NZEI News - 18 August 2009/14e

Fair deal Friday, Area school study grants, ECE voting and measles...

NZEI, the PSA and Ministry of Education Relationship Agreement

NZEI, the PSA and Ministry of Education have developed a relationship agreement which describes the desired relationship between the two unions and MOE. The accompanying protocol describes the rights, roles and responsibilities of the unions and the Ministry when union members are involved in union activities in Ministry worksites.

  Ministry of Education/NZEI/PSA Relationship Agreement (0.2mb pdf)

  Delegates Protocol (0.2mb pdf)

Support Worker Pay Investigation

An historic pay investigation for support workers carried out for NZEI and the Ministry of Education in 2008 found that support workers jobs have been historically undervalued and underpaid.

2009 Union Pay Equity Claim
NZEI is using the findings of the pay investigation report as the basis for this year’s pay claim for union members.
We’re claiming a new 3 step scale implemented over 3 years.
Step 3    $23.44
Step 2    $22.32
Step 1    $21.28

  Factsheet (0.3mb pdf)

The new scale aligns with rates paid in male dominated jobs that require the same level of actual skills, responsibilities, demands and working conditions. The report is now available for public viewing. Read more...

Team selected and draft claim for your endorsement

ECECA draft claim for your consideration

Thanks to everyone who returned discussion sheets, the feedback was used by your negotiations team to prepare a draft claim. You need to return your ballot to endorse the claim by 6pm, Wednesday, 26 August.

  NZEI Negotiations News (ECECA) 2009/04 (0.4mb pdf)

Branch News 2009/15 - Annual Meeting 2009

National Executive Report, the summary of the Financial Reports and the Te Reo Areare Report to Te Kahui Whetu and Annual Meeting 2009. Special Report to Annual Meeting 2009 – “Strengthening Our Union for the 21st Century”.

  Branch News 2009/15 (0.6mb pdf)

MR 2009/39 - Time for government to deliver fair deal to support staff

In a co-ordinated effort last Friday more than a thousand school support staff marched and rallied outside the offices of dozens of government and coalition MPs as part of "Fair Deal Friday".

  Media Release 2009/39 (0.1mb pdf)

7 August 2009 - Support Staff Day of Action

Support staff pay negotiations are “stuck” with the government still offering a zero percent pay rise.  We need to send a strong message to the government that support staff have the backing of their school communities, teachers, principals and parents, in their fight for a fair deal.

On 7 August, local NZEI branches organised action to hand deliver pledge posters to government or coalition MPs that have been signed by members of school communities.

  View 'Fair Deal Friday' images (www.fairdeal.org.nz)

MR 2009/38 - Fair Deal Friday!

School support staff around the country are turning today (Friday 7 August) into “Fair Deal Friday”. In a co-ordinated effort nationwide, they will be descending on the offices of government MPs to deliver a strong message that school communities back their fight for fair pay.

  Media Release 2009/38 (0.1mb pdf)

NZEI News - 06 August 2009/015e

NZEI’s work on the implementation of National Standards is starting to achieve results!

One of our key submissions to Government was that the timeframe for the reporting of national standards needed to be extended.  Education Minister Anne Tolley has heeded this advice and on Wednesday announced that school reporting of data to the Government would be delayed until 2012.

There is still more work to be done - for example, to ensure principals and teachers are supported sufficiently and get professional development to implement the standards and to engage parents in the wider discussion about learning and assessment.  NZEI's concern that data might be turned into high stakes school “league tables” has still not been resolved.  However,   President Frances Nelson says NZEI is encouraged the union's concerns have been listened to.

“Teachers and principals will  look forward to having more time to connect the standards with the new curriculum.  We want to get both things right so student learning isn’t compromised.  We were concerned that the pressure and reporting requirements for national standards could undermine the work being done on the curriculum.

http://www.nzei.org.nz/National+Standards.html

NZEI Negotiations News (GSE) 2009/02 - GSE Support Worker Negotiations

GSE support worker negotiations will start on 11 and 12 August. NZEI’s claim is based on the findings of the pay investigation. The Pay Investigation proved support workers are worth more – it’s now up to the Government to show whether it has a commitment to reversing this historic undervaluing of support workers.

  NZEI Negotiations News (GSE) 2009/02 (0.3mb pdf)