Dear Deakin casual colleague,

As you know, 62% of Deakin staff voted 'No' to Deakin management's proposed Enterprise Agreement 2023. Now that bargaining negotiations have resumed, it is crucial to ensure that as many Deakin casual staff members as possible are fully informed about the demands put forth by the NTEU Deakin branch and the Deakin Casuals Action Network on behalf of insecure employees at Deakin.

We invite you to the discussion on bargaining claims for casuals, which will take place next Thursday, May 18th, at 12pm on Zoom.

Register: 'Bargaining for job security, career progression, and improved workplace support.'

When: Thurs 18 May, 12pm on Zoom

Register Here  

This meeting is open to all staff. Bring along your casual colleagues!

What are we asking for?

What NTEU Deakin Branch is asking for in bargaining for casual employees:

• A fair pay rise, in line with the rest of the sector.
• 17% superannuation, in line with all other staff at Deakin.
• 150 Full Time Equivalent Secure Teaching and Research positions which will in the first instance be advertised internally with preference given to applicants who have been performing casual teaching work for the University
• A pathway to secure employment for research only staff
• Stronger and more timely enforcement of casual professional staff conversion to secure work through a Joint Agreement Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JMIC)
• Stronger conversion rights for fixed term staff
• Sick leave 

Why you deserve a secure job.

According to Deakin University’s latest Annual Report (p. 53), 2168 out of a total of 5,561 Deakin staff (by headcount) are employed insecurely (casual and fixed-term). In other words, around 40% of Deakin employees are either on rolling casual contracts or insecure fixed-term contracts.

DCAN and NTEU Deakin branch opposed Deakin’s EA because management’s offer to casual and fixed-term staff at Deakin would not have reduced insecure work. Rather, it would actually have expanded the circumstances in which Deakin could use fixed-term instead of ongoing appointments, and introduced an unlimited number of part-year, fixed-term teaching focused jobs, which could be used to replace existing academic staff. Where these jobs exist elsewhere, staff report working more hours, for less money, with no greater job security or opportunities for career progression for casual academics or those on fixed-term contracts.

The truth is, without sessional academics, casual professional and research staff, the essential work of teaching and supporting students, and publishing high quality research would grind to a halt at Deakin.  

We need your ideas, questions and involvement as we recommence bargaining. This round of bargaining is an opportunity for us to make our voices heard and to send a clear message to management that we want secure work, adequate career progression and quality learning conditions for our students, and that we are prepared to fight for it. Join us!

Register here.

If you’re not available next Thursday but would like DCAN to organise a meeting with you and some of your casual colleagues on Zoom or in person at your campus or off-campus, then please let us know by filling out this form (we will not, in any circumstances, share your personal information without your permission):

Let us know here.

In Unity,

Deakin Casuals Action Network

Find out more about DCAN here: https://www.nteu-deakin.org/deakin-casual-action-network/

Please note: NTEU maintains a list of names and email addresses of staff in the sector, which is collected from publicly available sources. The list is only used for purposes consistent with NTEU’s Objects and purpose, and is not disclosed to any other parties outside NTEU. If you are not a member and you would prefer not to receive any further information from NTEU, please click on the “Unsubscribe” link below. For more information, please see our Privacy Statement on our website.