Separate negotiations sought in Victorian Catholic Bargaining

Over recent weeks, a new Agreement was strongly supported by staff in the Sale Diocese, and IEU member actions have had a positive impact on bargaining.

However, MACS negotiators have yet again fallen short, and as reported in a recent story in The Age, the IEU has now sought separate negotiations with each of the 33 employer groups represented at the MACS bargaining table.

A copy of the correspondence we sent can be found here.

In mid-August, staff employed in Catholic Education in the Sale Diocese had their say on the IEU-negotiated Agreement, which was endorsed by 80.7% of voters.

This means big improvements to a range of conditions, teacher autonomy and workloads are locked in for staff in that jurisdiction. It also means that payments covering backpay to January will be flowing to Sale Diocese staff by early September.

Meanwhile, members employed in Catholic education across the rest of the state are still waiting, frustrating the union and its members.

However, member actions have made a huge difference. Rallies across the state and actions at individual schools have cranked up the pressure on the MACS group – A round-up of IEU member actions can be seen here.

St IGNATIUS Drysdale IEU members add their voice to the campaign for a fair deal.

Proof of the effect of these actions came at the most recent bargaining meeting, when MACS negotiators gave some ground for the first time on issues including improvements to paid parental leave, increases to allowances, regulation of hours and more. 

However, there are crucial key provisions which were won in the Sale Agreement which MACS negotiators still won’t budge on. These include stronger consultation around workloads, eliminating extras for secondary teachers and consistent time-in-lieu arrangements.

Schools need to plan for 2023, and time is now running out for getting the deal done this year. The Sale Agreement shows what is possible, and it is vital to get over these final hurdles to ensure that working conditions in MACS schools don't fall behind the standard set in government schools and Catholic schools in the Sale Diocese.

To that end, the IEU has written to each of the employer groups currently represented by the MACS bargaining team, seeking to negotiate separately with each one. 

While negotiating 33 individual Agreements is not ideal, the IEU wants every employer to understand that it is prepared to work with them to find an outcome which ensures that their schools can offer competitive conditions, that their staff are not left behind, and that they can plan for 2023 with certainty. 

The union wants to give every employer the opportunity to get moving and finalise a deal. 

Change can be challenging and it’s easy for employers to hold out, hoping staff get tired while they refuse to acknowledge the work that staff put into delivering the best education possible for students.

The IEU is urging employers to open their eyes and do what is needed, not just what is easy and cheap.

The Term 3 edition of The Point features actions taken by MACS members across Victoria.

Writing in the IEU newspaper, The Point, General Secretary Deb James said her union’s members “shouldn’t need to be rallying in the streets standing up for a fair go while employers drag the chain on what ought to be a pretty straightforward deal”.

“The current Agreement expired back in April 2021 and the last pay rise was received in October 2020! The deal for Victorian government schools was done back in February and agreement was reached with the Diocese of Sale. 

“The government and Sale Agreements significantly improve scheduled class time, give greater autonomy to teachers, lift up rates for the lowest levels of education support staff, and finally introduce a right to time-in-lieu which recognises the significant out-of-hours contribution required of staff who supervise extra- and co-curricular activities.

“Employers cannot keep taking the labour of their staff without recognising it – and paying for it. Staff are stretched, exhausted, and overwhelmed, and their goodwill is drying up. 

“Even before the stretch of remote learning through COVID, workload was a critical issue in schools, with the majority of teachers and principals reporting, through an independent study conducted by the NOUS group, that they were working well in excess of 50 hours per week. We can’t go on like this.”

Deb says teacher burnout is a “significant factor” in the looming teacher shortage, too many young teachers are leaving in the first five years of their careers, and education systems are not doing enough to support and retain them. They’re also not doing enough to attract new entrants to the profession. 

“We know that students value the commitment of their teachers and support staff, and that parents want their kids to have the best education possible. We also need education communities where students thrive. 

“For this to happen we must ensure that teachers are respected, trusted, supported, given enough time to do the job effectively, and most importantly, not taken for granted.

“They deserve a fair go.”

The Shepparton News reports on member actions and the workload crisis.