Why join?
There are many good reasons for joining the NTEU. Some of these are because the NTEU:
- is the only union working exclusively in tertiary education
- has a Branch Office on campus at most tertiary institutions, providing quick and easy access for members
- unites general and academic staff
- is the only union covering academic staff and is the largest union covering general staff
- has a democratic and effective structure, giving members a voice in the way the Union operates
- gives tertiary education workers an authoritative and expert voice in current debates about the funding, structure, and quality of Australian tertiary education;
- has a team of specialist research and industrial staff to maintain high-level expertise on all aspects of the tertiary education system
- is active on a broad range of professional and industrial issues of concern to tertiary education workers, including Intellectual Property, Occupational Health and Safety and Superannuation
- has specialist training staff who have developed a training program specifically for its members
- has specialist recruitment and campaign staff who provide assistance direct to the membership
- provides its members with a wide range of services and benefits, from discounted tax and health services to a wide range of commercial discounts
If you're still not sure, here are some more reasons for joining the NTEU:
- your job could be the next one targeted by management
- individual employees are weak compared with their employers
- unions are especially important when tertiary education workers' wages, conditions and jobs are under attack from both Government and management
- because together workers can more effectively defend or improve their wages and conditions
Some of the things the NTEU can do for members include:
- negotiating with your employer on disputes related to your employment including promotion, reclassification, redeployment, termination and redundancy, restructures, contract issues and casual conditions
- providing advice on issues related to intellectual property, academic freedom, workcover, occupational health and safety, training and recruitment
- assisting in the establishment, training and resourcing of Delegates networks and other Union communication mechanisms.
- lobbying government over broad sectoral issues including funding, student places, quality and access.