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Episode 27: Management is not your friend
60 Plays6 months ago
In this episode, Kate & Tony talk about a range of ways management is not your friend. The first is the appalling lack of leadership shown by management around the Gaza Solidarity encampment at Monash and their targeting of student protesters with bogus misconduct charges for daring to protest a genocide. Second, we talk about how our own NTEU staff are being shafted by management in their own EB negotiations (something particularly appalling given that they work for a union). Then we round it out by talking about how the situation with DC at HQ is impacting our own in-principle agreement and slowing down the process for us.
If you have questions 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
Progress on Monash University's Enterprise Bargaining Agreement
00:00:18
Speaker
G'day, everyone, and welcome to My Union Wrote an 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 to everything we can to avoid being fucked in the process.
Acknowledgment of Kulin Nations' Lands
00:00:41
Speaker
Those involved with the podcast would like to acknowledge that it is being recorded on the unceded lands of the Kulin nations, 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.
Hosts' Absence Explained: Workload and Union Activities
00:01:07
Speaker
Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. Once again, we want to apologize for our long absence. Uh, both Kate and I have big workloads this semester and the union has also been really busy with wrapping up the EA negotiations, supporting campus and protests and the enterprise negotiations of our union reps.
Protests at Monash: Calls for Gaza Ceasefire
00:01:25
Speaker
So to start off, uh, some, some of you will be aware of, or maybe have even taken part in some of the protests and actions on campus around what is happening in Gaza.
00:01:36
Speaker
So for those on the Clayton campus, you will have likely noticed the establishment of and recent tearing down of the Gaza solidarity encampment. The branch has been active since November last year in calling for a ceasefire and an end to the slaughter in Gaza. Between rank and file members in the branch committee, we've done a bunch of stuff, including. So we've passed our initial motion about the genocide assault in early November.
00:02:01
Speaker
Members have written an open letter that's now accumulated about 1,225 signatures as of today and an op-ed in the ABC religion website in support of the encampments and criticizing the media coverage of them. So we've also passed a motion of support for students in connection with the Monash Gaza solidarity encampment.
Student Misconduct Accusations: Gaza Solidarity
00:02:21
Speaker
So nine students, a number of which are actually my former students and one is my current student, have been accused of misconduct by Monash University for nonviolent defense of their solidarity encampment, for which they've been threatened with suspension or expulsion and banned from attending the lemon-scented lawn where the camp was positioned.
Monash's Israel Ties and Protests
00:02:41
Speaker
So the encampment is a nonviolent and peaceful form of protest that students and members of the Monash community have set up to force Monash University to disclose its ties to the state of Israel and also to weapons manufacturers profiting from the genocide and demanding that the university divest from them. For the first day, the encampment came under repeated violent attacks from pro-Israel students and members of the public from outside of the university community.
00:03:09
Speaker
The Monash students who are members of the camp have non-violently resisted incursions into the camp, for which some of them are now being disciplined. And this tactic of targeting individual students is clearly an effort to shut down the camp, which we saw when the university sent people in last Friday to tear the encampment down.
Monash's Response and Academic Freedom
00:03:29
Speaker
The targeting of students protesting an ongoing genocidal assault with discipline reaction, whilst repeatedly doing nothing to protect those same students from outside agitators who targeted the camp on a number of occasions, is particularly egregious and belies the university's selective commitment to its own regulations. All of this has occurred in the wake of the university's decision to host a commemoration of Israeli army soldiers who have died in an army that is also killing the family members
00:03:59
Speaker
Monash staff and students. At the same time, Monash management have attacked their own students' right to peaceful political protest by posting warning signs at the various entrances to the Clayton campus. These notices should be of concern to all staff regardless of how you feel about what Israel is doing to Palestinians in Gaza.
Campus Free Speech Concerns
00:04:23
Speaker
Those signs, which some of you have most likely already seen, read. Notice. Regulation 93, parentheses one, Monash University Council regulations. Monash University respects the right to freedom of speech and expression and the right of assembly to engage in peaceful protest.
00:04:43
Speaker
However, the safety of our students and staff members is paramount until further notice any person other than a Monash University student or staff member who engages or intends to engage in protest activities is directed not to enter access or otherwise be present in a university precinct. Any contravention of this direction will be referred to Victoria Police. So this is really important because academic freedom is a hard one and a really significant right that needs to be defended.
00:05:13
Speaker
Even if you don't agree with what the students are doing, they have a right to peacefully protest, especially against a genocide. During the Vietnam War, the Labour Club at Monash raised funds for the political arm of the Viet Cong. When they were challenged by the university, student associations across the political spectrum backed the right of them to do that, even if they thought it was an abhorrent thing to do. The guards of the solidarity encampments are doing nothing anywhere near as controversial.
00:05:43
Speaker
The most controversial thing about them was the university's pathetic response to them being attacked and harassed by people from outside of the university. Conveniently then, the duty of care for their students fell by the wayside. But even the regulatory sleight of hand that the university is pulling with those signs could be equally used against staff and could be employed for issues other than the encampment. It should be a giant red flag still for anyone who cares about their right to academic freedom.
NTU Staff Negotiations: Pay and Conditions
00:06:12
Speaker
So now moving on to part two, where we talk about the NTU staff industrial action. NTU staff, so those being the paid members of the NTU staff, so organizers and industrial officers, have been negotiating their own enterprise agreement for the last six or so months.
00:06:31
Speaker
The current outstanding items are around working from home and pay because Damien Cahill, or DC as we like to call him, is refusing to make acceptable offers to staff. As a result, NTU staff around the country have been taking protected industrial action in the form of work bands, which are and will continue to have disruptive impacts on union operations.
00:06:51
Speaker
So we know that the union reps from Monash University really care so much about their work. If you've been a part of any union activities at all, you probably know Sophie and Trevor, who are excellent union reps. For example, Sophie dedicates so much of her time to helping us produce this podcast.
00:07:11
Speaker
And honestly, I don't know where we would be as a union without their work. I definitely wouldn't have no idea how to organize.
Commendations for Union Contributions
00:07:18
Speaker
Sophie and Trevor have done a bunch of trainings and really helped build up Tony and I's skills as activists and as union organizers. So, you know, we really owe
00:07:29
Speaker
so much to them and they really, really deserve proper working conditions. Agreed, Kate. And like in a very real way, all of the actions that we've been able to take over the course of our bargaining have all been made possible because of the work that Trevor and Sophie have put in, in the same way as the industrial actions that have been undertaken by NTU members at
00:07:52
Speaker
You know, all of the different universities around Australia that have done it, all of those industrial actions have also hinged off of the hard work and the effort put in by the organizers in those branches as well. It's particularly galling, I think, to, you know, come to the realization that even people that work for a union have management that are, you know, being disingenuous and not giving their employees what they deserve.
Support for NTU Staff Industrial Action
00:08:23
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And so today, so the 27th, the Monash Branch Committee passed the following motion in support of NTU staff. So the Monash University branch of the NTU calls on Damien Cahill to swiftly reach an in-principle agreement with NTU staff for a new enterprise agreement. It is essential for union leadership to finalise this agreement with its staff.
00:08:49
Speaker
Presently, the Monash branch is managing several time sensitive manners, including. The approval of an in-principle agreement with university management for our new enterprise agreement, which we have been in bargaining for since October of 2022. An active and ongoing federal court case for wage theft against the university. The defense of academic freedom with regards to the pending misconduct accusations that we were just talking about against a number of students for their involvement in the Gaza solidarity encampment.
00:09:18
Speaker
A number of campus-based campaigns around issues such as price gouging hikes to parking fees on campus. And various ongoing cases involving staff at the university on a range of other matters. The proposed industrial actions by NTU staff will significantly impact these initiatives. To resolve the bargaining process, we urge the NTU leadership to offer staff a fair pay rise that aligns with the average annual increase in the university sector as secured in our bargaining campaigns.
00:09:48
Speaker
Additionally, we support staff's request for guaranteed workplace flexibility. A key component of bargaining claims at higher education sites nationwide is deeply unfair to our staff to advocate for conditions that NTU leadership does not endorse themselves.
00:10:05
Speaker
Here, here, Kate, and full solidarity to Sophie and Trevor and all other NTU staff who are undertaking industrial action and being forced to take industrial action because of the inaction of the leaders of this union.
Bargaining Process Update
00:10:22
Speaker
So now, across to the third thing that we wanted to talk about today, which is where we're at with bargaining.
00:10:32
Speaker
So the last thing that most people would know about or would have been aware of was the all members meetings that we had. I think it was the start of May about having reached in principle agreement. So the next step after that was for it to be sent off to headquarters for approval.
00:10:50
Speaker
The industrial action by NTU staff has slowed this process because part of their industrial action has been not meeting with people like Damien and that kind of thing. But as of Friday just gone, we have been given approval from the people at National for our agreement.
00:11:11
Speaker
that approval has now been given. And so the next step will still be slower because of the industrial action. So once Damien stops blocking a fair deal for staff, then that process will begin to resume at a more normal pace. And as soon as that happens, we will let you know. So roughly just so everyone knows that process will look like our first, a full draft of the agreement agreement will be circulated to all members.
00:11:37
Speaker
Then after that, we'll hold another set of all members meetings to allow people to ask any questions that they have about the agreement. So have a read through, and then if you have any questions, bring them to that all members meeting.
Next Steps and Involvement Encouragement
00:11:49
Speaker
After that, it will go to a member vote, and if it passes, then it will go to an all staff vote, so including non-members for all Monash staff. So that's it from us. We'll keep you updated on the progress of the EA.
00:12:06
Speaker
which hopefully, if the NTU's own negotiations go smoothly, it will not be too long. In the meantime, if you have any questions or want to get involved with any of the staff aspect of the Gaza staff, please email the podcast, myunionrodeneba.com.
00:12:25
Speaker
If you would like to know more about the NTEU staff industrial action, or if you want to find out ways that you can support them and show solidarity with them and what they're doing, just email the branch and they will get back to you. And yeah, you'll hear from us as soon as we have more to say about the status of our own enterprise agreement. But yeah, until then.
Sign-off and Thanks
00:12:51
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.