Workload is the issue affecting activism

By Theo Bougatsas and Nicole Calnan

Workload is the issue most concerning new and beginning teachers -- and it affects union activism.

For the duration of term 1 Federation employed us as Project Officers to work at Federation to support the Federation in recruiting and reaching to new members and it was during our travels we were able to gauge the issues concerning beginning teachers.

Without doubt the most prevalent issue was that of workload. Workload is curtailing new and beginning teachers' activism and involvement with the union, both in their workplace and in a general sense.

The term was undoubtedly positive, certainly from our point of view. We have begun to engage our future membership and pinpoint the issues affecting them. This is a critical task as the demographic of Federation's membership will begin to change dramatically with the percentage of new and beginning teachers set to increase in coming years.

We worked closely with Trade Union Training Officer) David Wynne and Assistant General Secretary (Communications and Administration) John Dixon.

During the term we visited schools in the Campbelltown and Blacktown areas as well as in areas of western and north western NSW.

We were able to recruit a number of new and beginning teachers to Federation as well as provide information to new and beginning teachers on a whole range of issues but particularly in relation to the promotion of the Beginning Teachers Conferences at Bundanoon.

We were involved closely in the preparation of the two conferences held at Bundanoon. We were pleased by the success of the conferences both from the perspective of the response and attendance at each conference but also in relation to the way the teachers were able to engage on issues of activism and issues for new and beginning teachers.

We visited a number of university campuses to speak with education students. This also provided an insight into the future direction of the teaching profession and potential new members. The information the union provided to education students saw an overwhelmingly positive response.

Special thanks must also go to Organisers Jenny Diamond, Kathy Deacon, Owen Hasler and Charmaine O'Sheades for the assistance they provided.

Project Officers in term 2 are Ingrid Hasler and Justin Longobardi.

Theo Bougatsas and Nicole Calnan were Project Officers during term 1.

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May 2005 contents