Welcome to your final issue of Newsmonth for 2023. This edition is digital only, accessible through the links below.
We open on a sad note, farewelling former IEU Secretary John Quessy, who passed away on 10 December. John steered the IEU from 2012 to 2019, but his advocacy for the pay, conditions and professional interests of teachers and support staff began when he joined the union as a student member in 1975. The IEU is saddened by his passing and extends condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.
We also take a moment to celebrate the extraordinary gains the union and its members have achieved in 2023, starting with pay rises of up to 12% for Catholic systemic teachers in NSW and up to 19% in the ACT from 2023 to 2025, along with up to 20% for support staff.
These historic pay increases were hard won, and reflect the power of teachers and support staff standing together and acting collectively.
The union has also negotiated pay rises that are in the pipeline for members in Catholic independent schools and some Christian schools. These increases are in turn leading to a patchwork of pay rises for both teachers and support staff in other independent schools.
Elsewhere we hear from early career teachers, listen to Wiradjuri Elder and founding member of the IEU’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee Aunty Mary Atkinson as she reflects on moving forward after the Voice, and talk to NESA chief executive Paul Martin about tackling teacher workloads.
As the year comes to a close, we explain your new rights around fixed-term contracts, and urge you to keep a close eye on your payslip to avoid inadvertent wage theft.
We encourage you to share this email with your colleagues and invite them to join the IEU.
Wishing you all the very best for the holidays.
Carol Matthews, Secretary
IEUA NSW/ACT Branch