AEU member Log of Claims – Teachers Agreement 2022

The Teachers Agreement covers DoE teachers, principals, school psychologists and ESS. AEU members in all sectors are involved in active campaigns.

• TasTAFE – AEU members endorsed a new TasTAFE Teachers Agreement in a ballot with 89% voting yes.
• Education Support Personnel (support staff) members have developed a log of claims to commence negotiations. All DoE members are united in several campaign priorities to improve learning and working conditions.

WINS FROM THE LAST AGREEMENT

• 2 hours per fortnight of instructional load reduction for primary teachers:
  • Best instructional load in Australia for Tasmanian primary teachers
  • A win we have been fighting over 30 years for
  • New specialist teachers and more centrally funded staff time for every primary school
• A new Education Support Specialist classification giving support staff a pathway to permanency, career advancement and 52 weeks of pay
• 4.2% wage increase over two years
• AST relativity – additional 1% wage increase so ASTs received a 3.1% total increase in 2020
• Correctional Facilities Allowance of 6.5%
• Paid time off of 1 day per Term for teachers in isolated schools to attend to urgent personal business
• New principals classification and incentive payments for isolated school principals
• Additional 1 hour per week instructional load reduction for new educators in second year of teaching
• School Psychologists can access Band 1 Level 13 pay scale
• Review of Professional Activity Days and limits on activity allowed after 5:00pm
• Reporting review to reduce workload
• Superannuation contributions during workers comp and parental leave
• 16 weeks paid parental leave and 3 weeks paid partner leave.

THE JOURNEY TO HERE

• Review of previous EBA campaign with Branch Council endorsing the recommended improvements
• Member working groups formed out of last Agreement developed their asks for a new Log of Claims: eg. Reporting Review, Workload Reference Group, New Educators, Isolated Schools, etc.
• Member survey – 1,748 members completed
• Reps Conference – workshopped key themes coming out of working groups and survey
• Great member engagement – the message is clear: it’s about respect, workload and delivering quality education.

WHO NEGOTIATES A NEW AGREEMENT?

A Negotiation Team has been formed by your AEU Executive out of an Expression of Interest process. The team includes members of the Branch Executive as well as non-executive members.
The Negotiation Team takes the Log of Claims, member stories from your workplaces, a range of supporting evidence and their own skills and experience to the table to negotiate with State Government, DoE or State Service representatives.
The Negotiating Team reports to Branch Executive and take guidance from them and the Bargaining reference Group.

WHO ARE THE BARGAINING REFERENCE GROUP?

The Bargaining Reference Group are a broadly representative group of AEU members from different sectors, regions and positions covered by the Teachers Agreement.
They provide feedback to the Negotiating Team and can advise on campaign tactics as negotiations continue.
The decision makers are your elected Branch Executive and Branch Council, however the final decision on whether to approve or reject a new Agreement goes to all AEU members covered by the Agreement in a ballot.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Become a campaign champion – we need members talking to members about the bits of the Log of Claims that will make a difference to you and members in your workplace – classroom teachers talking about the benefits of in-class ESP support, ASTs talking about the complexities of their roles, Support Teachers talking about how they assist students and classroom teachers, etc.
Talk to your colleagues and talk to your school communities – our working conditions are student learning conditions so everything we are fighting for benefits our students and communities, as well as educators.
Contact support@aeutas.org.au to get involved.

THE LOG OF CLAIMS

1. Maintain all existing working conditions for members.
2. Increased classroom support and professional support staff: 
   • Mandate for additional classroom support, such as classroom Teacher Assistant time, to support classroom teachers with large class sizes or a complex class cohort 
   • Increase the number of Teacher Assistants, Education Support Specialists, School Psychologist, Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker and Youth Worker positions in schools with additional funding and incentives to retain and attract high quality professionals    
   • Increase the number of Support Teachers and clarify their roles to assist classroom teachers with ESP and assist with student assessments, educational adjustments and individual learning plans. 
3. Annual wage increases applied to salary scales that attract and retain quality teachers in Tasmania, and recognise and respect the profession and professionalism of AEU members. 
   Here’s some current context:
   • NSW Gallop Inquiry recommended: 10–15% (2022–-23) and a further 10-15% across 2024-25 (21-32.25% over 4 years)  
   • Inflation for the year to April 2022 has reached 5.1% nationally.   
   • Some states/territories have been subjected to tight government wages policy eg. NT 3 year wage pause, WA on $1,000 annual increases.
4. Clarify what is deemed instructional load and Duties Other Than Teaching (DOTT) to improve consistency.
   • Ensure adequate time for planning and preparation, including provision for Communicating with Families and the design, implementation, and assessment of Learning Plans.
   • Clarify requirements for part time staff and specialist teachers working across schools, particularly in relation to staff meetings and collaboration.
   • Review the roles and responsibilities required of senior staffing positions.
   • Clarify the requirements of kindergarten teachers, in relation to their 0.7 FTE allocation and provide increased recognition of Early Childhood programs.
   • Provide increased recognition for Extension School teachers delivering across multiple curriculum areas, including subjects with additional TASC and VET Quality Assurance requirements.
   • Continue the work of the Workload Reference Group comprised of DoE and AEU representatives.
5. Implement a quality mentoring program that includes paid time-release for teachers to support early career teachers.
6. Complete the final phases of removing Principals off their school staffing allocation.
   This would give some schools additional SRP for teachers or other staffing and resources.
7. Reduce the number of Professional Activity days.
8. Address the rising instances of teachers being required to work above their maximum instructional load due to difficulties accessing relief and related systemic issues, including by developing a central relief pool system and fairly compensating for the additional responsibilities of relief co-ordination in schools.
9. Improved access to Professional Learning, including individualised learning options, for all teachers, including relief teachers.
10. Introduce an attractive incentives package to assist isolated schools to recruit and retain staff.
11. Ensure new teachers can progress on the salary scale up to Band 1 Level 11 without requiring full teacher registration with the Teachers Registration Board (TRB) (currently capped at Level 8 and 9).
12. Broaden the accessibility of new educator supports:
    • Extend the Beginning Teacher Time Release (BeTTR) program to support part-time teachers, ESS and third year teachers.
    • Ensure first-year teachers receive access to paid time prior to Term 1 to attend a specialised professional development induction program provided centrally by the DoE.   
13. A fair and transparent decision-making process for staff permanency requests. 
14. An increase in the current provision of senior staffing positions roles, recognising complexity and ensuring equity between school sectors.
    Note that the current review of school-based leadership positions is committed to reviewing the classification of AST and AP members to ensure salaries also reflect the demands and complexities of these roles.
15. Provide a specific Support School allowance and T4 Engagement allowance for teaching and senior staff in these settings. 
    As occurs in other jurisdictions, this would assist with the attraction and retention of staff and recognise the additional complexity and requirements of staff in these settings.
16. A review of VET specialist workloads and provision of paid time for VET teachers to undertake industry experience, placement or update qualifications to maintain industry currency. 
17. Paid Reproductive Health and Wellbeing Leave for all members to recognise events and life stages that are not illnesses but that require time off work to manage. 
18. Leave provision and more support for First Nations cultural activities inside and outside of schools and a review of the effectiveness of current DOE First Nations policies and initiatives. 
19. AEU representation at all levels of a review into the moderation of educational adjustments, providing immediate solutions to workload issues arising from documentation required to attract funding for students needing educational adjustments.  
20. Improved parental leave provisions that are in line with best practice, provide greater family flexibility and address gender inequality and discrimination.
21. Provide an updated statement of duties for ESS, clarifying the roles and responsibilities and address lack of planning and preparation time. Further, develop a mechanism for transitioning to permanency and remove barriers to ESS accessing Professional Learning and staff meetings.
22. Increased paid family and domestic violence leave.
23. Encourage greater consultation with AEU members
    For instance, a staff-nominated AEU member representing the interests of school staff on all interview panels for workplace positions would add transparency and improve the appointment process.
24. Review Award and Agreement to make a range of improvements and additions required to promote gender equity, inclusion and diversity.
25. Review of Award and Agreement to improve Workplace Health and Safety and modernise clauses.