Two IEU Education Support Staff wins

The fight for recognition

At St Virgil’s College Hobart, two Learning Support Officers have had their jobs reclassified, proving yet again that workers need their union behind them to be sure of fair – and legal – recognition of their roles.

Three IEU members, being paid at Level 2, were supervising small groups of students in literacy intervention classes. Their Agreement stated that staff members who are required to supervise students must be classified at Level 2.5, adequately trained in student control and behaviour management and have ready recourse to a qualified teacher.

None of those requirements were being met, and the union informed the school that staff members could not be expected to continue to deliver such classes without a teacher present.

The alternative was to “urgently have them reclassified to at least salary point 2.5 and arrange for them to undergo the required training”.

After much back and forth, with no progress being made, and the school insisting that Level 2 employees could undertake the duties, despite what the Agreement stated, the union took the matter to the Fair Work Commission. The matter was finally resolved in conference prior to a hearing, with two of the members being reclassified to Level 2.5.

A classy ES win

Another Teacher Assistant member who recently won a reclassification said engaging with the IEU was the “only possible way forward” to be paid for what they actually do every day at work.

And that is a lot! They work with students across five year levels, and have managerial and purchasing responsibilities, and deal with safety, maintenance and record keeping.

The employer eventually agreed to reclassify our multi-talented assistant, but from a date much later than the IEU believed was appropriate. After further negotiations, our industrial staff were able to get the employer to backdate the reclassification further than the employer initially offered and ensure they received due backpay plus super.

Our persistent member said the good result took “a lot of background evidence and support from work colleagues, and union advice and support”.

They said they could only find a “pathway forward” during the process thanks to “the constant backing and support” of their “highly efficient and professional” union representatives.

For any colleague caught in a classification battle, they advised, “it is important to stick to truthful information with consistency and persistence. You will build resilience by relying on union representation”.

“If your position is not properly recognised at any level, it's important to raise awareness among those who can drive change.

“I have always strived every day to improve student outcomes. I now feel like my position is justified and valued for my unique contributions over many years.”

(The member involved in this case did not wish to be identified.)

If you are a support staff member who is misclassified, reach out to your IEU Organiser.