IEU Reps turn out in force at runaway training success
Over 60 IEU Reps gathered at union headquarters in late October to share their experiences and discuss the impact of new rights won under changes to federal laws.
You know that a Rep training day has truly begun at IEU headquarters when it gets NOISY! After listening respectfully to a state of the union address from IEU General Secretary David Brear, Reps from all over the state were asked to introduce themselves to each other and brainstorm some ideas.
They didn’t need to be asked twice!
The instant hubbub heralded a day of uninhibited networking, problem solving, sharing of ideas and plain old gasbagging. Reps get so little time to compare notes and work through challenges with their peers that days like this become precious, the combined knowledge and mood rising with every minute of conversation.
Esprit de corps: a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty by members of a group.
By the time training boss Andrew Wood reconvened the room for a rundown on the new delegate’s rights laws, the training day had been supercharged.
Separate sessions for Catholic and Independent Reps rapidly dived deep into the challenges of recruitment, workload implementation, and bargaining. There were surprising revelations about the difference in the experience of members in secondary compared to primary schools – it seems some workload measures are easier to enforce in the larger settings. There were also vital insights for union staff into how some school leaderships try to get around genuine consultation on consultative committees.
This crowd of motivated unionists, of all levels of experience and from such differing schools, gave the entire union an energising jolt with their incisive queries, sharp-eyed enthusiasm and collegiality.
Camaraderie: mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
“Nationally, the IEU is the eighth biggest union in Australia,” David had pointed out. “Increasingly, unionists look like the people assembled in this room – white collar, educated professionals – that’s where union growth is coming from in 2024.”
He laid out the year ahead, when the biggest task facing the union is an anticipated campaign for wage rises in Catholic schools, and by extension, in many independent schools.
A campaign on that scale underscores the primacy of Reps.
“If we’re campaigning, the energy and focus in schools come from Reps. If you don’t have a Rep, there’s no-one top organise anything in the school. We have 20,000 members and over 50 staff members, but Reps are the most important persons in the structure of the union. No one will join a union they can’t see. We appreciate you. We thank you.”