IEU Rep profile: Brianna Buza, Columba Catholic School Bunyip

Brianna, an Education Support staff member and Rep at this growing primary school in Gippsland, values the union’s people-centred approach to its work.

Brianna sums up her enjoyment of the role simply: “I get to help people.” She adds, “I also get to have some good conversations with staff members who are interested in the current issues that impact jobs in education. I like that this work is people-centred and centred on fairness.”

Brianna tells colleagues considering joining the union that it can provide advice and support in situations where “it may be too awkward to ask employers.”

“For example, they could help with understanding pay structures or provide advice on how to respond to a sensitive incident at work. The union provides guidance for workplace-related issues and, at the moment, is working hard to improve working conditions through negotiating the new Agreement.”

She says stepping up to be a Rep “can help you understand the needs of your colleagues and the issues that impact them,” which can benefit both school management and the individual.

“This creates an opportunity for discussion, investigation, and resolution. This improves workplace conditions not just for one person, but for everyone. When employees feel they are being treated with fairness and respect, they are happier and more productive at work. Staff morale improves, and the school climate is more positive.”

Need for “urgent review” of ES staff pay

Brianna says the most pressing need for ES staff is “for pay to be in accordance with the duties that ES staff perform and the experience they possess.”

“The wage that ES staff receive is often not commensurate with their skills, knowledge and qualifications. The current Agreement needs urgent review to recognise the changing school environment and the demands on staff. There is an increase in the number of students with additional needs in every classroom, which creates unique sets of challenges throughout a school.

“ES staff perform many different roles, working one-to-one with students, taking small groups for intervention, assisting with medical conditions, assisting students on the playground, and working across different grade levels and age groups.

“ES staff are a very dynamic and capable group of people. Their pay does not reflect how versatile and how important they are in the classroom and in the efficient running of a school day.”

As an Education Support staff member, Brianna finds that other ES staff most often approach her as Rep to ask questions.

“We have had an increase in ES staffing, and it’s important that ES staff have a safe space to discuss their needs or concerns. At the recent Rep training day I attended, all the Reps were teacher Reps, so it was good to be able to share and be a voice for ES staff.”

Teaching switch

Brianna has decided to study teaching as she had reached the point where there were no further incentives or opportunities in her current role.

“I was working five days a week, with the most hours I could do, and was stuck on the same pay level for years. I thought I was capable of doing more, but I couldn’t progress professionally or have a career path. I didn’t want to leave education because I loved working in a school. Studying teaching was the logical step to take.”

Upskilling ES staff members

Brianna says schools find it hard to provide professional development for ES staff because they struggle to cope on PD days without them.

“It’s not that schools want to refuse upskilling, but rather the idea of foregoing support for the day would cause too much disarray across a school. I was lucky that I was able to attend Rep training, as it was just me who needed the time away from school.”

We look forward to seeing Brianna in front of a classroom and continuing to be a voice for all members at her workplace, both teaching and non-teaching.