Union business
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128 No 2, 31 March 2023, page no. 12
The Queensland Teachers’ Union, the voice of teachers, has been around for more than 130 years. We are the peak negotiating body that represents more than 48,000 members in primary, special and secondary schools, TAFE, and other educational settings.
Each and every day the QTU is there to support you in times of difficulty, to negotiate better pay and conditions, and to promote the teaching profession. This would not be possible without the work of organisers, officers, staff and, most importantly, our Union Reps in workplaces.
Union business will mean different things to different people, but for me, it all comes back to the WHY!
- WHY did I become a teacher?
- WHY did I become a QTU activist?
- WHY am I the Vice-President of our great Union?
First and foremost, I am a teacher. Teaching is a passion that truly drives me at the core of who I am. Seeing students succeed is the best outcome I could ever hope for, and knowing that I played a part in their success is so rewarding.
So why did I become a teacher?
Many of you will already know my “why”. It was the day I went to preschool. I came home and said: “I’m going to be a teacher”. As a four-year-old, I do not know why. There were no teachers in my family, but something did it for me on that day. A calling perhaps? It is all I have ever wanted to do.
These experiences shaped my future employment decisions even more. School was engrained in me. I wanted to give kids the same thing I received. And so, that’s what I did. I became a teacher.
Becoming a QTU activist has greatly influenced the direction my life has taken. From my first four days of teaching, I have always been a QTU member, but I first became a Rep when I was teaching music in Redlands in 2010.
My time in Redlands helped my activism grow. Branch meetings, Area Council, State Council, the Women Teachers and Girls Education Committee, and Executive. Union business meant getting things done. Democracy in action.
It is not just about the industrial and professional rights of teachers and school leaders; it is also about the role the QTU plays on social justice issues and ensuring everyone has choices about how they live and the means to make those choices. Things like the climate crisis and the school strike for climate, marriage equality, refugees, and asylum seekers, and now a Voice to Parliament, just to name a few.
I became a Rep because I saw it as the next step in building my confidence as a teacher. I wanted not only to make a difference in the lives of my students, but also in the lives of my teaching colleagues. Becoming a Rep with the QTU gave me a sense of belonging, through building connections with others and knowing that I was really making a difference to make the world a better place.
As Vice-President, my Union activism has now developed into Union leadership. Not only do I get to devote my time to working with members, but I also get to promote the great work our Union does. Every. Single. Day.
As a senior officer, I am also tasked with developing the QTU of the 21st century.
Innovation takes time, and your Union is listening to member feedback.
The QTU priorities for 2023 in TAFE and schools include:
- member care
- advocating for and growing the profession
- reconciliation
- campaigning for healthy and safe workplaces
- strengthening our Union.
2023 is our Biennial Conference year. This is the largest gathering of QTU activists in the calendar and will be where the direction, policy, and priorities of our Union will be decided for the next two years.
The direction our Union takes is ultimately in the hands of our members – our Executive, TAFE Executive, State Council, Area Council, Union Reps, and our members.
It is the time you take to participate in the democratic structures of our union that matters. Always remember, the Union starts with you.