| SSTUWA Executive: Gary Hedger |
 I have been a member of the Union in the TAFE sector since 1994. I have been active in TAFE branches as a deputy convenor, convenor, deputy Union Rep and Union Rep and district council rep. I have been on the TAFE Committee for a number of years, attended state council as a delegate for the past 8 years and have represented the TAFE division as representative to the Federal TAFE conference for the past 7 years I am currently on the Union executive, chair of the TAFE Committee and the Western Australian representative on the National TAFE Council Executive.I have been involved in the negotiation of the last 3 TAFE Certified Agreements, which have seen previously traded conditions returned and an improvement in the conditions of all TAFE Lecturers. This has come about by Union members lobbying and running campaigns that have highlighted the need for improvements in TAFE conditions. This was only possible by being organised and ensuring that all TAFE members were kept fully informed as to the state of negotiations and .the positions taken by the Department. This enabled members to make informed decisions and guide the direction of negotiations. This mode of engagement with the membership must be expanded to encompass the entire Union so that it is fully informed as to the direction that the Union is taking allowing it to have a sense of ownership and participation in decision making. TAFE is now becoming the testing ground for Federal and State Government policies which will have not only have an effect on TAFE but also have an impact on schools. The transition between high school and TAFE will be an area of increasing focus in the next years as VET programs are increased within high schools due to the major changes in courses of study, WACE and the impacts that will flow from the half year cohort. The Members First Ticket will be working to ensure that the voices of the membership are not lost in the struggle to elevate the status of the profession despite the attempts to drown it out by faceless bureaucrats who have little regard as to the implications of ill conceived policy. As a result The Members First Ticket will be become focused on raising the status of teachers and lecturers who play an important role in education of students in this state The Members First Ticket will be rejecting the notion of reducing everything to one common denominator that will cater for every situation and condition that member’s face in the classroom. The Members First Ticket will be looking at changes that are occurring in the workplace by having industrial policies in place to ensure that teachers and lectures are not going to be overrun by an increasing workload being foisted on it. The Members First Ticket will be focusing the Union to look at the future, to ensure that its members are protected from changes to conditions which will impact on members working lives. Given that the current Members First Executive has obtained the best salary increases for members in the last round of agreement negotiations compared to its predecessor, it must be emphasised that whoever wins this election will be negotiating with the Department for the next agreement. VOTE MEMBERS FIRST |