Big MACS majority win boosts SIA campaign

The IEU Victoria Tasmania has secured majority support for its Single Interest Authorisation application across the sector’s largest employer, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), marking another major milestone in the campaign for full bargaining rights in Victorian Catholic education.

This means that the union’s SIA application can now be amended to include nearly 80% of Victorian Catholic schools, employing over 83% of the total workforce.

“Our goal remains clear,” said IEU General Secretary David Brear, “to secure an SIA and the bargaining rights that go with it so that we go into these negotiations in the best position we can be in to secure the outcomes IEU members need and deserve”.  

“Gaining majority support at MACS is a significant achievement but we still have work to do. We now need to bolster our existing majorities while continuing to work towards majorities at the remaining employers, including the dioceses of Ballarat and Sandhurst.

Meetings and pay 

The IEU has commenced regular meetings with the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) to explain its members’ Log of Claims for one Single Interest Agreement covering all staff in Victorian Catholic education. 

“This is detailed work, and will take time, which is why we’re getting started while our SIA application is still underway,” Brear said.

While the IEU’s Log of Claims covers a wide range of issues – including workloads, safety, ES classifications, and principal conditions – a significant and long-overdue pay rise remains the central focus and Brear vowed that it would stay “front and centre” in discussions.  

“The time is right for real salary wins. NSW education unions have won big increases, and Queensland educators recently rejected a pay deal that in many respects exceeded the VCEA’s recent ‘offer’.

“Victorian Education Minister and Deputy Premier Ben Carroll also recently said there must be a “proper pay rise” and “nationally competitive wages” for Victorian educators.

“The IEU is determined to ensure that members are in the strongest position possible to demand these nationally competitive wages – and with an SIA in place, we will be.”

Employer obstruction 

Despite the overwhelming evidence that their own staff want to bargain under an SIA, the VCEA continues to reject this mode of bargaining. A successful SIA application would grant members access to Fair Work Commission good faith bargaining orders and the right to protected industrial action. 

The VCEA is also refusing to pass on the 7% pay rise and $1,500 bonus included in their so-called “offer” to staff this year – a goodwill, interim measure they could legally implement while the rest of the Agreement is being negotiated.

While the IEU will continue to apply pressure, the blame for this delay in getting a good deal done sits with the employers. 

What members can do

Brear told members that the IEU had come a long way in their “groundbreaking” campaign, which matters not only for Victorian Catholic education but for workers everywhere, as it tests new ground in multi-employer bargaining. 

But the task is not yet done.

“Our SIA application still depends on numbers: every Statement of Support (SOS) strengthens our case. Please keep encouraging colleagues to sign, no matter how many have already signed at your school – every SOS is crucial.

“Thanks to the collective efforts of IEU Reps and members we are on the cusp of winning the bargaining rights needed to achieve the outcomes you and your colleagues deserve. 

“Keep up the great work!”