Building Awareness and Membership: the SIA campaign at Mt St Joseph’s
Every Victorian Catholic workplace contributed to the IEU’s momentous campaign for a Single Interest Authorisation, no matter what numbers they achieved. And the entire union was strengthened by every person who signed a statement of support.
However, there were some outstanding schools who singled themselves out! At Mount St Joseph Girls’ College, for example, an incredible 95% of staff signed an SOS.
Rep Litsa Tzelepis and Assistant Rep Cherie Meurant filled us in how they did it.
How did you achieve such a high SOS number at your school?
We had strong early support from our IEU organiser who helped us launch the campaign effectively. With a clear, well-organised strategy for gathering signatures and the full backing of our sub-branch, we were able to reach our target quickly and efficiently.
What messages cut through most for colleagues?
The messages that cut through most were the realisation that “everyone else in the country has these rights except us - why aren’t we afforded the same conditions as our interstate colleagues?” along with the awareness of the existing pay gaps.
What has been the attitude of non-members to your campaigning?
Our non-members have been supportive; a large number are very interested in finding out more information.
Do you think the campaign will help the union grow? If so, why?
Although it’s been frustrating to find ourselves in a position where we needed to collect everyone’s signature, the process has actually created valuable opportunities to build stronger connections with staff and increase the visibility of the IEU. This heightened awareness and engagement should place us in a stronger position moving forward. In fact, we have already had additional staff choose to become members.
What is the mood of your staff? Are they up for the long haul?
There has been considerable confusion throughout this campaign as a result of the mixed messaging staff were receiving (from employers).
The idea of a long, drawn-out process is discouraging for some, With the existing pay gaps, many are hoping for a timely financial top-up and are reluctant to wait.
What are the main workplace issues your staff want addressed in the new Agreement?
Like many workplaces, our staff share a few key priorities: ensuring pay is comparable with colleagues in other states, and addressing concerns around workload and time pressures: what is fill-in work, what is necessary?
Mt St Joseph’s SIA campaign provides a practical model of engagement for other Reps and sub-branches. The Reps made a priority of speaking with staff at every opportunity and actively involved the sub-branch, encouraging others to step up and share the workload so the campaign was school-wide and member-led. Regular updates kept everyone informed.
They also drew on the Rep network through social media to source creative ideas, adapting them to suit their school context and selecting approaches most likely to resonate with staff.
Whatever the campaign, these simple but effective strategies distribute the workload beyond Reps and strengthen the union’s presence.