Work Australia and are legally enforceable instruments.

Enterprise Agreements are usually made for a period of three years or more. Near the end of each Agreement’s life, NTEU consults members about what should be claimed for the next Agreement. Meetings are held, and members’ views are sought, sometimes by surveys.

NTEU also coordinates its bargaining strategy nationally, with delegates from all institutions meeting together to identify key issues which need to be defended or advanced on a national basis. This is because the outcomes of bargaining at each institution can affect negotiations at others.

General information on employment conditions, Agreements, Awards and related issues can be found at www.nteu.org.au/rights A copy of your local Enterprise Agreement can be downloaded from your Branch website, or at www.nteu.org.au/rights/agreements

7

Our achievements Important industrial gains that NTEU has achieved for members include: ❖❖ Improvements in paid maternity leave to between 26–36 weeks for most members. ❖❖ Protections for academic and intellectual freedom. ❖❖ One of the best superannuation schemes in Australia (17% employer contributions in universities). ❖❖ Pay increases significantly above the average over the last decade: 40%

Cumulative Salary Increases by Sector (2009 to 2020) Definite

3.7%

30%

7.6%

Forecast

1.5% 4.9%

20%

38.9% 30.9%

24.7%

27.2% 21.6%

10%

0%

8

University Salaries

Teachers

Wage Price Index

APS

CPI

18.2%

CSIRO

Academic Freedom NTEU has been the leading voice protecting the essential character of higher education through maintaining institutional autonomy and academic freedom.

It was as a direct result of NTEU efforts that Australia’s higher education legislation now requires universities to have policies that promote and protect free intellectual inquiry.

NTEU’s long-held view that academic freedom is fundamental to the modern conception of the university, and that it is “vital to the process of gaining and disseminating knowledge, and as one of the central defining characteristics of a university”.

Social Justice NTEU is proud of its strong stances on social justice and human rights issues.

Through bargaining we have established numeric targets at many universities for the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members.

NTEU supports a view of gender equity based on equality, social justice and identity. We strongly supported the successful campaign for marriage equality in Australia, and oppose efforts to re-introduce discrimination in the form of so-called ‘religious freedom’ laws.

NTEU asserts the human and civil rights of asylum seekers and refugees and opposes the discriminatory refugee policies of successive Coalition and Labor Governments.

We strongly support calls for action on climate change and moves to achieve environmental sustainability around all facets of the operations of tertiary institutions.

9

Public policy & advocacy NTEU is also at the forefront of advocating on important public policy issues in higher education, as well as social justice and human right issues.

In recent years our public policy and advocacy work has concentrated on the inadequate level of public investment in higher education, gender equity, academic freedom and the assessment of research quality and impact as well as highlighting the rising tide of insecure employment in the sector.

Detailed information and resources covering our public policy work can be found at www.nteu.org.au/policy

10

Campaigns to change public policy NTEU’s policy work is often seen through the debate on the future of Australian higher education and research policy.

Successful public policy initiatives include our recent ‘No $100,000 Degrees’ campaign which was pivotal in forcing the Coalition Government to abandon plans to deregulate higher education.

Deregulation would have allowed universities to charge whatever they like for a degree and give private for-profit providers access to publicly funded places.

Submissions to government NTEU prepares submissions to Parliamentary inquiries, such as those into the economic security of women, the provisions of Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS), VET FEE loans and the funding and regulation of higher education and research.

Analysing institutional policies NTEU has examined the changing landscape of university governance, and in particular the role of staff and students on university governing boards, the use of student evaluations of teaching, intellectual property rights and university finances.

11

Some key issues we’re working on ❖❖ Protections against arbitrary dismissal. ❖❖ Fairer, more transparent classification processes for professional/general staff. ❖❖ Better workload regulations. ❖❖ Improved job security for research staff. ❖❖ Improved rights and rates of pay for casual academic staff. ❖❖ Conversion rights for casual professional/general staff. ❖❖ We also work to ensure that individual members have their rights protected. This includes ensuring members get back paid if they are under-paid, converted to secure employment and compensation if they are unfairly dismissed.

Find out more at www.nteu.org.au/campaigns

12

Casual staff rights Over half of all undergraduate teaching is now done by casual (sessional) academic staff. There has been a large increase in labour-hire and casual employment for maintenance, administrative and front-line service staff. As well as being unfair for the staff involved, lack of job security or access to career development places pressure on the quality of education and services.

NTEU has recently won increased rights and significantly improved pay rates for casual academic staff at universities. We’re also working towards the creation of hundreds of new continuing positions for casual and contract academics, as part of a broader campaign around improving job security for all staff.

Find out more at www.unicasual.org.au

13

Getting involved As well as the core industrial and policy work we do, there are many other ways to enhance your union membership.

You can participate in your local Branch activities by: ❖❖ Attending union meetings and having your say. ❖❖ Voting on what the Union’s priorities should be around enterprise bargaining. ❖❖ Voting in elections for workplace, state and national union leaderships. ❖❖ Taking part in a range of more specialised groups, committees and activities. ❖❖ Becoming a local workplace delegate.

14

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander members NTEU is committed to the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) peoples in the Australian tertiary education system. This includes the lobbying of Universities to include fair and equitable provisions relating to A&TSI workers within their Enterprise Bargaining Agreements, raising the profile of A&TSI issues across the union structure, and advising A&TSI members, as well as Divisions and University Branches on a number of issues.

The National A&TSI Unit and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy Committee (A&TSIPC) oversee the development and implementation of Indigenous policy across all levels of the Union. They convene an annual Forum to provide A&TSI members with the opportunity to develop policy recommendations on A&TSI higher education.

www.nteu.org.au/atsi 15

Women in the Union NTEU is committed to enhancing the participation and voice of women members. Women hold positions of influence and power at all levels of the Union, are active on the Union’s enterprise bargaining teams, and contribute to the development of the Union’s strategy.

The Union has been a leader in many areas concerning women and their professional and employment rights, and provides support for other women through the ACTU and other non-government organisations. NTEU published the first national pay equity study done in Australia, and this has encouraged a broader commitment to pay equity within the labour movement.

The NTEU Women’s Action Committee (WAC) and the biennial Women’s Conference develop this work at a national level. The Union publishes an annual women’s magazine, Agenda. www.nteu.org.au/women

16

Queer Unionists in Tertiary Education Queer Unionists in Tertiary Education (QUTE) is a network of LGBTIQ NTEU members and staff and their allies. The aim of the QUTE Caucus is to develop networks between members within the LGBTIQ communities and foster opportunities for action within the Union, the broader labour movement and our communities. www.nteu.org.au/qute

17

Your local Branch There is an NTEU Branch at each university, plus branches for Research Institutes, Navitas, College of Law, Adult & Community Education* and TAFE*.

The Branch is your first and most important contact point. Each Branch is run by representatives elected from amongst your colleagues, almost all in volunteer, unpaid roles. With local union staff they work to give a voice to members in their workplaces.

Division (State) Offices are located in every capital city. Divisions have further support staff who play a key role in coordinating work across Branches and providing a forum for members to organise around common concerns.

The National Office is responsible for promoting the Union within the higher education sector, lobbying and liaising with government and funding bodies, publishing national journals, coordinating national campaigns and furthering the professional interests of the members.

Find your local Branch details at www.nteu.org.au/branches *Victoria only

18

Delegates are our voice Delegates are likely to be the first Union representative that you will meet in the workplace. They are officially endorsed and recognised Union workplace representatives, and are members just like you.

Delegates are at the core of the Union’s democratic, responsive structure. Your local delegates are essential in ensuring the voices of all NTEU members are heard, and are critical to the organisation of the Union and members in the workplace.

Ask your local Branch to put you in touch with your local Delegate, or about becoming a delegate yourself. www.nteu.org.au/delegates

19

Discounts & benefits NTEU’s Member Advantage Benefit Program provides you with an extensive range of quality lifestyle and financial benefits.

You can take advantage of value for money savings on benefits all year round, with unlimited access to a variety of quality brands well established in the marketplace.

Benefits include discounts on dining, entertainment, accommodation, movie tickets, shopping, insurance, financial services and many more.

Your NTEU membership card is the key to these services.

Login at www.nteu.org.au/benefits

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Insurance Receive valuable advice on insurance products and services. Let us take care of your insurance needs. Products include: Professional Indemnity Life & TPD Income Protection Travel

Critical Illness

Home & Contents

Motor Vehicle

Key Person

Enjoy quality health insurance cover at competitive rates through UniHealth, a fund created exclusively for people in the tertiary education community and their families.

All NTEU members receive free Travel to Work insurance (see p.28).

Hotels & Accommodation Access over 700,000 promotional deals and competitive rates on accommodation in more than 71,000 destinations worldwide.

Banking Your NTEU membership gives you access to a range of banking products from innovative banks providing low cost financial services to eligible union members, such as Bank First.

Online Shopping Enjoy savings on electronics, whitegoods, small appliances, magazine subscriptions, and more from popular retailers Dining Enjoy great savings on dining at a range of selected restaurants in Australia and New Zealand. Offers include two for one dining or discounts off the total bill.

Entertainment Choose from hundreds of entertainment providers offering discounts across Australia. Activities include Gold Coast theme parks, river cruises, museums and wildlife sanctuaries.

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Make the most of your NTEU member benefits Your NTEU Member Advantage program gives you and your family access to great savings on a wide range of benefits including: • • • •

e-gift and gift cards range of travel benefits dining and leisure activities insurance and financial services

www.memberadvantage.com.au/nteu

For more information, email info@memberadvantage.com.au orcall call1300 1300 For more information, email info@memberadvantage.com.au or 853853 352.352.

Package Tours Enjoy a discount rate from over 1,000 land tours available in over 300 destinations worldwide, from Intrepid Travel, Peregrine and Urban Adventures.

Pre-Purchased Gift Cards and e-Gift Cards Access exclusive discounts on pre-purchased Gift Cards and e-Gift cards.

Save at a variety of leading retailers: Wish (Woolworths, Caltex and other participating companies), Coles, Kmart, JB Hi-Fi, Myer, Flight Centre, David Jones and many more.

Movie Tickets You and your family can access exclusive savings on pre-purchased movie tickets for a range of cinemas. Both physical tickets and e-voucher options are available for most cinemas.

Shopping Services Providing discounts and savings on a wide range of products and services through preferred suppliers.

Airline Lounge Memberships Enjoy special negotiated rates on Qantas Club and Virgin Australia airline lounge memberships. Offers for new memberships and renewals.

Car Rental Take advantage of either reduced car hire rates or excess when you rent a vehicle in Australia and New Zealand, with leading car rental providers.

23

PUTTING YOU BACK IN THE PICTURE OF HEALTH

UniHealth is health insurance for the education community and their families. We get you, your work and your needs. And as a not-for-profit, we’re focused on making sure our members get the best possible value – instead of payouts for shareholders.

Start getting the most out of your health insurance.

Visit unihealthinsurance.com.au or call 1300 367 906 Eligibility criteria and conditions apply. Teachers Federation Health Ltd ABN 86 097 030 414 trading as UniHealth. UNI-NTEU-01/19

24

Surveys indicate that about a third of new members say one of their main reasons for joining is having a conversation with a colleague about the Union.

If every NTEU member signed up one colleague, our positions in bargaining and policy advocacy would be strengthened, resulting in better outcomes for all!

Discover information and resources at recruitment.nteu.org.au

I recommend the NTEU because it offered me protection when I needed it most.

I recommend the NTEU because our influence helped stop the Coalition Government from introducing $100,000 degrees.

I recommend the NTEU because, working together, we secured excellent working conditions with a fair and decent pay rise.

join online at nteu.org.au/join 25

Your member details It’s important that your contact details are kept up to date so that you don’t miss information and benefits that come with your union membership, and so that you’re able to participate in NTEU elections.

Your member ID is your NTEU membership number (shown on your membership card) and your default password is your surname in uppercase letters. There is a mechanism to reset your password at any time.

You can log in to the member portal at www.nteu.org.au/member

26

5 reasons to keep your member details up to date NTEU elections To vote in NTEU elections (run by the AEC), your contact details must be up-to-date.

Protected Action ballots For any member taking industrial action at a workplace, the AEC requires your latest home address.

Your membership card To access great NTEU discounts, your member card needs to be sent to the correct address.

NTEU magazines Set your preferences for the NTEU magazines you want, in hard copy or e-delivery.

Important information Set and check your email addresses to ensure you receive vital information from the NTEU.

27

All NTEU members are automatically covered for journey injury insurance.

Travel Work insurance Travel Toto Work Insurance

As an individual you could be paying hundreds of dollars per year to get this valuable cover, but as a financial member of the NTEU, it is absolutely free!

Find out more at www.nteu.org.au/traveltowork Since 1958, the Australian Universities’ Review has been encouraging debate and discussion about issues in higher education and its contribution to Australian public life.

AUR is published twice a year by the NTEU. NTEU members are entitled to receive a free subscription on an opt-in basis.

www.aur.org.au

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Staying informed Keep up-to-date on workplace issues, campaigns, policy developments and much more with our regular magazines, journals, bulletins and websites.

Follow us on social media:

C facebook.com/NationalTertiaryEducationUnion L twitter.com/NTEUNational w youtube.com/nteu Find out more at www.nteu.org.au/media

All NTEU national publications are free to members. You can opt out of paper delivery by choosing to receive magazines digitally (select “soft delivery” in the Publications area in your online Member details).

All magazines printed on FSC certified paper with ISO 14001 Environmental Certification.

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GREAT VALUE IS MORE THAN JUST LOW FEES It’s also the strong, long-term returns* and range of investment options including sustainable and environmental opportunities. It’s the award-winning insurance offering and the peace of mind it brings to members in their greatest time of need. And it’s the care we take in engaging with our members; by providing opportunities to learn more about their super at every stage of life, meet us on-campus where they work, or benefit from personalised financial advice from one of our qualified financial advisers.

All this, plus low fees, is what makes UniSuper exceptional value.

Find out how UniSuper can help you: unisuper.com.au Kate Leigh | Member Melbourne Graduate School of Education

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Prepared by UniSuper Management Pty Ltd (ABN 91 006 961 799, AFSL 235 907) on behalf of UniSuper Limited (ABN 54 006 027 121, AFSL 492806) the trustee of UniSuper (ABN 91 385 943 850). This information is of a general nature only. Before making any decision in relation to your UniSuper membership, you should consider your personal circumstances, the relevant product disclosure statement for your membership category and whether to consult a qualified financial adviser. The SuperRatings Fundamentals reports from 31 January 2018 show UniSuper’s “Balanced (MySuper) option has outperformed the SuperRatings SR50 Balanced Index over the 5 years to 30 June 2017 and over the long term”. UniSuper is a SuperRatings’ ‘Infinity Recognised’ fund for our strong commitment to environmental and social principles. UniSuper was named Best Insurance Offering in the 2017 Conexus Financial Superannuation Awards. The March 2018 Chant West Super Fee Survey report showed UniSuper’s Balanced (MySuper) investment option has the lowest overall fees in Australia for multi-manager growth options (61-80% growth assets) for a $250,000 balance, and second and fourth lowest for $50,000 and $25,000 balances respectively. Visit unisuper.com.au/awards for more information. *Past performance is not an indicator of future performance.

NTEU Shop Show support for your Union with NTEU branded goods available from our online shop.

We’ve got handy workplace items like keep cups, water bottles, phone covers, power banks and umbrellas. As well as a range of t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, umbrellas – even stubbie holders and sunscreen! And much more.

Browse online at shop.nteu.org.au

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Contact us NTEU has a Branch Office on the main campus at nearly every Australian university. Your NTEU Branch is your first port of call for all things Union. Find full contact details for all Branches at www.nteu.org.au/branches National Office: PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC Australia 3205 (03) 9254 1910 fax (03) 9254 1915

national@nteu.org.au

Division (State) offices:

32

ACT

(02) 6125 2043

act@nteu.org.au

NSW

(02) 8066 6600

nsw@nteu.org.au

NT

(08) 8946 7231

nt@nteu.org.au

Queensland

(07) 3362 8200

qld@nteu.org.au

SA

(08) 8227 2384

sa@nteu.org.au

Tasmania

(03) 6226 7575

tas@nteu.org.au

Victoria

(03) 9254 1930

vic@nteu.org.au

WA

(08) 6555 6725

wa@nteu.org.au

www.nteu.org.au