Petition of Support campaign hits the ground running

The IEU’s petition of support campaign is flying after just one week of Term 3, with signatures rushing in at the 11 employers not covered by the current Single Interest Authorisation application.

By the end of the first week of Term 3, 6000 petitions of support had been signed, and dozens of individual workplaces across the four dioceses had already hit 50% density.

The current application covering 24 employers will be determined by the Fair Work Commission.

The IEU now seeks to apply to include every remaining employer where majority employee support is achieved in an SIA, so that we can negotiate on a level playing field for the fair pay and conditions staff badly need.

To do so, we must amass signatures from all staff. It is a tall order, but the union proved last year with the highly successful Statement of Support campaign that Reps and members know how to get the word out and motivate colleagues to support fair bargaining rights.

And the experience gained last year means staff are even better prepared to sign and send a quick and clear message to employers that they deserve better.

Practice makes perfect!

Ripper Reps respond

As reported last week, dedicated IEU Reps Adam Nicholl and Anthony Ventura took precious time out of their holidays to make calls to members urging them to support the union’s new Petition of Support campaign.

Anthony Ventura, Rep at Loyola College Watsonia said everyone he spoke to said they would sign again.

He gave up his time because he was angry that disputed employee data led to his employer not being included in the current application.

“I was furious when I found out.”

“I believe in fairness and equality. The fact that our employer is against us having the same rights as other staff in the same industry seems incomprehensible. They must know they are acting in direct opposition to their employees and the clear and stated position of the Catholic Church itself.”

Anthony encountered one person who hadn’t appreciated that the SIA application is running at the same time as bargaining and is not holding up negotiations.

“I reminder her it was about having the same rights to protected action as every other worker. She said she would sign and tell all her colleagues at her school about the new SIA signature push.”

Adam Nicholl, Rep at St Margaret’s School Maribyrnong, made calls for the campaign because he realises how important it is to get the campaign over the line.

“Time is of the essence, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help the union collect these signatures.”

He said the response he’d received was “overwhelmingly positive”.

“Most people have been more than happy to give up some of their holiday time to hear why this campaign is so important and why they need to sign.

He says the campaign is importantbecause staff want the best deal possible.

“To achieve that, we need access to proper bargaining rights. It’s also important because we should have the same basic bargaining rights as teachers in other states — including the ability to take industrial action or seek intervention from the Fair Work Commission to help secure a better deal.”

The POS campaign: a snapshot

• The IEU is seeking renewed support from members at employers not yet covered by the Single Interest Authorisation application, asking them to sign the Petition of Support for fair bargaining rights.

• While there was strong support last year, issues with employer workforce data meant proving this to the Fair Work Commission could have caused significant delays.

• A renewed demonstration of clear majority support is the quickest path forward and will strengthen members’ collective voice in bargaining.

• Members who supported last year’s Statements of Support campaign are being asked to stand together again and show employers that resistance to fair bargaining must end.

• Members are encouraged to sign the new petition and encourage colleagues to do the same, with every signature strengthening the case for bringing all employers into fair bargaining.

Let’s take this step together towards securing better salaries, safer workplaces and stronger workload protections for everyone in Catholic education.