135 years of Union achievement
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 2, 28 March 2024, page 28.
On 9 January 1889, 23 teachers and principals from schools across the colony of Queensland met in Brisbane to establish the first teachers’ union on this continent – the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU).
Today, more than 48,000 educators in Queensland schools and TAFEs choose to belong to the QTU. We are here to help you in times of difficulty, to negotiate better pay and conditions, and to work on your behalf to promote the teaching profession. This is something we have done for 135 years, and something that we will continue to do for many more to come.
To celebrate 135 years of Union achievement, we are taking a look back on some snapshots of Union history.
It is easy to be lured into believing that the challenging times we live in are unprecedented. History, both lived and recorded, can do much to provide perspective and inspiration at such times.
The 1980s was a difficult and turbulent time, as the Queensland Government toughened its approach to unions and workers. 1980 saw the first ever statewide ballot of members for industrial action in support of a major work value case, resulting in rolling strikes for the first time.
The year 1989 had been a watershed year for the Union. For a decade we had campaigned at grassroots level for better funding for schools to reduce class sizes and costs to parents, and for better wages, as part of a federal strategy.
Since the 90s, the QTU become much more of a campaigning union, a proactive and strong defender of the status of our profession. Conditions we often take for granted exist because of the strength of the QTU.
This strength comes from members engaging in Labour Day marches and campaign rallies, as well as working with their QTU Reps in schools, attending branch meetings, and participating in the broader democratic structures of the Union.