Don't just talk about it - do it!
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 124 No 8, 8 November 2019, page no. 4
The QTU is a proudly democratic and activist-driven Union, and when members decide that it is time to act on something, they will have the backing of more than 47,000 members across the state.
Each year, members take action, whether school-based, within their branches and regions, on a statewide level or across the nation.
At QTU State Council, we like to celebrate some of these successful campaigns. Let’s face it, we don’t just campaign for the sake of it. We campaign to see positive change occur and to win when we see injustice or unfair treatment in our working lives.
These actions build union power and quite often make improvements to the way our employer deals with similar situations in the future. As we head into our 131st year in 2020, let’s reflect on the past year and what QTU members have achieved.
These are some of the campaigns that have been shared at QTU State Council meetings across this year.
Local and regional campaigns
- Raceview State School – addressing workload by refocusing on the basics
- Noosa District State High School – meal/rest breaks
- Burnside State School – climate control plan
- Harristown State High School Special Education Program – air conditioning
- Yarrabah housing campaign
- Woorabinda housing campaign
- Bwgcolman housing campaign.
State campaigns
- NAPLAN Online
- Schools EB9 – claim development and campaign
- TAFE EB10 – claim development and campaign
- Instrumental music teachers
- Claim and Complain - preservice supervision.
National campaigns
- Fair Funding Now!
- National TAFE Funding.
Turning an issue into a campaign
When you come across an issue at your workplace and you think “what can we do about this?”, consider using the following checklist.
- Is this an issue that members at your workplace care enough about to act? When members join together, they witness the power of the collective and feel a sense of achievement.
- Gather the information. What’s the issue? What’s the resolution?
- Has the issue been raised with a school leader? Have we been able to resolve the issue that way?
- If not, what do we do next? Can we use the dispute resolution process to resolve it, or is it a health and safety issue that requires immediate action?
- Get support from your Organiser on how to use the dispute resolution process or how to conduct a ballot addressing imminent health and safety concerns.
- Keep members updated on what is happening, consult with them at each step and report back.
- When the issue is resolved… celebrate!