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As we approach the end of the school year, here is a brief update of Enterprise Agreements (EAs) around the sector. Members play an important role in EA Bargaining so be sure to rest up over the break and be ready to use your collective voices when needed.

Portside Christian College

This IEU(SA) Sub-Branch met and have instructed the IEU to contact the school Board to inform them about the unsatisfactory salary offer by the College to the Teaching staff members. A response has been requested by 6 December 2024.

The Hills Christian Community School

This EA has now been successfully voted up and has been filed with the Fair Work Commission for approval.

Prince Alfred College

The College has put back a workload proposal giving greater powers to the Consultative Committee, borrowing concepts from the IEU proposal. The College has heard feedback on their proposal and is finalising its offer. Negotiations appear to have gone as far as they can at the bargaining table, and members may be asked to vote on an EA shortly into the new year. PAC members can expect a detailed summary of negotiations shortly from the IEU.

Seymour College

The College has responded to some of the claims although reserved its salary offers. Key amongst the responses is an increase to the camp allowance to $130 per night, with annual increases, and $50 extra if over a weekend.  We will return to the negotiating table in 2025.

Southern Vales Christian College

The EA has been finalised to include Step 9 rates for teachers to mirror the department. We are now in the last stages of drafting before an EA is put to a vote early in 2025. Overall, the new EA matches the conditions of the ‘sunsetted’ earlier EA, plus some minor updates and adjustments – delivering on the members’ log of claims.

St Peters Girls School

The school has heard a detailed workload proposal from the negotiating team that called for Contact and Non-contact Time to be set out as enforceable entitlements in the EA. The school has been resistant to the inclusion of workload into the EA, and has relied on the existing policy, while it considers how that policy may be improved to cover the workload aspects of the claim. This includes the Teacher’s Working Conditions Policy, the Co-Curricular Policy, the Relief Policy, and the Yard Duty Policy. The Bargaining Team have done some preliminary analysis which suggests that teachers at SPGS are working significantly more contact and co-curricular hours than their colleagues in state and catholic schools—including schools like Seymour—while being paid less. We will continue to push on Workload, and in the new year look to address salary and payment frequency concerns.

Trinity College

The initial voting period ended on Monday evening and at that point only 100 staff had voted, so it was decided to extend the voting period to 4.00pm on Thursday the 5 December. Votes will be collected and counted on Friday the 6 December at 9.00am.

If the EA is endorsed, then the school will look to process camp payments from 2024 and also the extra band for ESOs which comes with a further 2% percent increase.

Temple Christian College

The College has provided a draft copy of the EA for consideration of the Enterprise Bargaining Committee and broader staff body. A vote will be held in early 2025.

Pulteney Grammar School:

The School issued their Notice of Employee Representational Rights (NERR). No formal correspondence has been forthcoming to IEU(SA) as yet that might indicate a first meeting will be held before the end of the school year.

Catholic Schools

All IEU Catholic school members were emailed an EB24 update on Thursday 28 November along with our YouTube update below.

The email update also asked Catholic school members to feedback to the IEU on:

• ESO conditions
• Class Sizes
• What will make schools more attractive for TRTs

Pilgrim School

The members have indicated their ‘in principle’ support. We are now checking the EA drafting before going to vote early in the new year.

Dara School

Negotiations have concluded with a draft EA document provided. Concerns about some aspects have been alleviated with written responses provided by the employer. Going to vote early in the new year.

Suneden Special School

After a ‘No Vote’, staff were surveyed and the reason given was the removal of the CPI Safety Net to the salary increase. The school has been emphatic that it will not include such a clause, so when negotiations re-commence in the new year staff will need to either show their collective strength or compromise. IEU members identified a few other concerns such as superannuation not being paid for on additional shifts (a matter we are in dispute about and it has been referred to the ATO), personal leave claim for 15 days and toileting allowance.