Subject: Welcome & update from your IEU Rep  

Dear colleague,

As the elected Independent Education Union Representative in our workplace, I’d like to welcome you back to the 2026 school year!

We are at a critical time in our campaign for improved salaries and conditions in Victorian Catholic education. Last year we built extraordinary momentum, with a majority of staff across the state supporting the campaign for basic bargaining rights as we negotiate our next Agreement.

Our application for a Single Interest Authorisation is currently being heard by the Fair Work Commission – we hope that employers will at last do the right thing and agree to commence fair bargaining now, but we need to be prepared for them to continue to oppose our very reasonable demands.

Find out more about this important campaign at www.ieuvictas.org.au/sia

To win the improvements to pay and conditions that we deserve and the bargaining rights that we need, it’s vital that we build the size and strength of IEU sub-branches across the state.

If you are not currently an IEU member, I strongly encourage you to join up today and play your part in this vital campaign, which will ultimately benefit all of us. IEU membership is open to nearly all staff in Victorian Catholic education, including teachers, support staff, school services officers and leadership. You can find out more about the benefits of IEU membership at www.ieuvictas.org.au/join

If you are an existing member, please take a moment to log in to Member Access to confirm that your contact, employment and fee details are correct – log in at https://members.ieuvictas.org.au/. It’s worth noting that you can get a 5% discount on your tax-deductible union fees by paying the annual rate up-front by 14 February.

I also encourage members to join one of two upcoming Member Campaign Huddles, which will be run online from 4.30-5.30pm on 11 and 12 February. You can register for these sessions at https://ieu.news/VCHuddle

I look forward to working with you all this year to campaign for a new Agreement that strengthens Victorian Catholic education for the benefit of staff and students alike!

In unity