Safety, fairness, and building a team: IEU Reps on organising a large school

It seems almost destined that Holly Blake and Vanessa Tavoletti would take on leadership roles at John Paul College Frankston.

Both are alumni who love working at their former school, grateful for the education they received and eager to offer the same experience to their students. They are also both drama teachers with outgoing personalities.

‘I think we listen to our staff members’ concerns. People feel comfortable coming to us,’ Vanessa said.

‘We also have really good communication with our leaders and pass concerns along.’

Teamwork is central to their success at a school with over 200 staff. They credit last year’s IEU Building Your Team training with helping them delegate tasks effectively.

When collecting signatures for the Single Interest Authorisation (SIA), they enlisted colleagues across faculties.

‘We can’t reach everyone ourselves,’ Holly said. ‘So we asked trusted colleagues – in science, the arts, maths – to start conversations in their areas. That way people can speak to someone they know.’

Vanessa added, ‘We made sure we  had someone in every faculty meeting. Staff might not come to us in drama, but they could speak to a colleague they knew. We needed the union to be accessible everywhere.’

Clear communication was also vital during the campaign, especially since many staff were not union members.

‘Some aspects are complex,’ Holly said. ‘I even checked details with our legal studies teachers to make sure I understood them.’

The SIA campaign strengthened the union presence at JPC, bringing in eight new members and securing a strong majority of staff support.

Although they describe JPC’s conditions as strong, they see the SIA as important for the entire profession, not as opposing leadership or their school.

New roles

Both Reps are relatively new to union leadership. Holly stepped into the role last July, just as the SIA campaign was underway. She’s only been teaching  for five years.

‘I come from a big union family and I’ve always been a member,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t fair that staff weren’t being presented with all their options. You can make your own decision, but you need  to know the choice exists.’

Vanessa, a union member for all 18 years of her teaching career, has worked in both government and Catholic schools but is new to her alma mater.

‘Many people don’t realise that conditions like maternity leave, parental leave, and job security exist because people before us fought for them,’ she said.

Big (crowd) challenges The size of their school makes for some daunting tasks, even for extroverts. Holly admitted that speaking to over 200 staff to respond to the principal’s position on the vote with just one day’s notice was ‘nerve-wracking.’

‘It was confronting, but it was important. Not everyone can attend after-school meetings. At least this way, everyone heard both sides and could  ask questions.’

Clever tactics helped.

‘People in our team asked questions that allowed us to hit a few home runs!’ Holly said.

The road ahead

They anticipate public debate will intensify if industrial action occurs.

‘Teacher-bashing online starts quickly,’ Vanessa said. ‘People talk about holidays or hourly rates without understanding the workload.’

She tracked her own hours while part-time at a previous school and found she worked 15 unpaid hours per week beyond her allocation.

‘People don’t see that.’ Despite the challenges, both describe the Rep role as empowering. ‘You don’t have to do it alone,’ Holly said.

‘Having each other and a team around us makes it possible.’ They also emphasise maintaining constructive relationships with leadership.

‘We meet with the principal to share concerns and explain what’s happening in the school. He may not agree with us, but he can’t address  issues if he doesn’t know about them.’

Their advice for staff considering becoming Reps: build a team, communicate openly, and help colleagues understand both their rights and the history behind them.

After less than a year together in their roles, Holly and Vanessa are already role models, practising what they preach.