Editorial: Celebrate the past, plan the future

The QTU Biennial Conference in the school holidays was a great celebration of the past two years, and set the outlines for the future. Thank you to the more than 250 delegates who gave up part of their holiday to participate and contribute, and to the Officers and staff. Theirs was a great service on behalf of all members.

The future

The Conference theme was: “Where Industrial Meets Professional”. There is no dividing line between the professional and industrial aspects of teachers’ work, and never has been. The theme reaffirmed the role of the Union in both.

The Conference Statement (available on the QTU website) is a great summary of the Union’s work plan. While it can’t cover everything, if the question is “what’s the union doing about …”, chances are there’s something in the Conference Statement.

The Conference also reviewed QTU policy on everything from QTU structures to curriculum and professional issues, working conditions, and school facilities. The revised policies will be posted to the website after being updated.

A major campaign on workload and wellbeing was adopted, with five elements or sub-campaigns, as was an updated strategy for principal support and involvement. Workload is one of two key priorities of members identified in the last membership survey. The plan for the other, permanency and job security, is contained within the Conference Statement.
Ten concurrent sessions gave delegates the opportunity to learn about and contribute to significant parts of the QTU’s work into the future.

The next six months

Two major programs are ongoing over the next six months. The pilot program for the certification of highly accomplished and lead teachers with an initial group of teachers will occur during this time, with others from the pilot group being certified next year. This pilot group will provide the basis for a process in the Industrial Relations Commission to establish the value of the roles – in other words, the pay rates that should be payable.

The second is the Promotional Positions Classification Review, which will provide a report by the end of 2018 to inform negotiations for the next enterprise bargaining agreement. This is the first complete review in over 25 years, and the QTU and the department are seeking contributions about the future shape of the system. The review is substantial and lengthy, but the Union expects double digit salary increases to result.

State election

The QTU is operating on the basis that a state election will be held later this year, though it can be held well into next year. Comparing the performance of the last two state governments on education and industrial relations, Conference endorsed a very active campaign, including working with other unions through the Queensland Council of Unions. An initial list of “claims” on political parties has been prepared. Preparation will continue to ensure that we are ready whenever the election is called.

School funding

Almost as the Conference was meeting, the Turnbull government succeeded in pushing its school funding plan through the Senate. Better than the Abbott plan, it would nevertheless leave Queensland state schools well short of the school resource standard that is fundamental to the recommendations of the Gonski Review. The plan is not Gonski. It is neither sector-blind nor needs-based. Such is the confusion created by the federal government (deliberately in my view) that the precise impact remains unclear.

The Queensland Government has guaranteed Investing for Success funding to schools for at least the next two years to provide certainty for Queensland state school programs.
Securing a better outcome now becomes a purely electoral matter in the context of the next election, between those wanting to invest in Australian schools and those who sold them out in supporting the Turnbull plan. The QTU and AEU will re-group on this issue, take stock, and get ready.

Celebrating the past

One of the key documents at the QTU Conference is the Biennial Report, a summary of activities, campaigns and achievements over the past two years. A copy of the report can be viewed and downloaded from the QTU website. Two enterprise bargaining agreements, a major campaign around secondary assessment and tertiary entrance, nearly 2,300 members volunteering their time as Union Reps, new joint statements negotiated and over 1500 additional members over the two years – there is much to be celebrated.

Life membership of the QTU was bestowed on 15 members, with posthumous awards for two more, for their career contributions to the Union and members. The stories from their acceptance speeches alone was worth attendance.

The Art Bequest honouring the second General Secretary of the QTU, G.A. Daughtrey (1935 - 1956) was, for the first time, a song: Voices Rising by QTU Council Rep, Phil Monsour. It adds to “Stand Together”, a song developed at the 2015 Conference.
The QTU is 128 years young, successful in the past, strong in the present, and ready to keep advancing your interests into the future. Be proud as I am to be part of this Union. Celebrate the past, and join in winning an even better future.

Graham Moloney                                                                                                                 General Secretary


Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 122 No 5, 21 July 2017, p5