Employment negotiations for thousands of university staff at seven of New Zealand’s eight universities will begin in three months’ time, and union members are already working out what the main issues they need to see addressed to improve their working life.

One of the biggest issues facing many staff is increasing workloads because of staff numbers not keeping pace with student numbers. TEU members across all seven universities will be claiming employment protection for staff whose workload increases because of redundancies or restructuring.

The nationwide claim says if within six months of a review, restructuring or management of change process concluding, employees believe that their workloads are excessive, or that staffing levels are not sufficient, they may request a review of their workload. If the review finds that workloads are not safe, equitable, or reasonable the university must take appropriate steps to remedy the situation.

TEU university academic vice-president John Prince says the short-term effect of reviews is stress and job losses, but the long-term effect, if reviews are poorly conceived, is increasing workloads.

“We want an assurance that the many reviews currently taking place are not just about cutting staff numbers and shifting all the existing work onto those staff who remain.”

Employment negotiations will begin at the end of June for staff at the universities of AUT, Canterbury, Lincoln, Otago, Massey, Victoria and Waikato.

If you have a workload story to support TEU’s negotiations, leave a comment below.

Also in Tertiary Update this week:

1. Restructuring affecting 500 workers
2. New super ministry to manage commission
3. Farewell Ray Fargher
4. Auckland ports back down on contracting out
5. Aussie tutors join the ‘Precariat’ workforce
6. International trade agreement akin to asset sales

Other news

There is a nasty narrative creeping into the national conversation New Zealand is having about education these days, that of the superhero teacher. If you’re unfamiliar with the plot line, it goes something like this. There is a massive achievement gap in academic achievement and this gap is because of bad schools. Since teachers are the most important things in schools, if the schools aren’t delivering then it must be because teachers aren’t delivering. Enter the superhero teacher - Teaching the Teacher

A Cambridge student was suspended from the university for two-and-a-half years today for his part in a protest during a speech by the Universities Minister David Willetts. The “unprecedented” sentence handed down to Owen Holland, a PhD student in the Faculty of English, came on the same day as students marched in London and walked out of institutions across the country to demand Mr Willetts’ resignation - The Independent

A private computer training institute with hundreds of students has gone bust owing more than $8.3 million in tax, penalties and interest. Computer Power (NZ) Ltd, which runs Computer Power Institute campuses in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, was put into liquidation in the High Court at Wellington this week. The institute has about 750 students including about 150 international students. The 47 staff have been paid until the end of the month - Dominion Post

An Indian immigration consultancy claiming to operate in NZ (and actually operating in India) has used a murdered US student’s image in their marketing (seemingly lifted from the Internet). It works with, among others, Canterbury, AUT, BOPP and Unitec - ED Blog

TAFE has hit the wall in Victoria’s open training market, with unprecedented private college growth relegating the public provider into minority status and throwing its financial viability into question. Details from an unpublished quarterly report from Skills Victoria, which shows that TAFEs now have less than half of the government-supported enrolments, emerged the day after Prime Minister Julia Gillard said states needed to protect their TAFEs -The Australian

“500 members are about 5 percent of our membership. When one in twenty people are having their job changed or taken away from them we know we do not have a very stable environment for ensuring teaching and education.”

“But the worst part is that we seem to be in a state of never-ending reviews. TEU’s national council has been tracking reviews for a year now and they just keep coming,” said Ms Cormack.

New reviews have recently started at Manukau Institute of Technology, NorthTec, Wintec, University of Auckland, AUT, University of Canterbury, Massey University, University of Otago, University of Waikato and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Ms Cormack says TEU has recorded 49 confirmed redundancies because of those reviews via voluntary or compulsory severance so far.

“500 members is about five percent of our membership. When one in twenty people is having their job changed or taken away from them we know we do not have a very stable environment for good teaching and education.”

“In November last year we recorded 55 reviews at 12 institutions. In October 44 reviews at 17 institutions, in September 43 reviews at 18 institutions, in August 58 reviews at 20 institutions, in July 77 reviews at 24 institutions and so on,” said Ms Cormack.

CTU President, Helen Kelly said “The Ministers of Labour and Women’s Affairs have told us that new legislation is not needed because workers can already find out pay information by asking a Labour Inspector to investigate a complaint. We do not believe inspectors have the capacity to do this role and think that if workers are able to have the information first – then complaints to the inspectors will be based on knowledge of pay inequality rather than relying on the inspectors in the first instance to inspect all workplaces. However the Minister has said the current system will work and we are going to test it!”

“We’re not aware of anyone ever using the mechanism that the Ministers say exists – but that needs to be demonstrated”.

Tomorrow is the last day to submit petitions. So far TEU branches at Waiariki Institute of Technology, the University of Otago and the University of Waikato have all submitted petitions. If TEU members at other branches wish to submit a petition, either individually or as a group they should contact their branch women’s representative.

We have profiled some of our members to display the diversity, excellence and support to all of us who are part of the university community.

PROFILES OF GENERAL STAFF MEMBERS AT WAIKATO

Annie Barker has worked at the University of Waikato as a Technician in the Chemistry department for approximately 18 years. She has been actively involved with union activities since first joining NZ Technicians Union as Secretary of our local branch, then involved with AUS after the amalgamation of the librarians and technicians with other staff on campus.  Since the amalgamation with AUS, Annie has served AUS members in various capacities as Branch President, Technicians Rep, Bargaining committee member, Ordinary committee member, Member Representative, and Contact person for her department and school. She is currently a University Sector Rep. on the National General Staff Sector Group in TEU. Annie is committed to improving the working lives of all staff on campus but in particular to improving and enhancing the conditions of general staff.  Work load and career opportunity/progression are two issues which she would like TEU to focus on this year, but there are of course many other issues that can be worked on together and Annie would like to stress the importance of your contribution to achieving improvement for yourself and others. General Staff really are the Heart of the University.

Pip Bruce Ferguson has worked at the University of Waikato as a Teaching Developer in the Teaching Development Unit for approximately three years.  Pip joined the university after many years of work at Wintec, AUT and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as well as independent research consultancy. She originally worked as a primary teacher and has been an active member of NZEI, ASTE and now TEU across her working life.

Rod Arnold is the Residential Manager for College Hall and has been a member of both AUS and TEU.  Prior to this he worked in the polytechnic sector for 13 years as a general staff member in the student recruitment/ career counselling area and was on the National Executive of the polytechnic general staff union TIASA for six years, spending 18 months as their union organiser/advocate in Wellington prior to returning with his family to his homeland in the Waikato/BOP regions.  He had a rest from Branch committee involvement while he got to grips with the demands and workload of pastoral care to 327 students, plus the challenge of completing a law degree part-time.  Currently Rod is a Branch Committee Member and has been a union member since commencing public service in 1985.

 University of Waikato EXCELLENCE Award Winners

As the theme of this newsletter is recognition of our general/allied staff members and the contributions they make to the life of the university, we thought it appropriate to again recognise those who won an Excellence Award in the 2010 round. Below are the details of those winners who were presented with their awards by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Roy Crawford at an Awards ceremony in December 2010:

Administrative Excellence Awards (carries a monetary prize, four winners in this category)

An Administrative Excellence Award was received by Allison Henry, from the Library. Allison was previously the Team Leader of the Shelving Unit within the Library, but was seconded to the role of Project Co-ordinator to oversee the logistics and liaison associated with the physical changes needed to refurbish the Library building as it evolved into the new Student Centre. She was nominated for this award by the Head of Facilities Management because her efforts made the role of FMD in such a complex project considerably easier through her cheerfulness, high degree of organisational skill, honesty and professionalism. Her efforts have resulted in reduced time allowed for the decanting of various services within the Library and greatly aided the construction programme.

Trudy Harris, who is the Teaching Developer (Evaluation and Quality) within the Teaching Development Unit, was also a recipient of the Administrative Excellence Award in 2010. Trudy’s personal and professional initiative and contribution in relation to teaching quality have been extensive. Her work has contributed to the improvement of teaching evaluation and quality for individuals, Faculties, and the university as a whole. She has worked tirelessly to develop a system of paper and teaching appraisals which are both credible for the institution and palatable to staff, and her professionalism, her institutional vision and her research capability have all contributed to a highly valued and useful system.

Health and Safety Award (recognises significant contributions to health and safety across the university and the recipient receives $5,000 and a trophy created by Donn Ratana)

This award was made to Jane Goodbehere for the huge expansion in her role as Health and Safety Representative for the Library during the refurbishment She carries this role  in addition to her normal role as a Library Assistant in the New Zealand Collection. She has had to be constantly vigilant about existing hazards and had to identify new hazards which have emerged on an almost daily basis as a result of Library staff working within a constantly changing building site. Her attention to detail has ensured that there have been no accidents associated with the building project and that potential hazards have been dealt with quickly and effectively.

Owen and Mandy from the Union Plus team joined us this year at our General Staff Day function at the Hamilton campus, and provided a gift basket for a prize draw for all enquiries received on the day.  It was great to have them there, and we will have them back on campus for a seminar (or two) this year.

Firstly, congratulations to Takashi Aota, the gift basket winner – well done to you, enjoy!

Thank you for having us along to support the fantastic initiatives that the TEU has underway {General Staff Day].

As your financial services partners we strive to give Union Members honest, class leading advice and their specialists will be making contact with those interested members over the next week.

Warm regards,

Owen Grauman
Financial Services Manager, Group Plus

OTHER NEWS …

Pay Increases

Just a reminder to everyone, that although we are not bargaining the CEAs’ this year there is a negotiated pay increase of 2% which took effect from 1 August 2011.  You should have noticed the change in your pays over the last few weeks depending on which pay cycle you are in.

Branch Annual General Meeting

The branch AGM will be held on Wednesday, 21^st September 2011 in S.G.03 at 1pm.  If you are interested in being involved as a local branch activist/committee member please see the separate AGM newsletter for more details.

University Reviews Update

FASS – virtually completed or so we thought!  Through their resolution, action and solidarity the faculty members have managed to withstand proposals to significantly cut academic numbers.  Following various iterations of the change proposal the union action has saved a number of jobs, and significantly only one 0.5 FTE academic position was forcibly made redundant (the union has challenged this and is currently awaiting mediation).

A new review proposal was advised to affected staff in the Languages late last week.  Consultation with that group of staff will now start, and the union is meeting with, and working with members to prepare submissions to respond to the proposal.

WMS – It was proposed that 9 Senior Tutor/Tutor positions were to be disestablished within the School.  The review has now been completed, and, although the positions themselves were all disestablished, no one was made redundant as all the affected members were redeployed into other academic and general staff positions.

Unfortunately though, as many of you will be aware, one of our members passed away during the review process.  James McIntosh was a valued and respected member of the WMS Marketing department who has had significant involvement in their 499 supervision of students over the years.  He is sadly missed by his colleagues and students alike.

Obituaries

As many of you may be aware Rangiiria Hedley passed away earlier in the year. Sadly more recently, Natana Takurua has also passed away.  Both were staff members in the School of Māori and Pacific Development. They will always remain treasured friends and colleagues of both staff and students in the School.

Rangiiria (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) started at the university in 2003, and her primary teaching area was that of taonga puoro, traditional Māori instruments.

Natana (Ngati Porou, Tokomaru Bay) started at the university, first as a student in the inaugural Te Tohu Paetahi class (1991) and then later as an academic staff member in Reo, Natana taught primarily in the Te Tohu Paetahi programme.  Natana opted to take voluntary redundancy late last year in the review of SMPD which saw three academic positions disestablished.

They are both sorely missed by their colleagues, students and the wider community for their contributions over the years.

 Leave Issues

As noted in the previous newsletter, we have done some work with members, payroll and HR around some issues that have come up for members with understanding annual leave calculations.  For most staff members, their leave balances and entitlements should be relatively simple to understand, but for those who don’t work a ‘standard’ 37.5 (or 40 in some areas of FMD) hour week the calculations around your leave entitlements may be different.  This fact has created some confusion over understanding how much leave members may have, as well as how that leave was calculated.  If anyone has any questions about how much or how leave is calculated, please call payroll, as the staff are happy to help explain it to you.  Alternatively you can call the union office and we can assist also.

Community News

Due to the Christchurch earthquake the proposed day of action regarding the Fairness at Work issues [around the employment legislation changes] which was to be held on the 1^st of April was postponed, and we will notify you when it is rescheduled.

Similarly this year’s census has been also cancelled – the Statistics Dept.’s main processing centre was in Christchurch and it was wisely decided that it would not be helpful to attempt to ask Christchurch residents to complete a census when faced with such devastation and loss, and the obvious challenges that the Statistics Department staff would face due to the practicalities of running the census.  It is still unclear when the national census will be held.

SPEAK UP FOR EDUCATION – Public Meeting – Thursday, 1^st September

A joint meeting organised by the education unions – TEU, NZEI and PPTA – to discuss investment in education in NZ, and our aim that every student reaches their full potential.  Come along and listen to MP’s and party candidates and have your say about how to make NZ’s great education system the best in the world!

The evening starts at 7.30pm with Lindsay Cumberpatch as the MC.  Each sector in education (Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) will have a representative present to speak to the key issues for that sector.  Tom Ryan (Immediate Past President of TEU) is the Tertiary rep.  To date, the Greens, Labour, Māori, National and NZ First parties have agreed to send representatives/MP’s along to participate.

This is an opportunity for us in the education sector to freely discuss the issues with other interested parties and to make clear our views to MP’s both current and future about what we think are the important issues for education.

If you want more details please contact the union office.

Auckland University Academic CEA UPDATE

Auckland academics have still not been able to settle their CEA and negotiations are still fraught for them.  There are two key sticking points:

• University management want to remove core terms and conditions around research and study leave, promotion processes and outside activities from the CEA and place them into policy;
• The use of Professional Teaching Fellows (PTF’s) by the university in place of permanent staff, typically Tutors/Senior Tutors remains problematic.

Academic members have been offered a 4% pay offer by the university but they are prepared to forego this as they feel so strongly about the conditions they wish to keep in their CEA. They are committed to quality education and research for the benefit of students and the university and they believe these are significantly at risk if they accept the university’s offer in its current form.

They created a webpage www.saveourconditions.org where you can go for the latest news and post messages of support, or make a comment.

26 August – We can report a major breakthrough in the roller-coaster ride of this dispute over the Auckland University Academic Collective.

As a result of urgent negotiations between the TEU and the Employer (the Vice-Chancellor) to avert the boycott of Courses and Careers Day and to resolve the current impasse, the following agreement was reached:

• The V-C agrees not to oppose proceeding to facilitated negotiation and if the Employment Relations Authority does direct the parties to so proceed, both parties will cooperate to secure a prompt fixture.
• The TEU has agreed not in engage in any boycotts of university events (e.g. Course & Careers days, graduation), non-compliance of PBRF requirements, or other forms of industrial action until the process of facilitated negotiation is completed.

The Negotiation team at Auckland believes that the VC has made significant concessions with the agreement over the facilitation, and that it is a major step towards resolution of the dispute.

Who can join TEU?

From time to time the organisers and senior representatives hear the rumour that heads of departments/schools and other staff who perform line management roles cannot join the union.

This is incorrect. The only staff member of the university who cannot join the TEU is the Vice-Chancellor (the employer).  Senior managers, middle managers, staff on individual employment agreements, staff on fixed-term agreements, casual staff, part-time staff, academic year-only staff, post-docs, postgrads and undergraduates who work at the university can all join.

So if you know of any colleagues who would like to join but think they are ineligible, then you can advise them of the truth: that they can sign up at http://teu.ac.nz/join or with a printed membership form which can be sent to them via the internal mail (email teu@waikato.ac.nz to request a form). There are significant discounts for low-income members and your colleagues can use http://teu.ac.nz/join/subscriptions to calculate what their fees might be.

Something a little bit lighter to brighten your day - Consultation as some see it …

NATIONAL TEU NEWS:

Nominations are being called for TEU Life membership and Meritorious Service Awards: under rule 7.2 of the Union Rules, branches (amongst other TEU groups) may nominate suitable persons for life membership or meritorious service awards.  If you believe you know someone who may be an appropriate nominee for either of these awards can you please contact either Prof. Dov Bing (dovbing@waikato.ac.nz ) or the union office (teu@waikato.ac.nz ) with your nomination by the 19^th September.  All nominations must be accompanied by a statement outlining the reasons for making the nomination, and a history of the nominee’s contributions.

1. National Office Holders and Sector Group Nominations are now open also.  Up for election this year are the following positions:-
   1. Waikato rep to the University Sector Group (currently Prof. Nan Seuffert);
   2. University Rep to the General Staff Committee (currently one of the three university sector reps is Annie Barker, Chemistry);
   3. University General Staff Rep to the Womens’ Committee (currently one of the three university sector general staff reps is Pip Bruce-Ferguson, TDU);
   4. Womens’ Vice President (currently Alex Sims, Auckland);
   5. University General Staff Vice President (currently Helen Kissell, Canterbury).

Jane Goodbehere has worked at the University of Waikato Library for 14 years. The last five years she has worked in the New Zealand collection as a library assistant. She says it is great job with brilliant colleagues.

“My colleagues tell me I turn my hand to a number of things, they call me general dog’s body. I do a bit of everything; we do a lot together as a team here.”

Working part-time a few years ago Jane thought becoming a health and safety rep would be good way to meet a few people and find out a bit more about health and safety. It was a bit of challenge – Jane did not know much about health and safety at the time. However, that challenge was why she took on the role.

Initially there were very few hazards in the library so Jane started to concentrate more on health issues.

“I got staff involved in fitness sessions at the university recreation centre. We had team workouts – and then others from other parts of the university joined too.”

Then the university began constructing a new student centre and library, and Jane had to concentrate more on that.

“I did weekly hazard reports for management and the building coordinator, and then followed up to make sure any hazards or potential hazards were addressed.”

During this time, Jane sent out information to staff and always got back to them whenever they raised a health and safety issue. Jane’s regular and friendly communication with staff was one of the reasons she was nominated for, and won, the Waikato University Health and Safety award in 2010.

A change proposal at Waikato’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences that was initially forecasting 17 or 18 redundancies has now been called off with nearly all staff keeping their jobs. After consultation, submissions from a range of interested parties, including TEU, and a few voluntary redundancies, the faculty was finally proposing last week to cut just 1.5 full time academic positions; a half time place in the School of Religious Studies and a senior lecturer from the School of Geography.

However, last Thursday TEU advised the three senior geography lecturers and their colleagues in the wider faculty that the union would be challenging aspects of the university’s review because of the recent Massey University v Wrigley and Kelly employment court decision. TEU’s deputy secretary, Nanette Cormack, suggested that Waikato University not proceed with its selection of one of the three lecturers for redundancy, as the decision was unlikely to comply with the recent employment court ruling.

Later the same day the dean of the faculty advised the three lecturers he had decided not to proceed with the planned selection process and the interviews scheduled for this Tuesday would be cancelled.

Instead, the dean is considering other possible ways in which the faculty and the geography/tourism programme can make savings.

Ms Cormack says it is an exciting victory for union members and shows how two union members’ victory in one part of the country can help others in a different city.

“The result is many people still have their jobs, and Waikato retains some valuable and experienced staff. We’re still working to save the one remaining job under threat, and we are hopeful we can,” said Ms Cormack.

Also in Tertiary Update this week:

1. Five ITPs continue to resist their obligation to bargain
2. AUT profit at expense of students and staff
3. NatColl strike kick-starts negotiations
4. Rosette furore at Auckland graduation

Other news

“Likening academics who advocate for change based on their rigorous and well-executed research to a lobby that is protecting their economic interests is an attack on academic freedom. Impugning academics’ credibility in this way is a worldwide problem that is convincing many academics that it is not worth their reputation to speak publicly on their area of expertise.” TEU national president Sandra Greytakes a public stand in favour of academics taking public stands.

Student loan repayments have increased $2.5 million since Kiwi graduates living overseas were urged to support the Christchurch earthquake. Inland Revenue’s March figures showed a $2.5m increase in loan payments on the same period last year. About 1,000 additional debtors made payments - The Press

The faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago filed paperwork Friday with the state’s labor relations board to become one of only a handful of research universities where professors engage in collective bargaining. Friday’s announcement represents the first major victory for a partnership between the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors. The two unions have started a campaign to focus on organizing faculty members at research institutions - Inside Higher Ed

The link to last week’s zombie story was so popular that we have another this week. Two academics were arrested in London last week for attempting to hold a “Zombie Wedding” in Soho Square scheduled to coincide with William and Kate’s royal wedding breakfast, before moving on for a “Zombie Fertility Rite” at the Eros statue in Piccadilly Square. - Times Higher Education Supplement

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TEU Tertiary Update is published weekly on Thursdays and distributed freely to members of the Tertiary Education Union and others. You can subscribe to Tertiary Update by email or feed reader. Back issues are available on the TEU website. Direct inquiries should be made to Stephen Day.

Mrs Tolley said students at the university’s faculty of education had been “let down” and were “clearly distressed” by the teaching of Professor Martin Thrupp, who is a critic of her national standards policy currently being implemented in primary schools.

“They deserve to be treated with respect, no matter the personal views of Professor Thrupp,” Mrs Tolley told the Waikato Times.

Primary teachers’ union NZEI appointed Professor Thrupp last month to lead a three-year study into the standards. Mrs Tolley said Professor Thrupp had “long campaigned against” the national standards.

“If he wants to work for NZEI outside the lecture hall then that is his decision, but while he is teaching students he should be working for them,” Mrs Tolley said.

TEU national president Sandra Grey said she is concerned that a minister of education would be taking such a lax view about academic freedom.

“Academic freedom is enshrined in the Education Act; a piece of legislation the minister should be well aware of. To publicly criticise an academic who is engaged in research-based teaching, and who is able to make cogent academic arguments supporting his thesis suggests the minister either does not understand, or does not care about academic freedom.”

“Academics not only have a legal right, they have a legal duty to actively critique, both through research and teaching, the society they live in, and that includes the duty to critique Mrs Tolley’s own policies,” said Dr Grey.

• University management want to remove core terms and conditions around research and study leave, promotion processes and outside activities, from the CEA and place them into policy;
• The use of Professional Teaching Fellows (PTF’s) by the university in place of permanent staff, typically Tutors/Senior Tutors.  PTF’s are being primarily employed on casual or fixed term contracts thus far, purely for teaching periods with very basic agreements and without the protection and benefits that are available if employed under the CEA.
• Academic members have been offered a 4% pay offer by the university but they are prepared to forego this as they feel so strongly about the conditions they wish to keep in their CEA. They are committed to quality education and research for the benefit of students and the university which they believe is significantly at risk if they accept the university’s offer in its current form.

To date, the academics are pledging to forego advising the university of any research outcomes, publications etc, and they have been picketing outside key events as well at the university.  They also have a webpage www.saveourconditions.org where you can go for the latest news and post messages of support, or make a comment.

If you are interested in what he has to say on the TPPA please go along to the public meeting to be held:

DATE:              Thursday 7 April 2011

TIME: 7 p.m.

VENUE: Waikato Trade Union Centre, 34 Harwood Street, Hamilton

CONTACT: Bob Anderson 021 826 558; or email ban@xtra.co.nz

See our web page http://teu.ac.nz/?s=tppa as well as the CTU page http://union.org.nz/tpp for further information about some of the concerns regarding the TPPA.