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Episode 10: Messages from Margaret
188 Plays1 year ago
In this episode, Kate & Tony talk about a couple of emails that everyone would have gotten from our Vice Chancellor in the last couple of weeks. The first announcing a "deficit" and the second outlining the University's proposed pay rises for staff. We discuss how the emails were strategically timed to try and undermine the Unions move toward industrial action, and with industrial action now approved, what actions we can begin taking.
We then talk about the University's attempt to vary the agreement that has already expired to dodge a claim of wage theft, and the upcoming statewide strike on May 3rd.
If you or someone you know wants to make a submission for the Casual Consultations case, you can do so here - www.nteu.au/monashconsults (also in the linktree)
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 myunionwroteaneba@gmail.com
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 Land Acknowledgment
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.
00:01:07
Speaker
Good day, everyone. I hope you're all doing well.
Salary Disparities at Monash University
00:01:10
Speaker
I'm Adam Fernandes, your National Counsellor at the Monash branch here with another update on the Vice-Chancellor's salary. It has been 293 days since our last agreement expired, and our Vice-Chancellor is about to crack a million dollars. Lucky for some. Dear listeners, I don't wish that I earned as much as she did, because we all know the money comes from somewhere like the buckets of session staff and shift workers at Monash University.
00:01:36
Speaker
What I do know is that it could be better spent on you. Yes, you. If you're listening to this podcast, you probably deserve a pay rise. And not a shitty one that helps our vice chancellor sleep well at night. I mean a real one. One that pays the bills and keeps a roof over your head. Well, that's it from me. Enjoy the rest of your week. Hey everyone and welcome back to the podcast.
Financial Deficit Narrative
00:01:59
Speaker
Today we're going to be talking about industrial action.
00:02:01
Speaker
Just before we do though, just wanted to quickly talk about a couple of emails that everybody will have gotten over the last couple of weeks from our vice chancellor. So days before staff officially won the option to take protected industrial action, Monash announced the deficit for 2022. It's only really a deficit if you don't include all of this other money that they also have, like investment revenue, donations and bequests, whatever piggy bank they had stashed away that they got their $66 million from the Toyota factory they bought last year.
00:02:30
Speaker
But it was perfectly time to set expectations low for all staff about the prospects for the university and to try to drain momentum away from the push towards industrial action. With the university crying poor, we should be happy with what we have. This narrative is misleading and untrue, also known as false. And we won't accept it, which brings us to the second email, the one where the VC graciously set out after literal months of us asking their idea for pay rises.
Rejection of Pay Rise Proposal
00:02:56
Speaker
And frankly, it's not terrible.
00:02:58
Speaker
but it's not good enough. We deserve better. Let's compare the pair. So we want 15% or CPI plus 1.5% over the life of the agreement. And for what it's worth, the RBA is predicting CPI to reach 20%. So what did they offer? 13%. And like I said, while that's a good start, in real terms, that's still a pay cut. So thanks, but no thanks. We'll keep marching forward towards industrial action.
00:03:23
Speaker
And at our most recent All Members Meeting, the NTU Monash members voted on two forms of industrial action.
Rationale for Industrial Action
00:03:30
Speaker
The first section, which will begin this week, is making statements while working explaining why the union is taking industrial action.
00:03:37
Speaker
So I suppose the first question is, what does this mean? So starting from 9 a.m. on Monday the 17th of April, 2023, NTEU members at Monash can make statements while they are working explaining why members of the union are taking industrial action. This could include making statements in meetings, in classes, or in emails, provided you are delaying work to make that statement.
00:04:00
Speaker
And who can participate in this action? Well, it's only employees of Monash University who are NTEU members that can legally take this action. If you're not currently a member and would like to participate, you can join at www.nteu.au, slash join.
00:04:16
Speaker
So once you remember during class lectures or meetings, you can talk about why members are taking industrial action. This must cause a delay to the usual delivery of content or work for it to be considered protected industrial action.
00:04:31
Speaker
Another question that people might have is, is how to make a statement in an email? Well, first type out the statement into the body of an email you send while at work. Writing the statement must take up time you would otherwise spend on productive work. So don't just copy and paste. Also use a variety of statements and don't put the statement in an order reply or an email signature.
00:04:53
Speaker
On Friday, the branch sent out an email with advice and templates for statements, including a script you can read to students and a PowerPoint slide pack for you to use. Cool. Thanks Tony.
Endorsement of Full-Day Strike
00:05:04
Speaker
Uh, and the other action the branch has endorsed was participating in a full day strike on Wednesday, the 3rd of May. And this is the NTU's national week of action and will be part of a Victorian statewide strike. The plan on the day is for members from all Victorian universities currently in enterprise negotiations.
00:05:23
Speaker
to meet at trades hall in the city for a stop work meeting, followed by a demonstration. While we might feel like we're in the weeds of the struggle for a better agreement at Monash, this day is really about coming together in solidarity. Every branch is fighting for the same key claims, job security, fair workloads and better pay. So hopefully this will be a really fun day in the midst of all this hard work that we're doing. So please come along.
00:05:48
Speaker
More info about how to take strike action will be coming out from the branch in the next week. So keep an eye out on the emails. And there's one last thing we wanted to update you on in today's episode.
Threat to Back Pay Claims
00:05:59
Speaker
A few weeks ago, Monash University emailed four and a half thousand casual teaching associates
00:06:05
Speaker
who have worked at the university since February 2020. Their email contained information about an application currently before the Fair Work Commission to vary the Monash University enterprise agreement, the 2019 one, which is the current one, due to alleged ambiguity. The unions really strongly opposed to this variation.
00:06:26
Speaker
The variation application was lodged by the university after the NTU filed in federal court on behalf of our members, seeking back pay for all casual teaching associates who performed scheduled student consultations and were not separately paid for the work.
00:06:43
Speaker
The NTU's view is that scheduled student consultations are other required academic activity and must be paid separately and in addition to the rolled up tutorial rate. If this is correct, casual teaching and associates who are not paid at the prescribed hourly rate are entitled to be backpaid for the hours that they've worked.
00:07:03
Speaker
The NTU filed a proceeding in federal court in September, asking the court to decide whether our view is correct, and if so, to order that all affected staff be compensated and order penalties against the university. Then the university filed their application to vary the relevant clause in the agreement just three weeks after the NTU filed in federal court. If Monash's variation application is successful,
00:07:31
Speaker
Our claims for back pay for the period of 2020 onwards will fail because Monash is asking the variation to have retrospective effect.
00:07:41
Speaker
To inform its decision on the variation, the Fair Work Commission has requested that the university contact all staff who are likely to be impacted by the variation and for them to make a submission by the 26th of April. If you are or if you have been a casual academic at any time since February 2020 at Monash University, we really strongly urge you to make a submission.
Dispute Over Unpaid Consultations
00:08:05
Speaker
A one-click performance submission can be found on our website and we'll pop the link in the show notes as well. But we really encourage you to send a more substantial submission regarding your specific circumstances and position towards the application because that will provide a much stronger case. No staff member should be forced to decide between delivering a quality education to their students and working without pay. Monash University must recognise that staff working conditions or student learning conditions
00:08:35
Speaker
The consultations with students are vital pedagogical work and that tutors must be paid for scheduled student consultations separately and in addition to the rolled up tutorial rate. Yeah, well said Tony. Thanks. I mean, let's be real. This is just one plank of a number of planks where Monash is
00:08:56
Speaker
screwing us.
Call for United Action and Change
00:08:57
Speaker
They drag out bargaining. They, you know, do all this, jump through all these hoops with the casual consultations. They don't pay casuals properly or anybody properly for the marking that they're doing. It's all, this is all part of a bigger picture. And now is the time where we have a perfect opportunity to stand up and say, fuck this, to say enough is enough. We're done. This needs to change. This is our opportunity.
00:09:26
Speaker
to strive for that change. So let's do it. We've got a strike. We've got industrial action. The parvo stuff has been approved. Like now is the time. Yeah, absolutely. Let's use this as fuel and add it to the fire of our negotiations in the industrial action that we're going to take going forward for sure.
00:09:43
Speaker
And more importantly, on the 3rd of May, where all of you should show up to the city to have your voices heard. This is not just a Monash problem. This is a problem with all universities.
Conclusion and Thanks
00:09:54
Speaker
So come on and join all of your comrades out on the street. Bring a sign, bring your pets, bring your kids, bring whatever it is that you need to bring with you. Bring a packed lunch if you need to. But come out and do some screaming and make sure that everybody understands that we're getting screwed and that we're sick of it and the time for change is now.
00:10:13
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.