| SSTUWA Executive: Evan Thompson |
 The reasons why I am standing for re?election as a member of the SSTUWA Executive on the MEMBERS FIRST ticket are quite simple. I believe salaries and conditions and associated career paths for all members still need attention. MEMBERS FIRST started dealing with these issues almost two years ago and much more still needs to be done. I urge you to have faith with MEMBERS FIRST across all positions up for election so that this job can be completed.The conclusion to the bargaining process with both the Schools’ and TAFE agreements has seen some progress towards achieving our goals outlined at the time of the last election. I believe much of what was gained was due mainly to the resolve of the membership and a steadfast resolve from MEMBERS FIRST to take the message of the members to the employer rather than bring DET’s message back and try and sell it to the members. I believe that the Unity leadership of our Union has become too close to the employer and that this has been at a significant cost to the membership. The MEMBERS FIRST ticket is an energetic and experienced group, everyone is committed to an open, informed and rigorous debate on any matter. It is essential that the whole membership is a part of any debate and is able to have real input into the decision making process. We are not prepared to see members conditions diminished or allow significant issues to be buried away in EREC. Everyone on the MEMBERS FIRST ticket have current or recent classroom, administrative or lecturing experience in schools or TAFE colleges. We are still connected with the grassroots membership and are not career unionists. Some of our members have raised concerns about factionalism within the Union. I doubt that there is any Union in the country that does not have some form of exposure to factionalism. As a part of the initial MEMBERS FIRST team I have been able to see what problems are created when the Senior Officer positions are dominated by a faction different to that of Executive. It has been the Unity faction who has had control of the day to day affairs of running and managing the Union since the last election. At times, in my opinion, the express wish and direction of Executive has been regularly obstructed, manipulated or even ignored. The Half Year Cohort, Interim Reports, a review of the Union’s strategic plan (including decision making processes) and communication with members are some examples. It is my opinion that the current electoral process that our Union uses, in part, fuels this factionalism. The only way you will ever win a position come election time is to be part of a “team” (faction). Unless you are tapped on the shoulder by the powers that be, you basically need to create an opposition to the controlling faction to have any chance of winning a position. We as a Union must enter into the discussion as to how we come up with a better way of doing it. MEMBERS FIRST believes that the Union must stand up for its members. Whether this is by a physical presence on the worksite, in the WAIRC when bargaining or negotiating fails, in the public arena or in the media, the interests of the members must come first. This does not mean becoming a militant Union, it simply means we stand up for each other “Touch one, touch all”. VOTE 1 MEMBERS FIRST. |