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On June 15, IEU(SA) and member representatives attended the first meeting with Lutheran Education South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia (LESNW) to commence negotiations for a new Lutheran Enterprise Agreement.

It was agreed that discussions would take the form of interest based negotiations, by which, parties identify the main matters affecting employees and negotiate resolutions through changes and improvements to the current agreement to address such matters.

Thank you to those members who responded to our Lutheran EA Survey in Term 1, your input has enabled us to clearly identify the main matters members face in the sector, and we will base a general log of claims on these matters.

Throughout negotiations the IEU, in conjunction with LESNW, will provide regular updates in addition to our own communication directly with IEU members. Please ensure that you are checking your emails regularly as meetings will continue throughout Term 3 on a fortnightly basis.

IEU Reps in schools have a particularly important role to play during EA negotiations as we rely on you to assist with keeping members at your school updated, organising member meetings as needed to seek further feedback on particular aspects of the negotiations, and assisting in member participation in the employer ballot when that time arrives.

If you don’t currently have an Identified IEU Rep at your site ask your Organiser how that can happen! Perhaps you can be the Rep?

Members have indicated their preference for online meetings (ZOOM) and this may be the right platform consult broadly with Lutheran IEU members.

Meet your Lutheran EA Bargaining Team

IEU Staff

Frank Bernardi – Industrial Officer

“I commenced my involvement in education in 1980 after graduating with a Diploma in Education from the Torrens College of Advanced Education at Underdale.

My first teaching position was at Our Lady Help of Christians, Whyalla where I worked for the next seven years. On my return to Adelaide, I continued working in Catholic schools for the next 20 years.

This lead to my initial involvement with the IEU, as a teacher representative, in SA catholic schools Enterprise Agreement (EA) negotiations, after which I progressed to an IEU Organiser.

As an Organiser, I had a portfolio of approximately 50 schools across all sectors within the education industry in which to develop a strong union presence by working with school based IEU representatives.

This often involved negotiating local based, single-site EAs whilst retaining the lead negotiator role for all Catholic schools from 2010 – 2018.

For the last handful of years I have worked in my current role which has greater focus on advocating for, and/or representation of, individual employees in matters ranging from disciplinary processes to unfair dismissals. I also continue my involvement as lead negotiator in various EA negotiations.”

Meredith Farmer – Organiser. Women and Equity Committees Coordinator

“I started with the IEU this year as an Organiser and Women and Equity Committees Coordinator, following 10-years at the AEU (the education union for staff in government schools).

My roles as an officer at the AEU included: Organiser, where I covered schools and preschools in both country and metropolitan areas; and more recently, Women’s Officer and Industrial Organiser, advocating and supporting members on both individual and collective workplace matters.

Prior to my time at the AEU I taught in the public system for 20 years in both country and metropolitan areas; mostly as a Secondary Arts and Humanities teacher and leader. It was during this time where my passion for workers’ rights grew and I became active in my union as a worksite rep and then a member of the union’s executive body.

My role at the IEU as an organiser includes working with members on equity issues – something which I am passionate about, particularly with education being a female dominated workforce.”

Member Reps

Stewart Kleidon – Concordia College

“As a secondary teacher I have worked within the Lutheran system for almost 20 years. I have experience across a range of Positions of Responsibility and am currently the chair of our College’s Consultative Committee. I am looking forward to representing members to address the unsustainable increase in administrative expectations placed upon teachers with no provision of time and detract from the core duties of teaching.”

Carolyn McLaughlin – Unity College

“I have been working at Unity College in Murray Bridge for over 20 years. My current role is Library Technician on the Middle/Senior campus although I have also worked in the Junior Campus Library.

Previously I worked for the Education Department as a Laboratory Assistant, Classroom Assistant, Administration Assistant and Library Assistant in both primary and high schools. I have worked with both staff and students in a variety of paid and unpaid roles including 3 overseas mission trips. At these negotiations I hope that my experience working in education will be beneficial and assist us to have positive outcomes.”