2024 Union Reps Conference
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 2, 28 March 2024, page 15.
On Friday 1 March, the QTU hosted its largest event of the year, the annual Union Reps Conference, at the Pullman Hotel, Brisbane City. This year, just over 400 workplace Union Representatives attended from all regions across the state.
The theme of the conference this year was “135 Years of Achievement”. QTU General Secretary Kate Ruttiman took on the role of MC and QTU Vice-President Leah Olsson took a look at some of the Union’s major achievement over the past 135 years.
The conference was then addressed by Caron Menashe, Senior Community Relations Officer, Queensland Human Rights Commission, who provided a detailed update on the impact of human rights legislation and the work of the Commission in relation to schools and education.
Like most of our large events, our partners addressed the conference across the day with Remserv and Australian Retirement Trust both providing updates for attendees to share back at their workplaces.
Connor Wood from the Queensland Young Workers Hub addressed the conference about the work of this important service and shared some stories from young workers who have been exploited. The hub offers information sessions for students and made the offer to attend schools, both face-to-face and virtually, as part of its work of educating all young workers in Queensland about their rights and entitlements at work. This is an issue our members deal with in many high schools, as student seek their first casual or part-time employment while still studying at school.
QTU President Cresta Richardson led an entertaining and informative panel session titled “School resourcing is Union business”, which included a keynote address from Dr Jim Stanford, an economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute. Jim was joined by QTU Project Officer (CROSSR) Cindy Freier in answering questions posed by Cresta and from the floor of the conference about why investment in Queensland state schools not only makes educational sense, but also economic sense.
QTU Deputy General Secretaries Leah Mertens and Brendan Crotty then took participants through a session on one of the QTU’s 2024 priorities – holding the employer to account. This session focused on ensuring members know their rights and how these can be enforced using the dispute resolutions procedure from our industrial instruments.
An annual highlight of each Union Reps Conference is the session presented by the QTU’s lawyers, Holding Redlich, on current legal issues important to members. This year, Queensland Managing Partner Rachel Drew and Special Counsel David Quinn provided an informative and educational session touching on current criminal and civil case law and the impact on the profession of emerging technologies, such as the growth in use of Artificial Intelligence.
The conference wrapped with QTU Honorary Vice-President Josh Cleary leading the senior officers in reflecting on a QTU achievement highlight they were part of in their time as an activist or officer of the QTU.
Places at the QTU Union Reps conference are limited based on available venues. In 2024, the Union attempted to provide more equitable access for attendees from across each region via an invitation process connected to engagement in other QTU training.
The Union has received feedback from some Workplace Representatives about this process, and will be reviewing procedures again for the 2025 conference.
If you are a Workplace Representative and are interested in attending a future conference, speak to your Regional Organiser and check out the details about forthcoming training opportunities for reps via www.qtu.asn.au/qtec