AEU head office 112 Trenerry Crescent, Abbotsford 3067 | Tel: 03 9417 2822 | Email: melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au | Web: www.aeuvic.asn.au

SUPPLEMENT TO THE AEU NEWS MARCH 2016

Early Childhood Sector Newsletter

Introducing our new deputy VP: Cara Nightingale I AM excited and honoured to introduce myself as the new Deputy Vice President for Early Childhood. I have been teaching in the early childhood sector for 15 years

and have been an AEU member since the beginning. I have also had the privilege of representing our members on Sector and Branch Council and Executive over the past couple of years.

I started working in Early Learning Centres whilst studying, and I have taught

across all rooms and ages, including in occasional care, playgroups and as a literacy teacher working with the Sudanese community. For the past 10 years, I have been working as a Director and teacher at Strong Drive Kindergarten in Hampton Park.

My passion and teaching philosophy continues to develop and strengthen the more I learn, research and witness. I have seen first-hand how transformative high-quality Early Childhood education is to children from high-needs backgrounds, and that inspires me as an educator, activist and advocate.

I believe that advocacy is an important part of our role as early childhood teachers

and co-educators; advocacy for our children and families but also for ourselves, and for the important work we do. Our sector will be much more likely to attract and retain quality educators if we are recognised, valued and paid appropriately, and if our workloads are sustainable. High-quality education also needs to be accessible, affordable and equitable for all our children and families.

These are the key things that I will strive to achieve, in my new role, working alongside Martel and you, our members. I’m looking forward to meeting many of you along the way at local cluster meetings, conferences, rallies (which we do so well!) and other AEU events. •

THE STATE OF PLAY After three years of bargaining, our long-awaited Agreements have been finalised. Now it’s time to put words into action.

Martel Menz, vice president early childhood

I AM delighted to say that we are now in the final stages of a long and challenging period of bargaining and campaigning - powered by so many of you, our

members. Our two main Agreements have been finalised and are being considered by the sector via workplace ballots.

I know I have congratulated you in the past, but I’d like to reiterate how crucial your energy, commitment and determi-nation has been to this process. A sincere thank you!

These are our collective Agreements, and they deliver significant wins for the workforce. We should be very proud of what we’ve achieved, particularly in regards to securing the required Government funding needed to deliver improved salaries, career structures and workload.

The ballot for the local government agreement, EEEA 2016, has now been

conducted and will soon be counted at each council. We will let members know of the ballot count as soon as the numbers are made available to us by the MAV.

The ballot for the VECTEA 2016 will open on Wednesday, March 16 and close on March 22. All employees are encour-aged to cast their vote and participate in this important process. Please note that you must cast your vote and place it in the provided ballot box or post to your employer. Your employer is then required to post these ballot papers to ELAA. Votes will be counted on April 1 by ELAA and the AEU, and again we will announce the result as soon as possible following that.

After each ballot process, and reliant upon a majority ‘Yes’ vote, the respec-tive Agreements will be lodged with the Fair Work Commission for approval. Once this occurs, the Agreements come into full force seven days later. It will be important for employers and members to start preparing for the new entitlements and the transition from one set of arrangements to the new.

We have developed a range of terrific member resources to guide you in how to implement these Agreements. Visit the AEU website to read the Summaries, the Agreements in full, and a range of back-ground documents: aeuvic.asn.au/EC and click on ‘Pay and Conditions’. Two particularly useful documents will be the Working through Workload Issues booklet and the Factsheet for Educators, to help assess their new salaries and conditions.

We are also offering an exciting, comprehensive training package from April onwards, which also includes PD around implementing the Agreement, and translating the words into action in your workplace (see p.2 for details).

Our focus in 2016 and beyond is all about empowering members to use these Agreements to their full effect. We’ve fought hard for entitlements that support your work, and now it’s up to us to make sure that our improved pay and conditions are correctly and fairly implemented. •

2 Early Childhood Sector Newsletter | March 2016

Get WILD this year! EACH YEAR we have had at least one early childhood member participate in the Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program – which is an important way of building leadership within our sector, and also representing our sector.

It is intended that participants will already have a level of knowledge and expe-rience with the union and have participated as active members of the AEU. All four days of WILD attendance will be “backfilled” for the eight participants. Travel and accom-modation costs will be covered for rural participants.

Here are some testimonies of past early childhood WILD participants:

The WILD program was a great way to connect with like-minded individuals across the education sector. I enjoyed meeting inspiring women who were passionate about their roles as teachers and the importance of advocating our rights within our field. Melissa Barber

The WILD program enabled me to make professional connections with other teacher activists across all sectors of the AEU. The comradery and training provided me with more confidence and knowledge to speak up and have my voice heard, always with the assurance that I had other activist teachers supporting me and speaking up too. Anonymous •

New Educator Activist Program Sean Bundy, graduate teacher, Wingate Avenue Children’s Centre

EACH TERM, the AEU invites four members to spend three days with the union, shadowing leader-ship and organisers,

attending meetings and taking part in workplace visits. I participated in the program last year, and it gave me a much greater insight into the inner workings of the AEU. I was able to further my under-standing of the different roles the AEU plays as a union in the education sector, and that in turn allowed me to see that the AEU does more than just campaign for industrial relation issues. I realised that it also does a lot of social justice and policy campaigning, which helps drive real change in educational policy and reforms.

I really enjoyed being able to network with educators from other sectors, which

allowed us to compare notes and develop a deeper understanding about the issues, both similar and different, that affect each other’s sectors. This helped me to better explain the importance of EC to primary teachers who hadn’t had exposure to our field before. It gave me the opportunity to reflect on the importance of the EC sector and also on my role within that, and how I perceive myself as a teacher. I also enjoyed working and gaining experience in the different areas of the Union, from Membership Support and shadowing union reps at school presentations and workshops, to listening to educational leaders at the TAFE Conference. •The union covers replacement costs for members to participate in the NEAP. For more info: aeuvic.asn.au/NEN and click on ‘New Educator Activist Program’.

BRAND NEW EARLY CHILDHOOD PD! AEU Active, the union’s main training program, is opening up an exciting slate of training and PD opportunities to Early Childhood members this year.

Rowena Matcott, AEU training officer

WITH THE finalisation of the new EC Agreements (VECTEA and EEEA), we felt it was the right time to devise AEU Active training to meet the specific needs of our early childhood teachers and educators.

Our program aims to train up members to be active and well-informed about the Agreements and how to put them into practice. Our goal is to build knowledge, confidence and activism that directly leads to positive change in your workplace.

Throughout our AEU Active training program, we will discuss topics such as allowances, breaks, consultation, employ-ment, hours of work, leave, salary and the classification structure and, of course, workload. Visit aeuvic.asn.au/EC and click on ‘AEU Active training’ for more information. Don’t forget that AEU

can meet the costs to your workplace of replacing you when you attend our training, to maximise attendance.

Book early for these courses online, as they often book out. If you have any questions about the course content, please contact rowena.matcott@aeuvic.asn.au or for booking assistance, contact sue.filippone@aeuvic.asn.au. •Rowena Matcott is the AEU Training Officer and is responsible for the coordination and presentation of the AEU Active Training (AAT) programs as well as a number of other training events. She has over 20 years’ experience teaching in secondary schools and has worked with the AEU for 12 years as a trainer across all sectors.

Book now for annual EC ConferenceOur annual EC Conference, ‘Reclaiming your Power’, is taking place on Saturday, July 23. One of the highlights of our training calendar, the conference is shaping up to be a great day with keynote speakers Louise Dorrat and Lisa Bryant, who will spark discussions designed to help build strength, power and engagement. Cost: Members: $55, Non-members: $255 Bookings: tln.org.au/ecconf

www.aeuvic.asn.au 3

THIS CORNER OF THE EARTHAt Loch and District Preschool and Fish Creek Kindergarten, we embrace nature, inside and out. Tracy Fraser, early childhood teacher/co-educator

I REFLECT daily on how lucky I am to be empowering children, families and my colleagues in the vibrant two South Gippsland communities where I work. At Loch and District Preschool, we have been successfully reducing our environmental impact through adopting solar power, recycling, up-cycling and empowering children to take on a caring and respectful attitude towards the earth.

As I walk up the meandering path to my workplace, through the jungle-like gardens filled with secret spaces to hide, explore and discover, past the chook pen where I hear the quiet brrrk from the hens and cock-a-doodle-doo from the rooster, a sense of belonging overcomes me. I look up through the sun-speckled golden elm tree

and I take a deep breath; it’s time to start my day.

I f lick on the lights, knowing that with our solar power, we are reducing our environmental impact. Throughout the day, I listen to the children, I guide them and we ref lect together on ideas. We check for eggs, forage in the vegie patch, play in the treehouse in the fruit orchard, cart water from the tank to the winding river wall and cook in the mud-brick house. We climb with care through the golden elm and we dream.

Sixty kilometres down the road, my next day begins, this time at Fish Creek Kindergarten, south of Leongatha. I stand in awe at the sensory mural that was designed by children, educators and a

talented local artist. I appreciate! I wonder! I imagine! I quietly wander through the gardens, checking for the location of our resident koala and blue tongue lizard. My day ahead is set for challenge, risk and play. As water trickles down the creek bed, the children busily scatter about, hiding in bush cubbies, collecting sticks and whittling around the fire, cooking in the bush kitchen and observing the birds in the wetland in the paddock. We grow and harvest vegeta-bles, fruit and seeds to cook with, or to sell to families in our produce store.

In the busy pace of day-to-day, I try to take a deep breath and look at what’s around me, and remember my passion for teaching and nurturing these special young beings. •

Most see a disruption. Some see a Propulsion Engineer.Find out more at victeach.com.auBank I Save I Borrow I Invest I Protect

4 Early Childhood Sector Newsletter | March 2016

Let Them StayEARLY CHILDHOOD Sector Councillors have joined our other members and taken to social media to voice their support for the 267 asylum seekers the Federal Government is intending to send back to Nauru. This number includes children currently in our schools and preschools, who will have their education further disrupted if they are removed and sent back to Nauru.

The AEU endorses the ‘Let Them Stay’ campaign and believes every child deserves to be educated in a safe and supportive environment. We encourage members to take a photo and send it in to @AEUVictoria via Facebook or Twitter, showing your support (hashtag #LetThemStay). We are also supporting the Walk for Refugees Palm Sunday rally on March 20. •

Electorate Name

North West 1Whittlesea, Nillumbuk, Moreland, Darebin, Banyule, Yarra, Melbourne, Yarra

Melissa BarberSusan FitzgeraldSiobhan HannanYvette HoldsworthHeidi RatjeRebecca Simpson-Del SantoStephanie Willey

North West 2Wyndham, Hobsons Bay

Linda ChurchyardJoan Goldun

North West 3Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Brimbank, Melton, Hume

Nicole BourkeSean BundyTy Delle-Vergin

South East 1Boorondara, Manningham, Whitehorse

Jo Garner

South East 2Maroondah, Yarra Ranges, Knox

Kay BryanMaree Lyons

South East 3Monash, Greater Geelong

Ann MurrayCara NightingaleSusan Patrick

South East 4Port Phillip. Stonnington, Glen Eira, Bayside, Kingston, Frankston

Nichole JenkinsSilvia Saad

Barwon South West 1Greater Geelong Dianne O’Dwyer

Barwon South West 2Surf Coat, Golden Plains, Colac Otway, Corangamite, Moyne, Warrnambool, Glenelg

Gayle DavisRebecca Harvey

Central Highlands Wimmera 2Ararat, Southern Grampians, Horsham, West Wimmera

Katie Waterfield

Goulburn North East 2Campaspe, Greater Shepparton, Moira

Jennifer Heaps

Loddon Campaspe Mallee 1Greater Bendigo, Mitchell Amber Smolak

Loddon Campaspe Mallee 3Mildura, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack Lynne Wenborn

MEET YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLORS THESE SECTOR councillors are your local AEU reps. They participate in council meetings eight times each year and are a critical connection between the AEU and the profession. We have vacancies in a number of areas, with backfill provided if you require replacement to attend.

If you are interested in joining our sector council, please contact Martel Menz at melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au with ‘EC Sector Council’ in the subject line.

Note: We have only identified the electorates that have reps currently assigned to them. •

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Councillor spotlightRebecca Simpson-Dal Santo, Warrawee Park Preschool, Bundoora

I’m a kindergarten teacher working in a sessional kindergarten. I started working in early childhood in 2002 and have taught in both long day care and sessional kinder during this time, whilst studying for Certificate 3 and a Diploma in Children’s Services, followed by a Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies (Honours). Then, because I just couldn’t stop studying, I completed a Master of Education (Research). I joined Sector Council at the start of 2016 after many years of being a union member. I wanted to support the union that has given me so much support and I’m passionate about ensuring educators’ rights within their workplaces. •