IEU farewells Marit and Therese

Union staff are only featured in the pages of the IEU newspaper The Point when they begin working for members and when they depart. It is a policy shaped by a member-first outlook.

Two much-cherished staff members, Therese O’Loughlin and Marit Clayton, are living embodiments of that outlook. Both are retiring after distinguished careers in education and unionism, and long service on women’s issues.

“Unions are built on the dedication of people like Marit and Therese. Their contribution to members across the state was immense. Their activist leadership, particularly on women’s rights, helped embed union values in everything we do. Any room was better for having Marit and Therese in it.” - IEU General Secretary David Brear

IEU Deputy General Secretary Kylie Busk said the IEU has been “enriched” by their contribution.

“They were steadfast, loyal and dependable colleagues, always generous in spirit and easy to work alongside,” she said.

“They are formidable women, but they balance this with care and empathy, and it’s this that has made such a positive contribution to the lives of members and the union movement more broadly. On a personal level, I know I am a better unionist because of them.”

Therese has been a constant in independent education unionism since the 1980s, when she was a member of the Victorian Catholic Primary Staff Association, a forerunner of the VIEU and IEU.

Former IEU General Secretary Deb James, who appointed both women to their roles, recalls that Therese’s experience in Catholic primary schools was a major advantage when she joined the union.

“We needed people who knew how schools worked and what it was like for staff in those schools,” she said.

Marit, originally from England, came to the IEU after a teaching period in Africa. She proved her ability organising at Taylors College, a private provider of university preparation programs in the CBD.

Deb said Marit was the first IEU organiser to have worked at such a site, offering valuable insight into the growing cohort of independent education businesses.

Both played a major role in advancing women’s work in the union. They organised International Women’s Day events, delivered training for women members including participation in the Anna Stewart program, helped develop the Building Our Leadership Development program, and worked with Victorian Trades Hall on women’s workplace issues.

Their work also extended internationally, representing the IEU at Education International women’s conferences and collaborating through the Council of Pacific Education, including training and hosting women unionists from across the Pacific.

Deb said, “They were great organisers who had a strong rapport with members. They listened closely and fought hard for them. They never forgot that members are at the centre of what the union does.”

The IEU thanks Therese O’Loughlin and Marit Clayton for their service, generosity, loyalty and good humour, and wishes them a long and happy retirement. Members join in wishing them a healthy and fulfilling next chapter.