Fighting for workers for over a century
The Independent Education Union of Australia Victoria Tasmania Branch (IEU) was created in 1994 through the amalgamation of associations representing staff in independent schools, Catholic schools and English Language Colleges in Victoria and Tasmania. Today, the IEU represents 20,000 members in Victorian and Tasmanian non-government schools and educational organisations.
The history of the IEU can be traced back to 1919, and the Victorian Assistant Masters’ Association (VAMA), which represented teachers in independent boys’ schools. This was followed in 1921 by the establishment of the Assistant Mistresses’ Association of Victorian (AMAV) which represented teachers in independent girls’ schools.
In 1940, AMAV petitioned for a Wages Board, which it achieved finally in 1946. The Board to be known as the Teachers (Girls’ Schools) Board was announced on 15 January 1946.
In 1975 the AMAV and VAMA (by that time called ATIS) amalgamated to form the Victorian Association of Independent Schools (VATIS). Around the same time Catholic teachers formed the Association of Teachers in Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (ATVCSS) and the Victorian Catholic Primary Teachers’ Association (VCPTA).
During the 1980s all three associations would undergo name changes to acknowledge that they had members other than teachers that were education support personnel. The VCPTA would become the Victorian Catholic Primary Staff Association (VCPSA), the ATVCSS would become the Staff Association of Catholic Secondary Schools (SACSS) and VATIS would change to the Victorian Independent Education Staff Association (VIESA).
In 1994 the three bodies amalgamated to form the Victorian Independent Education Union (VIEU). The biggest campaign during the VIEU years was for parity of wages with Government schools for all staff, with increases from the same date. During 1997 mass meetings, stoppages and protests were held until this outcome was achieved.
In 2010 the IEU Tasmania amalgamated with VIEU which necessitated a further name change to the Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania, so that now in 2019 the IEU Victoria Tasmania has coverage of all staff in non-government schools in Victoria and Tasmania.
Over the last 100 years, the IEU has tirelessly campaigned for the rights of workers in non-government education settings by advocating for collective bargaining rights, pay parity with Government schools, long service leave, protection from unfair dismissal, discrimination and redundancy.
The IEU will continue to campaign for the rights of education workers in Victoria and Tasmania and maintain its unwavering commitment to improving the lives of these workers.
