QTU Membership growing strong in difficult times
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 123 No 3, 11 May 2020, page no. 8
No one could have predicted the challenges we have faced in 2020 as a community, as a profession and as a union. The terrible bushfires across our summer seem such a distant memory as we continue to deal with everything that the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to throw at us.
During this crisis, the Queensland Teachers’ Union has been there for members and continues to negotiate with the government and the department to ensure that the workplace health and safety, wellbeing and workload of our members in schools and TAFE is placed at the center of all decisions. This would not be possible unless we were strong in number, resources and had members willing to ensure their rights at work are improved and not diminished.
Across the month of March, the QTU grew by more than 1,000 members. That took our overall membership past 48,000 for the first time in our proud 131 year history. This is such an amazing result given the difficult circumstances all members have faced during the COVID-19 crisis. It is also a testament to the amazing work that our QTU Representatives in schools and TAFE do every day in inviting their colleagues to join their Union.
Those of you who follow the QTU on Facebook may have noticed us sharing a number of photos welcoming new members to the Union. This has been a fun way to welcome some of our newest members and acknowledge our Workplace Reps. During this period of mandatory social distancing, many of our wonderful Workplace Reps have thought of novel ways of still taking these photos while maintaining appropriate social distancing
If you have recently invited a colleague to join, take a photo yourself and email it to qtu@qtu.asn.au and we’ll try to share it.
As our membership continues to grow it increases our industrial strength and at the same time supports the resources and services that members rely upon, like QTAD, Union training, legal assistance and individual support that comes with your membership.
Every single member makes a difference in making this union the best that it can be. Welcome to all of our new members in 2020 and thanks to everyone else for maintaining your membership and remaining #QTUProud. And don’t forget, if you have a colleague who is yet to join the QTU, invite them to visit www.qtu.asn.au/join today.