Members First are a group of experienced and committed activists with long track records in support-ing teachers. We believe we represent the way forward for our Union. Our opposition has had its turn and it is now time for a new way of thinking.

The choice is simple: do you want the kind of commitment and ideas that resulted in the best EBA for decades or a return to the bad old ways of trade-offs, back-room deals and capitulation? Do you want a Union Executive who transparently represents your wishes to the employer or one which sells the employer’s offer to you?

It was no fluke that the best EBA in decades coincided with the election of a MF Executive. We recon-stituted the negotiating team to include practicing teachers and administrators who had suffered the impact of previous substandard agreements.

We insisted on no trade offs and we succeeded. This is despite members being strongly urged to accept the Agreement in Principle which contained less money for salaries and the offensive 15 hours extra PD. MF also played the dominant role in securing the TAFE agreement which was accepted by a record percentage of members.