Rep profile: Toby Nash, Building a stronger voice at Korowa

Toby Nash became a Rep at Korowa Anglican Girls’ School just three years into his teaching career.

When the previous Rep went on maternity leave, colleagues encouraged Toby to step into the role. He agreed because he cared about the issues staff were raising and wanted to strengthen their collective voice.

Starting conversations

Since becoming a Rep, Toby says the biggest change has been the discussions he has with colleagues.

‘I’ve had so many more conversations with people than I ever thought I would,’ he says. ‘They don’t know what we do, and they don’t know how much good we do.’

Those conversations have helped him recognise when an apparently individual concern is shared by others.

‘Whenever the Reps come in, I go, well, I have three more stories for you. And this is what we’re going through.’

For Toby, being a Rep means listening, bringing colleagues’ experiences together and ensuring concerns are not dealt with in isolation.

Why membership matters

Toby sees union membership as important protection when an individual needs advice or representation. His experience as a Rep has also shown him the broader value of a strong union presence before problems reach that point.

High membership connects more colleagues, strengthens workplace discussions and gives the sub-branch greater capacity to influence pay, conditions and decisions. A well-organised sub-branch can raise issues early, support individuals and bargain for improvements that benefit everyone.

Learning to bargain

Toby attended the IEU’s Better Bargaining training to build his confidence before taking part in negotiations. He meets with his IEU Organiser before each bargaining session to review priorities, discuss recent conversations with members and work through the arguments they expect to encounter.

The experience has reinforced that bargaining is not simply about what happens in the meeting room. The quality of the negotiation depends on the conversations taking place back at the school – what members are experiencing, what they want changed and what they are prepared to stand together for.

Learning, growth and solidarity

Toby says becoming a Rep has given him a better understanding of colleagues’ working lives and a stronger sense of the importance of standing together.

Not every staff member begins with the same view of the union, he says, but genuine conversations about shared workplace issues can change that.

‘If you believe in the union, you can recruit effectively. You can make heaps of progress. And what you do is of extreme importance.’

For Toby, that has been one of the biggest lessons: union strength is built conversation by conversation, and every person who becomes involved makes the collective voice stronger.