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Episode 12: Statewide Strike Special
174 Plays1 year ago
In this episode Adam takes over the podast to talk to folks at the Statewide strike on May 3. It was a great day with a massive turnout at Trades Hall that showed just how fed up workers in tertiary education are with the way they are being treated.
It was amazing to see so many people out there on the day, and presented a great opportunitiy to hear from directly from members what changes they want to see, and why taking industrial action was important to them.
If you have questions about the process you'd like answered, or any topics you would like to hear covered on the podcast, drop us an email at [email protected]
You can also stay up to date with everything happening with bargaining at our new bargaining website, and with the branch on Facebook and Twitter. All of which can be found here - https://linktr.ee/myunionwroteaneba
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Transcript
Introduction and Acknowledgment of Country
00:00:18
Speaker
G'day, everyone, and welcome to My Union Road and EBA. This is a podcast to chronicle the progress towards a new enterprise bargaining agreement at Monash University and is brought to you by members of the Monash branch of the NTEU. We're here to take the old agreement and hashtag change it. And unlike our namesake, my dad wrote a porno, do everything we can to avoid being fucked in the process. Those involved with the podcast would like to acknowledge that it is being recorded on the unsaid lands of the Kulin nations,
00:00:47
Speaker
on whose lands we live, teach, and work. We would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional custodians and elders past and present, and to the continuation of the cultural, spiritual, and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.
Strike for Better Conditions
00:01:08
Speaker
Good day listeners. Last week, NTU members from around the state took strike action and stop work action to protest the lack of progress by their management towards a better agreement.
00:01:19
Speaker
A thousand members made their way to the Victorian Trades Hall building, where we moved in motion committing to further action until we get three key things. First, a real pay rise for staff because we deserve one. Fair and decent working conditions with proper work-life balance.
00:01:39
Speaker
and secure jobs, real career progression for those on casual and fixed-term contracts. We found some time during the actions to talk to members about why they were there and what was important to them. They also had a message for a Vice-Chancellor.
00:01:58
Speaker
Well, what brings me here is that I'm a worker. I'm an academic worker. And for me, it's important that people that work in tertiary education as academics and professional staff and sessionals, especially, need to have protection. And so I'm withdrawing my labor power today from the bosses so that I can be in solidarity, especially with those that aren't as protected as I am or don't have the salary that I do. So it's an act of solidarity for me.
00:02:28
Speaker
And if you had one message for our vice-chancellor, what would that be? My message would be to, in this instance, live up to the rhetoric that has been part of Monash. And I agree with some of the long plans and what Monash has done. But having a stable, ongoing, safe, and secure workforce is going to feed into Monash's larger plans. But we need to take care of the workers, especially the most vulnerable amongst us.
00:02:57
Speaker
Thank you.
Solidarity Among Workers
00:02:59
Speaker
So what brings you from Monash University to striking here today? Today I'm rising in solidarity, I'm going to be teaching next time, but I have to have research-assisted positions and you know, I know working as a casual, we're often wildly under respected. I've heard from all of my colleagues how difficult things like marking hours are,
00:03:27
Speaker
how the pay isn't reflecting the effort we're putting in. And I think there's such an overworked culture in academia, but really often there's particularly on casuals and PhD students. But it needs to be fixed. We need working conditions. We need to even strive and support our students and support our research and live and enjoy our work, not be worrying about PhDs.
00:03:53
Speaker
And if you had one message to Margaret Gardner, what would you say to her? I think, you know...
00:04:02
Speaker
The union needs to be listened to. These demands that are being made right now are for safe and livable working conditions. And that's something that we should all enjoy. Where are you from? Which area? University of Melbourne, Faculty of Science Administration. I'm striking so that everyone can have a fair go, basically. Like, modules to pixtern to, like, continuous staff members. And also, like, for getting respect for all workers, whether you're, like, pixtern or cashier.
Challenges in Negotiations
00:04:31
Speaker
If you had one message you think our insecure workforce would send to Duncan, what would that be? Pull your head out.
00:04:40
Speaker
No, no, effectively, like, he is secure as shit. Like, insecure workers need to be made secure because, hey, like, the university system relies on continuous labour. It's not like one subject ends. It's like, oh, we're never going to teach that again. It's an ongoing process. Like, and that's something that the key needs to realise and everyone needs to realise within the university workforce. All right. So tell me, what brings you to the Victorian Trace Hall today?
00:05:07
Speaker
I'm coming out in solidarity with my colleagues, particularly those who have a recessional work and don't have much sort of security in an academic career. I'm also concerned that the university has really been slow or even difficult in negotiating a new enterprise agreement. I think that's a real problem.
00:05:27
Speaker
They're playing all sorts of psychological games and being quite difficult, I understand. And I'm really concerned about the learning environment for our students. So I do agree with the slogan that better unis are better for students. Thank you. And if you had one message for Margaret Gardner, what would you say to her?
00:05:46
Speaker
Listen to your staff, listen to the union, it's going to make it a better workplace and people will be more productive overall if that's what's important to you. So, what brings you from Monash University to strike in here today? Wait step. I'm a castle. I've been employed at Monash for many years now and every single year I've experienced wait step.
00:06:08
Speaker
Whether it's been marketing, consultation hours, class prep, I've always experienced waves after the chancel staff. I came out today and with my colleagues to try to put an end to it. And if you had one message from Margaret Gardner, advice Chancellor, what would it be?
00:06:28
Speaker
It's when you say this because I saw her in Melbourne Uni the other day. She walks past, took me a second to clock it. And what I really want to say to her then, I want to say now is pay a capital. So what brings you from Monash University to striking today?
Unity of Staff and Students
00:06:40
Speaker
Yeah, so I'm here to stand in solidarity with all my co-workers from both the professional staff and academic staff. I'm also here standing with my friends and comrades in the National Union of Students to support all of teaching staff members because, of course, our work conditions are students learning conditions.
00:06:58
Speaker
and that's the key reason why I'm here. Amazing. And if you had a message from Margaret Gardner, what would you say to her? Yeah, that 4% payout raised with the extra free every year, I thought that was a very scabby email and very anti-union. No, and we'll stand here and fight for better working conditions.
00:07:18
Speaker
So what brings you from La Trobe Uni to striving here today? Yeah, so I'm striking today for better working conditions for myself. I've got a lot of casual colleagues. I'm on a short term insecure contract, likely to become a casual again. So I'm here for secure jobs and safe workplaces and better working conditions.
00:07:40
Speaker
And if you had one message for your Vice-Chancellor, what would that be? Our Vice-Chancellor is leaving, he's announced that he's on his way out, so my message would be to come to the table in our bargaining room, offer us the pay rise that we've been asking for, and provide us better conditions. So what brings you from Monash University to striking here today?
Call for Fair Negotiations
00:08:04
Speaker
Well, our university is taking way too long on our negotiations for our EVA, so we want to start putting some pressure on them, and we also want to, I'm also here to support all my other colleagues that other universities are having a very tough time, so, you know, more power together. And if you had one message from Africa, what would that be?
00:08:26
Speaker
Oh dear. I think just remember who makes Monash great, the staff and the support and they care a lot for their students so give the respect to your staff that they deserve.
00:08:43
Speaker
So what brings you here today, just crying? I had a really rough time with workloads. So basically it's a crisis for myself and my colleagues, professional staff at the university. So that's a personal reason why. And then I guess just the other reason is just solidarity with everyone at the university who's out on strike. We all have different reasons for being on strike. All of our working conditions are
00:09:09
Speaker
Yeah, pre-ordinary at the moment, cost of living through the roof, and we're doing more work for less pay than ever before. Wow. And if you had to send one message, or give one message to your vice-chancellor, what would that be?
00:09:24
Speaker
Come to the table and start negotiating with us. You know, we put a really, really good agreement down and, you know, just listen. Like, staff have the solutions to your problems and, you know, you're just not listening. You know, stop burying your head in the sand and come to the table with you. Which university are you from? I'm from Unimel. And which area? I'm professional staff in Faculty of Arts. Amazing, thank you. Thanks.
00:09:55
Speaker
Alright folks, that's it for this episode. Thanks to Kate, Danny, Adam, Bernard, and Pod Daddy Sofio for all the work they've put into this, and we'll catch you next time.