An IEU Rep fighting for Basic Rights

Colette Deschamps, Rep at Caroline Chisholm College, Braybrook, says she wasn’t surprised by her colleagues’ support for the IEU’s Single Interest Authorisation campaign, because they felt their rights were being denied.

“Australians will fight for their rights. We may often seem apathetic, but when it comes to our entitlements, people care deeply. We love to complain, yes, but we also want access to what’s rightfully ours. When anyone talks about taking that away, it strikes a nerve.”

At her school, “access to basic entitlements” was the simple message that resonated.

“These are our rights, and it feels unfair and unjust that our employer resists giving them to us. I kept highlighting this in emails – pointing out how odd it is for a Catholic employer to ignore guidance from encyclicals and statements by Popes Francis and Leo about the problems of late-stage capitalism. These are our rights, and it feels unfair and unjust that our employer resists giving them to us. Yet our employer, who should be operating under those principles, can’t even follow them. It’s disheartening. Most people see it as disrespect for our profession more than anything else.”

Colette feels the VCEA underestimated the power of the union.

“Principals and middle leaders might have had some idea, but anyone outside the schools clearly did not. They were completely taken aback. The way the offer was rolled out – initially limiting it, then extending it, misreporting numbers… was not well handled.”

The employer approach reinforced her colleagues’ resolve not to accept anything less than a fair outcome.

The SIA fight was difficult, as staff were “bombarded” with messages from the employers. But Colette says:

“People were generally happy to get on board, and colleagues helped with collecting signatures.”

Such delegation was vital for Colette, who was new to her school and elected Rep despite not knowing too many people.

“Getting one of the more experienced staff members, who is passionate about the campaign, to help collect signatures was really important. Any campaign relies on delegation. Otherwise, it all falls on one person – and one person can’t do everything while also managing their regular job.”

The outcome of sharing the load has been outstanding:

“We’re all on board, and I’m trying to get everyone at my school involved. It’s exciting to see how strong our union is. We have real power when we work together, and this campaign shows what we can achieve when members are united.”