[TEU-academic] ] TEU update
undefined
Fri Dec 01 2023 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
[Māori Language Week_IntranetBanner-1]
Tēnā koutou katoa
Medical Academic collective members. The vote on the variation to the MACA is now open. You should have received an electronic ballot from rewa.wehipeihana@teu.ac.nz. If you haven’t received a ballot, please email Rewa directly. Voting will close at 12pm midday Wednesday 6 December. If you have questions about the variation, contact Nicole at nicole.wallace@teu.ac.nz.
(Please get involved in) Branch Planning Day. Your branch committee is having its annual branch planning day next Wednesday, 6 December at Old Government House. We will review how the last two years have gone, what is coming up next year, and what your branch committee can do to better support organising and membership efforts in your workplace. You are very welcome to attend from 3pm - 5pm if you would like to get more involved with your branch. Please email Noel at noel.zeng@auckland.ac.nz if you are interested.
Save the date. Your branch committee wishes to invite members to an end of year celebration at 3pm-5pm, Tues 12 December at OGH. You should have received an invitation from Noel for this informal get-together for members. There will be a pub quiz with prizes! Light food and drinks will be provided. Please come; it would be great to see colleagues there after the year that we have had. Please respond to the RSVP to help with catering planning.
A briefing to the Minister of Tertiary Education from the TEU. National office of the TEU has wasted little time sending the minister in the new government a briefing on the state of the sector. The briefing to Penny Simmonds can be read herehttps://teu-production.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Minister_Briefing_Document_2023_v2.pdf.
TEU networks in 2024. The TEU has a number of designated member networks: General or Professional Staff; Academic Staff; U35 Staff; Rainbow; Tiakina Te Taiao (Climate); Women's; Te Uepū (Māori staff); Tangata Pasifika; Disabilities. The union would like to invite you to register for the network/s that you would like to be part of for 2024. Under the new rules, TEU networks have been formalised and given voting rights at conference. Therefore, each network will also have an advisory committee which will represent them. There will be online hui from 25-27 March 2024 to choose the advisory groups for each network. You are encouraged to register and be part of the action. You are able to join as many networks as you associate with but will need to fill in the registration form for each separately. Please use this link to registerhttps://www.cognitoforms.com/NZTEU/_2024Networks.
TEU delegate education in 2024. The TEU has also been refreshing and updating member education opportunities and as part of this programme of work we are trialling an alternative way of registering your interest in attending delegate training. These courses are open to all members who are active in branch committees, campaigns, activities/events, or elected to a national committee. You are entitled to paid time off work to attend these courses.
· Level 1: Effective Delegates: This course is intended to provide guidance on key concepts, structures, and roles within our union, supported by activities to apply the learning back in your workplaces. Auckland region L1 Effective Delegates will be held 9:30am to 4:30pm on Thursday 7 March 2024, venue to be confirmed. To register please click link herehttps://www.cognitoforms.com/NZTEU/DelegateTrainingL1EffectiveDelegatesAucklandThursday7March2024.
· Level 2: Building an Organised Workplace. This is intended for delegates who have already attended the L1 Effective Delegates course. The course is planned to take two days: a 1-2 hour preparation hui with your local Organiser; a full day hui, kanohi ki te kanohi, then follow-up sessions online at regular intervals following the full day. Auckland region L2 Delegates – Building an Organised Workplace will be held 9:30am to 4:30pm on Thursday, 15 February 2024, venue to be confirmed. To register please click herehttps://www.cognitoforms.com/NZTEU/DelegateTrainingL2DelegatesBuildingAnOrganisedWorkplaceAucklandThursday15February2024.
Fair pay agreements are crucial in a variety of workplaces because, without them, employers can systematically drive wages ever lower. More than 200,000 workers (in transportation, education, food industry, inter alia) have benefitted recently and directly from fair pay agreements. The incoming government, not surprisingly, wants to remove them. Please indicate your desire that wages and pay increase, not decline, by signing the petition run by the CTU -- Keep Fair Pay Coming - Togetherhttps://www.together.org.nz/keep_fair_pay_coming?utm_campaign=fpa_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_source=together -- and then share on social media.
“The vision of the scheme is simple: to train medical students of Māori and Pacific heritage, and through that to enhance how these groups are represented in the health workforce; to create doctors who better mirror the diversity of the population in Aotearoa.” Simone Watkins (Liggins Institute) on Why Māori and Pacific quotas at medical school are essential newsroom.co.nz
Massey U’s cuts and its ‘death spiral’. Despite being presented with an alternative proposal, Massey U prefers job losses. 71 jobs proposed to go as Massey University moves ahead with cost-cutting restructure msn.com. Reaction from TEU member, Richard Shaw, warning the community: Palmerston North warned of 'multi-year' consequences of Massey University cuts | RNZ Newshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/503490/palmerston-north-warned-of-multi-year-consequences-of-massey-university-cuts. See also this by TEU members at Massey U, Sean Phelan and Vincent Wijeysingha: Conscience or commodity: What role now for our public universities? | Stuff.co.nzhttps://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/opinion/301015865/conscience-or-commodity-what-role-now-for-our-public-universities.
Siouxsie Wiles vs VC. After a three-week hearing in the Employment Court, Judge Joanna Holden has reserved her decision. Decision in Dr Siouxsie Wiles employment case against Auckland Uni reserved after three week hearing | Stuff.co.nzhttps://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/301016365/decision-in-dr-siouxsie-wiles-employment-case-against-auckland-uni-reserved-after-three-week-hearing; and Lawyer says Auckland University conducted 'witch-hunt' against Dr Siouxsie Wiles msn.com; and A ‘witch hunt’ or a misconception? The Siouxsie Wiles case, explained | The Spinoffhttps://thespinoff.co.nz/society/30-11-2023/a-witch-hunt-or-a-misconception-the-siouxsie-wiles-case-explained
The University of the South Pacific (USP) staff gathered outside the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre on Monday to protest over pay and conditions as well as calling for the removal of the regional institution's VC. 'All talk and no action': Storm clouds gathering at the University of the South Pacific | RNZ Newshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/503369/all-talk-and-no-action-storm-clouds-gathering-at-the-university-of-the-south-pacific. Meanwhile, Ahluwalia gets another term to lead University of the South Pacific | RNZ Newshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/503454/ahluwalia-gets-another-term-to-lead-university-of-the-south-pacific
For the rest of the year, women in New Zealand are effectively working for free. Gender pay gap explained: What is it and why does it still exist? msn.com
Censorship in the sciences is often self-censorship. Science Has a Censorship Problem chronicle.com
Time- and money-wasting on implicit bias consultants. But it looks good! The implicit bias problem won’t be solved by training alone | Aeon Essayshttps://aeon.co/essays/the-implicit-bias-problem-wont-be-solved-by-training-alone?fbclid=IwAR0nHJKdM5um2F_dNvou93g33-rm0bOnJQdb0o1-G_I-4roqryExHYDAhOc.
Reminders:
- Professional staff. If you are starting a new role at the university between 1 November 2023 and 1 February 2024, or are offered an out-of-cycle pay increase during this time, please contact Nicole Wallace (nicole.wallace@teu.ac.nz) with a copy of your letter of offer or memorandum and get advice before you sign it. If you have already signed such a document effective from 1 November on, you can still seek advice. Please send Nicole a copy. You can also see her during the office hours Friday 10am-2pm (see information below).
- Pay Equity. The TEU pay equity claim for administrative and library staff is active. This claim has the potential to affect as many as 900 UoA staff members. We are now moving into a new phase of the claim, where member involvement is very important. If you’ve received an email from TEU administrator Lucy Fowler about your role, make sure you’ve replied! If you are interested in more information, email Nicole or Lucy: nicole.wallace@teu.ac.nz or lucy.fowler@teu.ac.nz.
- TEU office hours. Our organisers, Nicole and Andy, will be running open office hours on the City Campus every Friday from 10am till 2pm, in the TEU Office, Room 417, Level 4 of the
Fisher Building (Building 804, 18 Waterloo Quadrant). Please feel welcome to drop in for advice or to catch up on TEU activities. They are still available at any other time on the phone or email Nicole: nicole.wallace@teu.ac.nz, 027 438 7254 Andy: andy.hipkiss@teu.ac.nz, 021 914046
fraternally b
Barry Hughes, PhD School of Psychology Faculty of Science Phone: +64 9 923 5265 Extension: 85265
Website: www.psych.auckland.ac.nzhttp://www.psych.auckland.ac.nz/ Address: Science Centre, Building 302, Level 6, 23 Symonds Street, Auckland 1010 | Private Bag 920129, Auckland 1142, New Zealand