One of the reasons that new educators choose to join and remain part of their union is access to advice and support.

As a new teacher, there are so many policies and processes to understand, and we sometimes don’t know what we don’t know!

From class sizes and minutes of face-to-face teaching to receiving your start-up allowance and being paid to attend graduate modules in the school holidays, making sure that your rights at work are upheld helps you balance workload and wellbeing.

I’m part of the SSTUWA because I think the collective is always stronger than an individual, and I’m passionate about the working conditions for teachers as every child deserves the best teacher they can get.
- Sharmin Kaur, 2022 New Educator Committee member

The first port of call to access support from your union is your workplace branch.

Your union rep, deputy rep and women’s contact officer have been elected by the members at your school and have access to specialised training to assist them in their roles.

If you aren’t sure who your elected delegates are, visit the member hub on the SSTUWA website (login required), ask around, or give Member Assist a call on (08) 9210 6060 or email memberassist@sstuwa.org.au

Attending branch meetings and speaking with other members is a powerful way to maintain your working conditions.

If you don’t yet have a union rep at your workplace, you can also call Member Assist for help with any issues at work. This is completely confidential, and you are under no obligation to act on any advice you are given. Speaking to the Member Assist Team will let you know what your rights are, and how you can solve any issues in a positive way.

Member Assist hours are from 10am-4.30pm on Mondays and from 8.30am-4.30pm Tuesday-Friday.

Finally, if there are a few new educators in your school, you can arrange a visit from the Growth Team by emailing neweducator@sstuwa.org.au

We will be available to staff at morning tea and lunch, bringing information and merchandise related to new educators. We’d love to hear from you!

If in doubt, call the union to speak with someone - whether to advise on your rights, responsibilities, or just to trust your gut if you think something isn’t right. It’s nice to always have someone confidential and knowledgeable in your corner and outside your school network.
- Liz Stern, 2022 New Educator Committee Member