Wins, Ballots and Negotiations Update

Strong member action has seen significant progress achieved for educators as we seek the Lifting Learning reform our school communities need and deserve.

Negotiations on a new Teachers Agreement will continue and while there has been a lot of progress, there are plenty of high priorities in our Teachers Log of Claims that have NOT yet been addressed. Members should enjoy a well-earned break and come back in 2023 ready to continue our powerful Lifting Learning campaign.

The below is a summary of Teachers Agreement progress and a lift of the priorities not yet addressed as at December 15, 2022

Salary Increases:

December 2022 – 3.5%

+ $1000 Cost of Living payment, added to base salary
+ $500 Lower Income payment added to base salary (only for those paid at Band 1, Level 4 or below)
+ $1,000 one-off Lower Income payment (pro rata, not added to base salary, only for those paid at Band 1, Level 4 or below)

December 2023 – 3.0%

+ $500 one-off Lower Income payment (pro rata, not added to base salary, only for those paid at Band 1, Level 4 or below)

December 2024 – 3.0%

+ $500 one-off Lower Income payment (pro rata, not added to base salary, only for those paid at Band 1, Level 4 or below)

Leave provisions:

Parental Leave:
- Primary carer: 18 weeks paid (increased by 2 weeks)
- Secondary carer: total 16 weeks paid (increased by 13 weeks from current 3 week partner leave)
Foster Leave: Up to 10 days per year paid.
Aboriginal Cultural Leave: 5 days paid per year
Disability Leave: 5 days paid per year
Gender Transition Leave: 4 weeks paid, 48 weeks unpaid.
Family Violence Leave: increase to 20 days per year.

New Educator wins:

Mentor Time: teacher mentors’ instructional load reduced by two hours per fortnight.
BeTTR Time: 1st and 2nd year teachers’ instructional load reduced by four and two hours per fortnight respectively.
Teachers can progress to Band 1 Level 12 without full teacher registration.
First year teachers will have access to paid time prior to Term 1 to attend a specialised professional development induction program.

Other improvements:

Better define Instructional Load/DOTT:
- Quarantined (self-directed) time for planning, preparation, assessment & family communication
- Limits on meetings
- ProfessionalActivity Days being reduced to 4 per year (currently 5).
- Relief Coordinator Allowance: $1,000 per term
Isolated Schools Incentive Package: in development with AEU Advisory Group
Teachers in Support Schools and Tier Four programs will receive an allowance of 1.35%
ESS: Teachers Award provisions to apply to ESS positions (excepting Teacher Reg and Higher Duties)

Non-Agreement Matters:

Pathway to permanency for ESS positions ensuring permanent vacancies prioritise Teacher Assistants who have gained the required ESS qualification.
Review of Senior Staffing allocations (AEU claim is to increase numbers and remove hard barriers for smaller schools)
Employment of an additional 30 FTE school based Social Workers over 2 years commencing in 2023
Various reviews: Professional Activity Days, Teacher Transfer Agreement, central relief teacher pool, VET specialist teacher workloads, Educational Adjustments, extension school 11-12 teacher conditions, ESS positions in school establishment, Case Management Platform, relief teacher expectations (DECYP matter)

What isn’t included yet:

Additional In-Class Support
Increase Support Teacher Positions
Safer Class Sizes
Additional Professional Support Staff: School Psychologists and Speech Pathologists
Complete removal of Principals from staffing quota
Individualised Professional Learning and improved access
Extending BeTTR time to third year and part time teachers (below 0.5 FTE)
Commitment to ensure AST and AP salaries better reflect complexity of roles as part of review
Paid Reproductive Health and Wellbeing Leave

AEU ESP have taken action to secure a much-improved Offer

And now that Offer has been approved by member ballot.

Ballot result: YES

91.4% voted YES
60% of eligible members voted

What does this mean?

Members have strongly endorsed the Offer won through action in union. Here are just some of the member wins:

Salary increase of 4% – 6% beginning December 2022 (depending on income, with beginning Teacher Assistants increasing over 6%)
One-off payment of $1,000 for those on lower incomes (pro rata to hours worked, only for those on top of Band 3 and below)
Further annual salary increases and one-off payments in December 2023 and 2024
Ability to work a total of 44 weeks (increased from maximum 43)
Paid Christmas Closedown: three additional paid days if it is a day/s you usually work
Parental leave improvements, other leave improvements
Increases to allowances, new allowances
Paid 15 minute recess breaks
Laptops supplied to all ESP
Improved processes for conversion to permanency

When does it happen? What are the next steps?

The short answer is that nothing happens immediately, but we will push for implementation as soon as possible.

Pay rises and one-off payments depend on a final Agreement being approved at the Tasmanian Industrial Commission (TIC) and then DECYP payroll, so we cannot guarantee a timeline, but it may stretch beyond Christmas and into January.

Importantly, no matter when pay rises come through, they will be backdated to the First Full Pay Period on or after 1 December 2022.

Strong action has secured a much-improved Offer for AHP members

Like the ESPs PSUWA Agreement, the Allied Health Professionals Agreement includes several other unions with members in different parts of the State Service. So while AEU members have supported the Allied Health Offer, a final Agreement cannot be approved without the support of members across the other unions. We will keep you updated with news as it develops.

Ballot result: YES

84.6% voted YES
72% of eligible members voted

What does this mean?

Members have strongly endorsed the Offer won through action in union. Here are just some of the member wins:

Salary increase of 4% – 6.6% beginning December 2022 (depending on income, with AHP 2-1 increasing 4.8%)
One-off payment of $1,000 for those on lower incomes (pro rata to hours worked, only for those on AHP 1-3 and below)
Further annual salary increases and one-off payments in December 2023 and 2024
2 weeks additional paid leave (non-contact/non-attendance time)
Paid Christmas Closedown: three additional paid leave days if it is a day/s you usually work
Parental leave improvements, other leave improvements
Career structure changes
Professional Development Fund increase

When does it happen? What are the next steps?

The short answer is that nothing happens immediately. In fact, whether a final Agreement can be approved may still depend on the approval of members across other unions and departments of the State Service.