IEU Rep profile: Owen Tubb, The Cottage School, Bellerive, Tasmania

IEU Rep Owen Tubb has worked at The Cottage School for seven years and values the school’s “real sense of community and the flexibility to meet students' individual needs instead of forcing them into a one-size-fits-all approach”.

“That's what makes the job sustainable.”

Owen became the school's first IEU member and Rep five years ago because he believes in the union movement “as a principle, especially when things are going well”.

“That's when you actually need the collective voice in place, not just when there's a crisis,” says Owen.

It is an important point for staff at a small school to understand.

The Cottage School does not have an Enterprise Agreement (EA), meaning staff are protected only by the minimum standards of the Modern Award.

In small schools without an EA, wages and conditions can be vulnerable if the school faces financial pressure. A decline in enrolments, for example, can directly affect staff pay and conditions.

However, the close-knit environment also has advantages for a Rep, says Owen.

“Because you know people personally, you can meet them where they actually are instead of throwing generic policy statements at them. It makes conversations about workplace conditions feel less like a formal grievance and more like genuine problem-solving between people who know each other.”

Those close personal relationships mean a Rep can demystify the role of the union, making negotiation around workplace improvements and protections a collaborative rather than combative process.

“The IEU has been great in helping the school formalise many of our conditions and supportive staff entitlements that promote a healthy and safe workplace,” Owen says.

The school’s camp allowances are strong, and staff are now seeking updates to reproductive leave and other entitlements.

“In the past many of our conditions were more of an ‘understanding’ than a quantified condition and the IEU’s advice is currently helping us shape that ongoing process.”

The Cottage School was founded in 1975 by Sally Sorell and local parents seeking a more holistic, community-based approach to education. Beginning as a home-based kindergarten, it developed around family involvement and a philosophy of educating the whole child.

As the school grew and had to meet increasing policy and funding requirements, awareness also grew that improvements to salaries and conditions were necessary.

Owen says the main challenge is recruitment — building a strong sub-branch capable of supporting a bargaining process through the union.

“The hardest part is convincing people that unionisation matters when the workplace culture is already collegial and supportive. Everyone's getting along, so why do you need collective protection? But that's precisely when you need those structures in place, before any problems emerge.”