2012/2013: IEU members defy new hardline Catholic approach
The Victorian Liberal Government, led by Ted Baillieu, came to power in 2010 promising to make Victorian teachers the highest paid in the country. By 2012, that promise had been replaced by a ‘performance pay’ model, in which only a small group would reach nationally competitive rates, leaving most education workers behind.
Support the AEU Strike on 24 March!
We are calling on all sub-branches to find a way to express clear and visible support for the actions of AEU members.
IEU members look on as AEU colleagues vote on statewide strike
AEU members are currently voting on whether to take industrial action - an experience currently denied to IEU members in Victorian Catholic schools.
Victorian Catholic campaign update from General Secretary David Brear
As they continue to oppose the campaign for fair bargaining rights in Victorian Catholic education, employers have performed a numerical backflip worthy of a Winter Olympics ski jumper by suggesting that their workforce has inflated from under 35,000 to 45,000!
Victorian Catholic employers’ staff numbers ploy doesn’t add up
As they continue to oppose the campaign for fair bargaining rights in Victorian Catholic education, employers are now suggesting that their workforce has inflated from under 35,000 to 45,000.
Victorian public school staff move toward industrial action IEU members are denied
The Victorian Branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) has applied to the Fair Work Commission to conduct a ballot of members to endorse protected industrial action, including stopping work.
Year in review, 2025: The Victorian Catholic school SIA campaign
It is only thanks to recent union-won amendments to the Fair Work Act that we can legally pursue a Single Interest Authorisation – and as this year has demonstrated, winning one is no easy feat.
IEU celebrates SIA majority milestone
The IEU has secured majority support at all major school employers for its historic Single Interest Authorisation (SIA) campaign in Victorian Catholic education, with the final groups passing 50% this week.
SIA Update: One final push for fair bargaining
The IEU enters the final week of its historic Single Interest Authorisation (SIA) campaign in Victorian Catholic education seeking as many statements of support as possible.
“What are the bosses scared of?”: IEU members on the SIA campaign
When asked about the campaign for an SIA in Victorian Catholic education, IEU stalwarts from very different cohorts and regions concurred on one thing: how disappointing it is to work for an employer that treats their staff with such a lack of respect.
The IEU’s SIA campaign is a fight for fairness
This has been an extraordinary year for our union – marked by an unprecedented attempt by the Victorian Catholic employers to go behind our backs to land a ‘deal’ before negotiations on a new multi-employer Agreement could even begin.
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.
Momentum builds as IEU members drive fair bargaining in Catholic schools
Bargaining under an SIA is now the only realistic path forward, so sign a Statement of Support (SOS) so that negotiations can proceed with full and fair bargaining rights for staff.
Trades Hall, ACTU back the IEU’s fight for fairness
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus says the IEU’s successful campaign for support from Victorian school staff to apply for an SIA is of great importance to the entire union movement.
What the IEU’s SIA application means for you: next steps in the fight for fair bargaining
The IEU has lodged a Single Interest Authorisation (SIA) application with the Fair Work Commission (FWC). It’s a big moment, but it’s important to realise it’s not the finish line in the fight for fair bargaining in Victorian Catholic education.
IEU applies to the Fair Work Commission for a Single Interest Authorisation
History is in the making: today the IEU has applied to the Fair Work Commission for a Single Interest Authorisation (SIA) for bargaining in the Victorian Catholic education sector after an outstanding response to the union’s campaign for fair bargaining rights.
VCEA’s “staff survey” fails the test of genuine consultation
The VCEA’s “survey” is a campaign pitch: it touts a $1,500 bonus, hides cuts, offers no anonymity or independent oversight ̶ yet employers plan to use it to seek a Fair Work Commission voting order.
Translating Mr Merlino’s spin on so-called “offer” to Victorian Catholic school staff
James Merlino, former politician and now chair of the Victorian Catholic Education Authority, has urged staff to support a short-term bribe at the expense of real pay rises and improved conditions.
Mythbusting VCEA misinformation
Before bargaining has officially commenced, we are seeing an unprecedented spread of misinformation.
What is fair bargaining in Australia?
Employers must sit down in good faith, hear workers’ claims, respond properly, and treat unions as genuine representatives - not try to bypass or silence them.