UWA Sessional Teachers

"While total employment across universities grew by 2.3% from 1999 to 2019, the report said casual employment grew at 4.5%, and now accounted for 40% of jobs at public universities.

“Universities do everything they can to cut back on expenses,” Stanford said. “From casualising the workforce to larger class sizes, to cutbacks in resources and supplementary materials.

“Imagine learning about cutting-edge science or health from people who are hired on a month-to-month basis. This isn’t going to equip graduates with the comprehensive and thorough education they need":

Australian universities report finds quality of education eroded by ‘long-term underfunding’ New report reveals 83% of respondents are concerned universities’ focus on profit is undermining education standards

UWA in the spotlight again:

‘Appallingly unethical’: why Australian universities are at breaking point Exclusive: Cost-cutting, casualisation and ‘ridiculous’ teaching loads are taking a toll on tertiary institutions – and some academics are fighting back

Extraordinary numbers emerging from the wage theft claims of staff across the tertiary sector: https://www.nteu.au/News_Articles/National/Wage_Theft_Report.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2y6zbZ4BatWneaDJ2sQdNYhjV4pjcZOoQTEmuJ9RSf4eFkipRBrN4BpnM

Wage Theft Report uncovers $80 million in stolen wages Wage theft has shamefully become an endemic part of universities’ business models. This report uncovers the staggering value of wages stolen in the university sector.

"Wage theft capital of the sector": https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/8081428/casual-pay-lands-university-of-melbourne-in-court/?cs=12&fbclid=IwAR2u-VAPEszBsmdS6I3YeUEj-PCiqdml9PzQAKtqM-pGf9esGQ-wrpTxHUk

Casual pay lands University of Melbourne in court The University of Melbourne is facing more legal action over allegations it underpaid casual staff and made false...

Coming up on the 14th of February:

And another year begins! Hope everyone had a relaxing break...although as we all know, the gap between semesters often has an adverse impact on casuals who are between contracts. Some good news to start the year off, however: the National Tertiary Education Union casual audit claims continue to yield results, and backpay for affected staff! The most recent case has seen thousands of dollars in backpay issued to a casual teaching staff member whose qualifications (she had recently been awarded her PhD) had not been updated in the HR system, resulting in the loss of income due to the wrong pay rate being used. The NTEU can only find out about these cases if people get in touch, so please contact casual representative Dr Andrew Broertjes ([email protected]) or Division organiser Eileen Glynn ([email protected]) if you have concerns about your pay.

More wage theft cases coming out across the country:

Deakin University to face Fair Work Commission over wage theft allegations The tertiary education union is taking the university to the fair work watchdog. It alleges that university staff have been underpaid staff millions of dollars.

Something to keep in mind when the VC tells us we need to "live within our means": https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/eye-watering-australian-university-salaries-revealed?fbclid=IwAR0L8MM0hQizxmMNKT1aPqdGUvWbblW4KFpmYX-c__YQpFLAjE5Mb_OFfTQ

‘Eye-watering’ Australian university salaries revealed Up to 50 staff at wealthier Australian institutions out-earn the average English vice-chancellor, FOI documents reveal

Very impressed to see the UWA student guild standing with casual staff and standing against senior management [NB this page has permission to share this email, which was sent to all UWA students]:
"To the students of UWA,

A significant motion was recently passed by the Guild Council (see Appendix 1). We decided to cancel the Senate Dinner, an annual event where the Vice Chancellor, other UWA executives, and the UWA Guild Council wine and dine together. We voted to reallocate the funds for this dinner to provide additional support to the Guild's welfare initiatives for low-inome students.

We did not just make this decision because it is unjust to spend thousands on an elite dinner whilst up to 40% of students in Australia are skipping meals due to the cost of living crisis. We did this because UWA management is not a friend to students or staff. They have run UWA like a business for decades, which has led to an unacceptable deterioration of our education quality. We have witnessed:

Bloated salaries for executives, including a salary of over $920,000 for the Vice Chancellor Amit Chakma
Semesters reduced from 13 to 12 weeks, with no commensurate fee reduction.
687 job losses from 2019 to 2021 - meaning less academic and professional staff to teach and research, run the libraries or administration, clean and garden, and more.
Increased ties between UWA and corporations like Woodside, Rio Tinto, and Chevron - allowing companies to influence course content and research in their interests
A university-wide restructure in 2021 that cut costs by over $40 Million - slashing Social Science and Molecular Science, as well as several professional departments, despite 89% of students voting to reject the restructure in a referendum
High levels of casualisation, with up to 70% of staff across the sector in casual employment - which harms the student experience as staff are forced to work unpaid overtime to provide adequate lessons, marking, and feedback.

This clearly demonstrates that UWA’s bottom line takes priority over our education. This morning, the university’s Academic Board is meeting to restructure the Board and remove 4 of the 6 student representatives elected onto it. Our student representatives will be and have been fighting this, and attached in Appendix 2 is our letter to the members of Academic Board. We believe that our Guild is a student union, and it is the duty of our student representatives on council to defend our education and fight for our rights.

Sincerely,
The 109th Guild Council

Amitabh Jeganathan, Guild President
David Hallam, Education Council President
Max Beard, Postgraduate Students Association President
Geemal Jayawickrama, International Students’ Department President
Nicole McEwen, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Prisha Goel, Guild Vice-President
Rashdina Ayeesha Ramli, Chair of Guild Council
Narendra Gammanpila, Guild General Secretary
Jak Beard, Societies Council President
Maria Waters, Public Affairs Council President
Sapphire Carter, Welfare Officer
Chloe Bryant, Women’s Officer
Iknur Virik, Environment Officer
Joseph Kaddis, Sports Officer
Robert Whitehurst, Residential Students Department President
Jasmine Hensley, Ordinary Guild Councilor
Nicole Smith, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Catherine Cheesman, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Charlotte Kennedy, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Lara Dale, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Julia Andrea Aguinot, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Boni Riad, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Anushka Mukherjee, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Kushagra Rathore, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Daniel Roden, Ordinary Guild Councillor
Melani De Alwis, Access Co-Officer
Dana Fung, Access Co-Officer
Adam Elyousef, Ethnocultural Co-Officer
Amira Nunn, Ethnocultural Co-Officer
Seren Moulds, Pride Co-Officer
Paris Javid, Pride Co-Officer

More wage theft of casuals in WA, this time at Curtin:

Jack's thinking of quitting the job he loves at Curtin University, as staff seek redress over 'wages theft' A Curtin University casual lecturer says he's paid for only about half of the time he spends marking students' work, and a union says casual staff are being paid per assignment marked instead of per hour.

And the senior management gravy train rolls on, and on, and on... https://michaelwest.com.au/westacott-joins-academic-gravy-train-as-vc-salaries-go-up-and-profits-soar/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2022-08-17&utm_campaign=Michael%20West%20Media%20Weekly%20Update&fbclid=IwAR24hF5A5rS8JGxFtbacqie2D6F6hA6rsAxpHMlj4x2gTr1J3VyzRBTdId4

Westacott joins academic gravy train as VC salaries go up and profits soar - Michael West Jennifer Westacott's appointment to lead the University of Western Sydney only emphasises the grip of business on higher education.

An important issue for casual teaching staff, and an important claim in this enterprise bargaining round:

‘Better for the entire country’: epidemiologists join growing calls to pay sick leave to casuals Experts say the Victorian government’s national-first trial is a ‘good investment’ and a ‘smart move’