Trinity staff reject Agreement offer: 72% vote NO

Nearly three-quarters of staff at Trinity Grammar School have voted NO to their employer’s proposed Agreement, rejecting an flawed offer that bypassed staff bargaining representatives and would see teachers’ salary advantage over their Victorian government school colleagues shrink from approximately $13,500 in 2025 to just $1,000.

The result sends a clear message: staff expect an Agreement that recognises their work and delivers meaningful improvements to both pay and conditions.

Throughout bargaining, the School has repeatedly cited the “excessive cost to the School” while making little progress on basic conditions.

Staff are seeking the workplace flexibility worthy of a school in 2026 - the right to leave the workplace when free from scheduled duties and a 30-minute paid lunch break for teachers. Yard duty arrangements in the Agreement, not in policy. Partner leave, camp allowances, long service leave requirements and super on parental leave that are up to scratch.

Staff are adamant: an offer that fails to address these issues is not good enough.

The Enterprise Agreement was put to a staff vote despite the unanimous opposition of employee bargaining representatives.

It was a shoddy document riddled with errors: Teachers were directed to the General Staff salary schedule. Clauses were incorrectly numbered. References pointed to entirely unrelated provisions. Agreed protections were missing, and other wording creates uncertainty about important entitlements. These are issues that would routinely be picked up by the IEU bargaining team - provided they are given access to review a draft before it’s put out to the vote!

It’s time for Trinity Grammar to listen to its employees and return to the bargaining table, respect the role of staff bargaining representatives, and come forward with an offer that fairly recognises the demanding work of staff.

Growing discontent across the independent school sector

The result at Trinity reflects growing discontent across the sector, including at schools with little history of staff organising to campaign for better wages and conditions.

In an upcoming article, the union examines this trend and argues that the Victorian Government Schools Agreement has changed expectations across the sector:

“The Victorian Government Schools Agreement outcome has changed the landscape for school employment across Victoria. Independent schools now face a clear test: how they respond to contemporary expectations of fair pay, manageable workloads and professional respect.”

The article challenges the idea that employees should feel “lucky” to work at a prestigious institution, pointing out that a school’s reputation is built and sustained by its staff.

“A school’s standing rests on the expertise, dedication and daily work of its teachers and support staff. That contribution deserves tangible recognition in their pay, workload and working conditions.”

Parents and staff share an interest in schools that can attract and retain skilled, committed employees. Supporting and retaining staff helps maintain continuity, promote student wellbeing and protect the quality of education.

“A school’s reputation is built by its staff. Maintaining that reputation requires competitive pay, manageable workloads and respect for their professional contribution. Schools that want to be employers of choice must demonstrate it through the wages and conditions they offer.”