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Early in the 1990s, the SSTUWA and Department of Education (DoE) began discussions around how to create a meaningful pathway for teachers who wished to remain in the classroom and not move into school leadership positions. At the time, no other state or territory had a process or position established to recognise exemplary classroom teachers in this way.

In a desire to bolster Alkimos College’s work health and safety (WHS) systems, the college recently held an election to appoint health and safety representatives (HSRs) for all staff throughout the school.

Delegates to November State Council Conference were introduced to the panel members of the SSTUWA review into public education and had an opportunity to engage with them via a consultation workshop on opening day.

Close to 80 early childhood educators (ECE) attended this year’s SSTUWA ECE Conference, aptly titled Well-being, Workload and Work-Life Balance.

November State Council Conference has capped off a year of intense union activity which has included the launch of an independent review into public education in WA, the registering of two General Agreements and the start of the process for a next Log of Claims.

During the 2021 EBA the SSTUWA won the claim to review part of the Country Teaching Program, an incentives package • to assist with the attraction and retention of teachers, school leaders and school psychologists to country schools. This work is about to progress and has now received unexpected stimulation following the recent announcement from Education Minister Sue Ellery to staff some country schools with a one year only additional incentive; in fact, just 48 schools.

We are at the end of yet another year which brought far more turmoil than we could have ever expected. We thought that we’d seen the worst of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 and that we were pretty well prepared - vaccinations mostly done – for the beginning of the year. That bubble burst in Week 1 of Term 1. The turmoil hasn’t been confined to COVID-19 or to Australia. We look around and see democracy in a fragile state in many parts of the world. This week’s mid-term US elections saw several candidates saying openly, even before polling day that they would refuse to accept a result which didn’t go their way; statements based not on legitimate concerns about a faulty voting system but on a simple refusal to respect the outcome of a democratic process.

I had the privilege recently to meet with Hetty Verolme, a survivor of the Holocaust, now living in Perth.

Western Australia is facing a deepening crisis around Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH), with teachers saying the appalling state of the system is driving many away from the regions and putting others off moving to work in the country

SSTUWA membership numbers continue to grow, with member numbers in all categories increasing to give the union just over 17,700 members.

The Reconciliation in Action (RIA) award recipient for 2021 is Clare Stack, from Broome Senior High School. Clare was named as the RIA recipient at November State Council Conference.

Western Australia is facing a deepening crisis around Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH), with teachers saying the appalling state of the system is driving many away from the regions and putting others off moving to work in the country

Western Australia is facing a deepening crisis around Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH), with teachers saying the appalling state of the system is driving many away from the regions and putting others off moving to work in the country

The SSTUWA has asked members who currently, or have in the past, lived in Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) for their experiences with the scheme.

It has been a big year for public educators, but 2022 promises to be even bigger and it will be critical for the SSTUWA and its members to remain strong, united and committed in order to tackle the challenges that will come its way.

SSTUWA members enthusiastically participated in the Give the Cap the Boot sticker day in October to increase awareness of the union’s General Agreement 2021 negotiations and the Give the Cap the Boot campaign.

If you want to teach in a Western Australian education venue, you need to be registered with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA).

To ensure members fully understand the application of the Western Australia TAFE Lecturers’ General Agreement, this month’s article will discuss clauses from part 3 – employer and employees’ duties, employment relationship and related arrangements, specifically clauses concerning modes of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract and casual) and part-time work.

This edition of Western Teacher incorporates Getting Organised 2022.

The ACTU has welcomed the commitment from Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke to stop employers using the threat of EBA terminations as a bargaining tactic.