Editorial: What’s the Union doing about…?
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 7, 27 September 2024, page 5.
Whenever I’m asked “What’s the Union doing about (insert relevant member concern)”, I am reminded of the diverse views within the QTU’s membership. It also reminds me that people join the Union for many reasons, and that creating a sense of belonging within such a diverse membership is one of our greatest challenges.
If people can’t see themselves in our communications or our campaigns, then they question the reasons to belong.
This is true of the EB claim. The argument for positions rather than interests comes from members’ desire to see that one thing they want from the next certified agreement in the claim. For example, the argument over whether workload reduction is the removal of tasks versus additional non-contact time versus additional professional collaboration days demonstrates that there is more than one way to achieve an objective or an interest (NB - if additional NCT or professional collaboration days are achieved, by their nature something has to be removed to create space for this time). This is an example of the focus on what members want, rather than the why. Members want these things because their “interest” is to reduce workload.
The same goes for the teacher shortage crisis. There is no single solution for this crisis, and different solutions will deliver outcomes in different locations. For example, for the first time in almost four years, Sarina SHS is expecting to begin the 2025 school year with a full complement of staff. Sarina members have been calling for accommodation in the town for quite some time, and the recent provision of free accommodation appears to be delivering the desired outcome. However, this would not be the solution for other schools. In Rockhampton, while accommodation may attract some to the centre, members believe that an increase in the retention payment may persuade members not to leave. Members in Logan are calling for solutions to not only attract, but also retain, teachers in their schools, including replacement teachers to allow time for them to plan. The call for a regional education plan and an education workforce plan provides a mechanism to incorporate initiatives that attract and retain members across Queensland, but it is not a single solution.
For me, the question isn’t “What is the Union doing about…?” but rather, “What is the Union doing to show that I belong?”
It is coincidental that the theme of the QTU’s First Nations Conference was Land, Language, Culture – Belonging. At this conference, we created a safe space for our First Nations members and others to learn from each other as they shared their stories and their experiences. It is a privilege to work with our First Nations members to learn how we as a Union can become a place in which they feel they belong.
Likewise, our campaigns led by special interest groups, such as the instrumental music teachers and primary music specialists, help people to feel they have a space in our Union, that they belong.
The Union also recognises dates that are important to our members – Public Education Day, National TAFE Day, Wear it Purple Day, NAIDOC Week, World Teachers’ Day, and International Women’s Day – all days that allow parts of our membership to see themselves in the Union.
However, this sense of belonging only comes when people feel safe. The QTU’s Statement of Safety and Respect is founded on this.
While we remind people of the statement at the start of each meeting, we don’t remind people of its purpose. It is about fostering the goodwill and trust necessary to protect the rights of all individuals; promoting mutual respect, understanding and cooperation as the basis for interaction among all members; and supporting members’ democratic right to participate in QTU meetings, forums and events free from all forms of harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and racism.
In essence, the statement is about encouraging members to be upstanders – to create a Union of belonging. A bystander is someone who sees or knows that bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation is happening but does nothing to protect the victim. An upstander will use words and/or actions that can help the person being subjected to the inappropriate behaviour. In operating under the Statement of Safety and Respect, the Union is encouraging our members to feel safe to be upstanders.
This is not to say that everyone must agree (it would be pretty boring if that was the case); it is however about allowing people the opportunity to have their voices heard – in a safe and respectful way. It’s about providing a space where members can see themselves in the Union – in what we do, in how we act, in what we say – its about creating a space where all members feel they belong.