This year we celebrate School Support Staff Recognition Week (SSSRW) on 5-9 of September! SSSRW is about celebrating the important work that School Support Staff do every day to ensure our schools run well and staff are supported to help students get the most out of their time at school. Together created SSSRW many years ago because your work is essential - we know that without you our students don't receive a world class education. School support staff are our: schools officers, administration officers, science technicians, community liaison officers, community education counsellors, business managers, agricultural assistants, social workers, psychologists, speech language pathologists, physiotherapist, occupational therapists, IT technicians, unit support officers, community liaison officers, community education counsellors, youth support coordinators, VET coordinators, and many more! Every single one of these amazing professional roles support world class education in Queensland. It's time to remind everyone just how important the work you do is! So, thank you School Support Staff! On the 5-9 September it's time to celebrate you! Enter the QSuper SSSRW competition and win! We are happy to once again be partnering with QSuper to celebrate SSSRW. QSuper, as part of Australian Retirement Trust, is celebrating the efforts of a special group of members as part of School Support Staff Recognition Week. This year QSuper are again giving support staff the opportunity to members to single out that special support staff colleague at your school. Take a moment to share, in 25 words or less, when you have seen a school support staff member make education happen and enter them into the running to win one of seven prize packs valued at $600. Enter now here! Entries will close on 25 August 2022. This is a wonderful way to say thank you to support staff for the amazing job they do. In the meantime, schools members should keep an eye out for your special SSSRW pack heading to your school in the mail, with posters and more to help you celebrate the week. If you can't wait for your schools pack - you can download a poster now to put up in your office!
Wages have become the top issue for union members in 2022. Union members in the public service have an unprecedented opportunity to campaign together to change government wages policy in 2022. At the same time, union members across the country have been campaigning for award wage rises that keep up with the cost of living. This morning the Fair Work Commission determined that workers needed a wage increase of 4.6%, well above the state government's wage policy of 2.5%. The Fair Work Commission has also awarded a flat dollar increase of $40 per work, which is higher than 4.6% and further protects low paid workers. The decision shows that workers cannot afford a wage increase of only 2.5% when prices are rising faster than they have for over two decades. A 2.5% increase for Queensland public sector workers- in line with current government policy - with inflation taking off is a wage cut in real terms. Union members have said that's simply not good enough. Be part of the campaign - register here. With most of the public sector renegotiating their EB agreements this year, there is a real opportunity for the collective strength of union members to change the state government's wages policy. Queensland public sector workers have been able to bargain for wages above their award. They have won these higher rates through their collective power in campaigns. That is why this year workers across the public sector and across unions will be campaigning for fair wage increases with a simple message that wage increases must at least match the increases in the cost of living. Next week, members in Health, Education, TMR and more will be holding virtual meetings across Queensland to kick off the campaign for fairer wages. They will be coming together with members of other public sector unions to call on the state government to change wages policy so public sector workers don't fall behind. Already 1500 members have joined the campaign - will you be part of this change? These meetings will be held in Queensland hospitals, TMR centres, TAFEs, schools and more with a simple message that wages must keep up with cost of living. It's not too late to register to attend a meeting in your workplace. Click here to join the campaign and register to attend.
Last week, after the Sunday announcement by the Premier of the Back to School plan, your union lodged a dispute in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, with the United Workers Union (UWU) about the lack of consultation around the Plan. As this is a significant issue of safety at work, there should be a risk assessment undertaken to mitigate risks as much as is practicable. On Friday, the Department advised that this had not occurred regarding the Back to School plan. It is very disappointing that the legislative requirement to undertake a risk assessment in these circumstances was not done prior to the Plan's announcement last Sunday. Following the dispute Together and UWU lodged in the Commission, the Department is now conducting a risk assessment with unions. There is now an opportunity to ensure concerns are raised, documented and control measures put in place. You can read the recommendations made by Commissioner Knight in our dispute here. Every school is different, which means the risks, and control measures, will be different as well. Local WHS Representatives and workers should be consulted regarding matters that affect your safety and wellbeing at work. You can read more about risk assessments here. Some risks that members have raised are: use of sick bays or other facilities to isolate symptomatic students (including PPE requirements for staff monitoring these students); ventilation or social distancing in school offices; prep rooms being used as thoroughfares, and others. Members can also lodge a form here if you are concerned with how local WHS consultation and risk assessments have occurred – or not occurred at all – at your school, and you have outstanding concerns. The news coming out of NSW and Victoria indicates that thousands of cases have been caught through those states' surveillance testing regime. Catching cases before students and staff spend time in schools is critical to stopping the spread. Currently, the Department does not have access to the number of RATs that would be required for twice-weekly surveillance testing. Supply of RATs is an issue across the board and Together recognizes this reality. However, in the coming weeks supply will increase and we are seeking that the Department’s policy reflects this and increases access of employer-supplied RATs to staff in circumstances other than just when they are symptomatic at work, at which point COVID may have already spread to co-workers and other members of the school community. The recommendation from Commissioner Knight was that the Department take all reasonable steps to clarify and consider the proposed framework dealing with the provision of rapid antigen tests in schools advanced by Together and UWU. There will be further discussions with the Department this week. Together members are also invited to a Zoom briefing on Tuesday 15 February at 10:30am. Register for the briefing here. Sign the Together petition for increased access to employer-provided RATs here. You can also find out more about the Safer Together campaign here.
The Chief Health Officer has issued a new Health Direction which requires employees who work in schools to have had two vaccines by 23 January 2022. If you have questions about the vaccine mandate for schools workers and not yet a Together member - join your union today. This is a new requirement and unfortunately there is not a lot of detail provided yet by the Department as to how this will be managed and implemented. What this new mandate means for schools workers has the been the focus of discussions for Together members employed in schools in the recent weeks. We know that being vaccinated against COVID-19 is one way to keep us safe, there are also other important considerations about ensuring everyone is safe at work and at school. Union staff have been invited to attend stakeholder briefings about what this means and what will happen next – questions like: where should vaccination records be stored, how, how would you ask for an exemption are likely to be discussed at these stakeholder briefings Together members can access the Schools vaccine mandate briefings via the Together Schools website if you have missed any important information. Remember as a union member you can have a say on how Together responds to issues like vaccine mandates. Together is a democratic union, it's important members have a say about the union position on issues like the roll out of mandatory vaccinations in your workplace. If this issue or other matters in schools are important to you, now is a good time to become a Together member. You can join your union right now by clicking here.
The Queensland government has now mandated that workers at schools, childcare centres, prisons, youth detention centres and airports must now be fully vaccinated by 23 Jan, with the first vaccine dose delivered by 17 Dec. This mandate will cover many Together members in schools, Custodial Correctional Officers, Youth Detention workers, Airport workers and more. It’s important that you ensure you’re up to speed on what this new mandate means for you. Your union is holding zoom meetings for many members affected by the mandate. Check out the details below for information regarding your employer. Schools members On Wednesday 1 December, branch secretary Alex Scott held a zoom for Schools members affected by the vaccine mandate. You can view the zoom below. We know that being vaccinated against COVID-19 is one way to keep us safe, there are also other important considerations about ensuring everyone is safe at work and at school. If you have specific questions you would like raised at the briefings please get in touch with us today at education@together.org.au. You can also contact the union office for support and advice as more details come through about the requirements. We will provide as much information as we can, as quickly as we can. Corrections members Corrections members have also had a zoom briefing this week regarding the mandate. You can view the briefing below. We want to hear from you as Corrections members about whether you support mandatory vaccinations or not. Please complete this very quick survey so we can understand Corrections members' positions on this issue. Youth Detention members The D-G has said in her email to staff The definition of a worker includes Youth Detention Centre employees, contractors, union officials, volunteers, regulators, auditors, teachers, support workers, health workers and couriers. Departmental staff visiting a youth detention centre will be considered a worker in a high risk setting even though they may only occasionally enter the setting as part of their work duties. If you believe the mandate affects you and you have questions or concerns about the directive, please contact your union office on your.union@together.org.au or 1800 177 244 and speak to union staff.
You should be recognised and celebrated for the essential role you play. We know the world class education Queensland students receive would not happen without you. It’s time to celebrate you! That’s why each year Together promotes School Support Staff Recognition Week. Some members may be celebrating this week! This week was the original date, however, due to the recent COVID outbreaks your ability to gather and celebrate may have been hampered – so we are relaunching School Support Staff Recognition Week for the last week of Term: 13-17 of September, 2021. Change your social media profile picture, download a poster, get together and celebrate! Your work is essential. It’s time to be recognised! During School Support Staff Recognition Week your union delegates will also host some online forums you can join to hear from delegates and members across the state – more on that soon. Another way to celebrate the work that you do is by entering the QSuper SSSRW 'ThankQ' Competition! Nominate your colleagues, have your colleagues nominate you. ThankQ – Enter Now! Thanks to the excellent support of QSuper this year there is also a wonderful competition that you can enter – or nominate a colleague for! This competition is specifically for school support staff. Here are the details: Join in the celebrations for this year’s School Support Staff Recognition Week with a chance to win one of seven prize packs valued at $500 for your school and a $100 voucher for the nominee. To enter, in 25 words or fewer: Share with us a moment when a school support worker made education happen. The competition is open to school support staff within the Queensland Department of Education, and includes Schools Officers, Administration Officers, Science Technicians, School Business Managers or IT Technicians to name a few. Entries close at 11.59pm on Friday, 3 September 2021. Winners will be announced on Monday, 13 September 2021.
