Australian Education Union (AEU) members in Victoria are mounting a campaign to reject an in-principal agreement negotiated between the AEU leadership and the Victorian Labor government because they say it undervalues the work they do.
Fight the Crisis and Socialists in Schools, the two rank-and-file member groups leading this campaign, are distributing information through social media, flyers and “Vote No” online campaign meetings.
Ratification will be by delegated online voting in the week beginning June 15.
As more AEU members become aware of the union leadership’s shortfalls, the campaign’s momentum increases. The AEU leadership said it would take school staff from the worst paid to the best in the country, with a 35% pay rise over three years, reduced workload and paid lunch breaks for Education Support (ES) staff.
The government’s March 24 offer of a 17% pay rise over four years, with no decrease in workload, prompted 35,000 AEU members to join the largest ever rally and march. Labor then announced a 28% pay offer to the media. The AEU leadership then called off rolling half-day stop works, while continuing to negotiate.
The AEU Council decided to accept the proposed agreement on May 15, despite it falling fell well short of the union’s demands. The AEU claims the pay offer of 28% over four years for most teachers, with 32% for the most experienced teachers and graduates, will make Victorian teachers the best paid in the country.
Isabel Yates, a teacher from Fight the Crisis, disagreed, telling Green Left that the proposed pay rise “will be close to New South Wales for those at the top of the pay scale and graduate teachers, but for everyone in the middle eight or so pay bands — most teaching staff — it’s not a good deal”.
Chloe DS, an ES staff member and member of Socialist Alliance, told GL: “ES are only getting a 24% rise in wages over four years, some of which is in allowances and not included in their base salary. This is a lower percentage rise than teachers and principals. The agreement does not deliver on our demand for paid lunch breaks either.”
The agreement also fails to address the ever-increasing workload of education staff. Yates pointed out: “Teachers are doing an average of 12 hours of unpaid overtime every single week. ES staff are working through their unpaid lunch breaks to either complete admin work or to meet student’s needs. Unless this changes, education workers will continue to leave.”
As Socialists in Schools points out, Victorian nurses voted No in 2024 “and one month later won a better deal”.
Fight the Crisis is calling for the AEU to keep fighting for: Equal and adequate pay rises across three years; Smaller class sizes and face-to-face teaching time; ES work rights to include enforceable descriptors and a paid lunch break; and more student support services, including allied and mental health and an ES worker in every school.
Fight the Crisis said the March strike forced the government to change its position but that “we can’t afford to accept a mediocre agreement”. It noted it had huge public support and Labor wants a deal done before the election. “By rejecting this inadequate offer, we empower our negotiators to demand better.”
Chloe said that given the AEU leadership is not prepared to wage a serious fight, only if teachers “reject the proposed agreement and escalate the campaign will teachers and support staff have a hope of winning a deal that lifts adequate wages and reduces workloads”.