We Are The University

[TEU-academic] ] TEU update

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Fri Feb 23 2024 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Attachment: UoA International Womens Day Invite 2024-1.pdf ;

Tēnā koutou katoa

International Women’s Day breakfast event: Outlook invites have gone out for our event with panel and discussion of the UoA Gender Pay Gap Reporthttps://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/12/06/pay-gap-report.html Friday, 8 March, 8-9 am, Old Government House Dining Room, and we hope you can join us. Attached is a poster for the event. Please print and post to get the word out!

Pay Equity claim meetings. Claims for low-paid university library, clerical, and administrative staff are underway, and your views are needed. The claims can only be assessed accurately if the real nature of your work is well understood. Job descriptions and process documents are not substitutes. Only you and your colleagues can describe in detail the actual work you do.

The TEU is running a series of meetings for members and non-members under the claim to:

• discuss what happens next with the pay equity claims;
• get key information about the real nature of your work;
• talk about the way your roles will be assessed;
• give advice on how to talk about your work in a way that communicates your responsibilities.

The following meetings will be held in March. Attend the meeting that works best for you. We have spread the meetings across campuses to make it more convenient, but feel free to attend whichever meeting you wish.

Wednesday 13 March 2024 1230 – 1330 Owen Glen Rm 260-223 City Campus Thursday 14 March 2024 1230 – 1330 ClockTower Rm 105-101 City Campus Monday 18 March 2024 1230 – 1330 Science Rm 303-257 City Campus Tuesday 19 March 2024 1230 – 1330 Engineering Rm 401-1202 City Campus Monday 25 March 2024 1230 – 1330 FMHS Bldg Rm 507-LG045 Grafton Campus Tuesday 26 March 2024 1230 – 1330 Northey – Law Rm 801-204 City Campus

Bargaining resumes this year. We encourage members to consider stepping up to participate in this important process. We rely on members’ collective cohesion to defend and improve our working conditions. If you are intrigued and/or game, please contact one of the organisers nicole.wallace@teu.ac.nz or andy.hipkiss@teu.ac.nz who can offer more details. We are particularly interested in the participation of professional staff and those in any of the many precarious roles.

Branch committee meeting. We held our first formal meeting of the year on Wednesday. Among items of note:

• Tamsin Kingston, our Health, Safety and Wellbeing lead, reported on the following items from the latest HSW committee meeting: (1) the discomfort in some workplaces at the height of summer (and depths of winter). Speaking up and reporting the issue remain important elements. (2) the ineffectiveness –or variable performance, same thing-- of the UoA Alert phone app was acknowledged, with assurances it was being worked on. (3) Senior HSW management also claim that this will be the year in which some traction is made on the wellbeing element of the name. This, you will be aware, has been a conspicuous absence for as long as any of us have been here. (4) The results of the WorkSafe survey (to which staff contributed) are first being presented to leadership teams of divisions and faculties with the expectation that this will be shared further. We are watching and waiting.
• Maribel Caballero (Finance) reports that our finances are in solid state and that we can proceed with plans for investing some money in important local kaupapa, including member recruitment and wellbeing. We will publicise these more in coming weeks.
• In May, we will be sending a six-person contingent to attend the TEU’s annual conference, the first under our co-governance structure. We have not finalised our delegation’s composition but we will aim to be diverse, balanced and strongly engaged.

RadioNZ used the Official Information Act to learn that tertiary institutions are relying on hostels and consultancy work to make ends meet, because teaching students is barely “profitable” for universities and loss-making for polytechnics. NZ universities facing a 'liquidity crisis' - briefing | RNZ Newshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/509620/nz-universities-facing-a-liquidity-crisis-briefing.

The VC on academic freedom. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/lets-recreate-campus-culture-enables-vigorous-academic-debate.

The VC (VUW) on freedom of speech. The problem with the Government’s proposed ‘free speech’ law for universities | The Posthttps://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350188800/problem-governments-proposed-free-speech-law-universities.

Fa'anānā Efeso Collins. We are saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Fa'anānā Efeso Collinshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/509755/fa-anana-efeso-collins-the-giants-whose-shoulders-i-stand-on, ‘Profound shock and sadness’: MP Efeso Collins dies | Stuffhttps://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350186837/green-party-mp-efeso-collins-49-dies-auckland-charity-event. See also Ia manuia lau malaga, Fa’anānā Efeso Collins | The Spinoffhttps://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-02-2024/manuia-lau-malaga-faanana-efeso-collins. Fa'anānā was a strong advocate for his community in South Auckland and for social justice, and had only begun his first term as a Green MP. He was a youth-, student-, and community leader; he was a city councillor and mayoral candidate. Fa'anānā had multiple ties to Waipapa Taumata Rau: he was an alumnus, graduating with an MA with a thesis on ‘brown flight’. Vision and legacy of Efeso Collins will endure - The University of Aucklandhttps://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2024/02/21/vision-and-legacy-of-lau-afioga-fa-ann-efeso-collins-will-endure.html. We especially remember Fa'anānā as one of the few politicians who answered our call and supported the bargaining-related rallies and strike during the last bargaining round. Fa'anānā was a brave and forthright orator. Our thoughts are with his wife, children and aiga during this heartbreaking time.

PBRF in the spotlight. “The Tertiary Education Commission admits the gains being made from the multi-million dollar Performance-Based Research Fund are ‘marginal’ and whether it remains a worthwhile endeavour is an ‘open question’”. Tertiary providers want answers on 'back-breaking' research fund newsroom.co.nz

Student-centricity in action. Cancellation of University of Auckland teaching course in Northland baffles former campus director msn.com.

Just talk: Why therapy should be abolished. TEU member Bruce Cohen (Sociology) will present his arguments in a talk on Wednesday, 28 February, 1100-1230 in the VC suite of Old Government House.

TEU member Timothy Welchhttps://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-welch-1252494 (Urban Planning) on the implications of the government’s rush to alter transport-related policies. Axing the Auckland fuel tax reveals the lack of a real transport plan for NZ’s biggest city theconversation.com

Reminders.

• The Branch committee is seeking members to complete several portfolios. We would love to hear from members interested in the following representational roles: Te Uepū (Māori reps; one academic, one professional), Women, Recruitment, Professional Staff, Pasifika, PTFs and GTAs/TAs. Of particular importance are the Te Uepū reps (one academic, one professional). If you are interested, or have any questions about the roles, email please email me, Noel, or Nicole.
• Office hours on campus. We have a TEU office on campus, Room 417 in the Fisher Building on Waterloo Quadrant. TEU Organisers Nicole and Andy have walk-in office hours every Friday between 10am and 2pm. They can be contacted otherwise by email: nicole.wallace@teu.ac.nz or andy.hipkiss@teu.ac.nz

Please consider sharing this and subsequent Updates (electronically or print) with colleagues who may benefit from knowing what we are doing.

fraternally b

Barry Hughes, PhD 302.363 Science Centre School of Psychology University of Auckland / Waipapa Taumata Rau