Dear Casual Colleagues,

As you know, Deakin management is asking you to vote on a proposed Enterprise Agreement 2023 (2023 EA), with voting to open next week for five days (Monday 24 to Friday 28 April).  

Deakin’s proposed deal does nothing to reduce casual, precarious employment. It actually expands the circumstances in which Deakin can use fixed-term instead of ongoing appointments, and introduces an unlimited number of part-year, fixed-term teaching focused jobs, which could be used to replace existing casual 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.

NTEU-negotiated enterprise agreements have secured enforceable targets to decasualise the University through the creation of new full-time roles.   

So please Vote No, so we can resume bargaining and fight for what you deserve.

What we’re asking for:

• 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 enforcement of casual professional staff conversion through a Joint Agreement Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JMIC).
• Sick leave. 

The NTEU values and has a strong track-record of standing up for the rights of casual staff at Deakin. We are now before the Fair Work Commission fighting for stolen wages for marking underpayment, and recently we won the right for staff to keep their access to IT, email and Deakin library for 200 days after the end of their casual engagement.

Management’s proposed agreement will continue to treat casual staff as second-class employees, with superannuation paid at significantly lower rates than fixed term and full-time staff; no sick leave; and without pathways to secure work or adequate career progression.   

So “Vote No” to management’s agreement if you want secure jobs, better pay, and real improvements to your working conditions.

Please remember that if you are employed as a sessional academic and casual professional staff member at Deakin University, you are only eligible to vote if you performed work:

1. during the access period (17 April– 23 April 2023); or
2. immediately after the start of the voting process (24 April 2023).

The University’s primary source for verifying eligible voters in the ballot will be DeakinPeople.  As a result, if you perform any work for the University between 17 April – 24 April 2023 please submit your timesheet in DeakinPeople by no later than 5:00pm on Thursday 27 April 2023.

Please take steps to ensure you’re eligible to vote, and vote NO. Help send Deakin management the clear message that casual employees want them to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate a better deal with the NTEU for ALL staff!

In Unity

Deakin Casuals Action Network 

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

For more information on why we’re asking you to vote no, see: https://www.nteu-deakin.org/why-vote-no/

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.

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