KEY POINTS:

A further 4 days of negotiations took place on 15-16 and 28-29 May.
We were able to reach broad agreement on a number of issues. However, there are still some key issues that remain outstanding.
Your team has been meeting by teleconference since the end of May.
Discussions with the Ministry continue.
Paid Union Meetings will not take place in Term 2.

ACTION:

Discuss this newsletter with your colleagues.
Worksite Representatives:
Make sure the NZEI members in your team read this newsletter.
Check with any relievers in your kindergarten, who are NZEI members, that they have read this newsletter.
Discuss union membership with any non-members in your kindergarten and encourage them to join. Membership forms can be downloaded at www.nzei.org.nz.
Let NZEI know your kindergarten email address, by emailing kindergarten@nzei.org.nz, if you wish to receive the newsletter electronically.

ENQUIRIES:

For further enquiries contact your local NZEI Te Riu Roa field staff officer/Takawaenga or email kindergarten@nzei.org.nz with questions or feedback.

The last newsletter you received was ’07 Number 5, dated May 2007

Dear members

Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui ki a koutou.

Negotiations Continues

Negotiations for the Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers’ Collective Agreement continued on the 15-16 May and 28-29 May 2007.

Over these four days we explored a range of possible solutions to the issues in order to reach a package for settlement which could be recommended to you. Although both parties have put forward some strong views, we have been able to use a problem-solving approach to most of the issues. Discussion has focused on strong professional leadership and supporting effective teaching and learning in kindergartens.

While we were able to reach broad agreement on a number of issues there are still some that remain outstanding. These issues are not inconsequential.

Since the end of May your team has also held 3 teleconferences in order to progress matters. Discussions with the Ministry have continued over this time.

Paid Union Meetings

At the end of formal negotiations on 31 May your union team agreed that Paid Union Meetings should not be held this term. This would allow the negotiating teams to find a way to reach a settlement.

Consideration is being given to scheduling Paid Union Meetings early in Term 3. Depending on what progress can be made over the next weeks the team will decide whether these meetings should be held. You will get information as soon as a decision is made and your employers will be notified.

Detailed Information

We appreciate that some of you will be feeling ‘in the dark’ about the negotiations as we have not shared as much detailed information as we may have in previous years.

The team thanks you for your patience and trusts you will understand that, because the issues are complex and inter-related, the solutions are unlikely to be simple. Therefore, releasing some details in isolation from a complete package would be unlikely to aid understanding or assist the negotiation process.

Your team is committed to making sure you have the best possible information in order to make a decision. Should a settlement package be agreed we plan to send you the proposal with explanatory notes to ensure you have time to think it through prior to the Paid Union Meetings, where you will be given a chance to ask any questions you might have.

What happens next?

Further dates for negotiations have yet to be set. Until then, discussions continue.

In the meantime, the Ministry and NZEI advocates are also working on ‘technical issues’. ‘Technical issues’ are necessary changes to the collective agreement arising from, for example, legislative change and time-bound clauses expiring, as well as other minor changes including grammatical corrections and re-numbering.

Keeping In Touch

Your negotiating team thanks you for your ongoing support and patience. They take their roles as your representatives very seriously and your messages of support to the team have been most welcome.

Make sure you keep an eye out for information from NZEI. We send these newsletters via email as well as post. If your kindergarten didn’t receive it electronically, and would like to, please email kindergarten@nzei.org.nz to let us know your kindergarten’s email address.

The NZEI website, www.nzei.org.nz will also have updated information so keep an eye on this.

And remember it is extremely important that you keep in touch with NZEI about any discussions about change or reorganisation happening in your Association. Reorganisation needs be handled very carefully at the moment because of the issues being discussed at negotiations.

Karen Skett and Karen Whibley
Co-Advocates

For office use:

NZEI Negotiations KTCA 2007/06
Page 1 of 3
To: All Kindergarten Worksites
File:325.69

Negotiations Update