Member Bulletin Number 14 2020

 

A thank you message to members from the President

In this bulletin:

  • We’ve made it to the end of 2020
  • Union elections – ballot deadline extended
  • Office closure over the Christmas holidays

We’ve made it to the end of 2020
Well done to all members on making it to the end of what has felt like the longest year!

The onset of the global pandemic and everything that flowed from it has created pressure on everyone. In education, it meant a lot of pressure to prepare for different modes of delivery in the early days. For remote members, it meant being locked down in biosecurity zones for weeks without knowing when respite would come. Border restrictions kept many apart from loved ones for months.

Through all of that, Territory educators continued to provide high quality education for students in your care. You can and should be proud of the job you’ve done in difficult circumstances. Your union has done everything we could to support you, and we acknowledge your continuing membership and professionalism.

Take the time to rest up and relax over the Christmas break, because next year will be a big year, with enterprise bargaining in the face of a government pay freeze meaning we will need to be united and determined to win.

Have a safe, happy time over the break and we look forward to catching up in the new year.

Union elections – ballot deadline extended
Most members should by now have received your postal ballot for Branch Executive elections. However, due to delays in postal ballots reaching members, the AEC has agreed to extend the deadline for the return of ballots to Wednesday 24 February 2021. This ensures members who do not receive their ballot prior to the end of the school year will still have time to return their ballots early in 2021. If you have any questions regarding the process, contact the AEC Returning Officer via [email protected].

Office closure over the Christmas holidays
Our office will be closed from the end of the 2020 school year and reopen on Monday 11 January 2021.

Our last day of operations for 2020 is Friday 18 December. The office will be closed for the following three weeks and as such our staff will not be able to respond to any queries such as membership cancellations or other matters during this time.

You may still submit queries and requests during the closure period however they will not be responded to until after we reopen on 11 January.

If you have an exceptionally urgent matter (such as a break in or damage to your GEH), phone the office on (08) 8948 5399 for instructions on how to contact a union officer.

Resources
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