After nine months of negotiations the SSTUWA Executive has endorsed an ‘in-principle’ Agreement. This occurred at a Special Executive meeting on Thursday 8 December 2012.

The ‘in-principle’ Agreement includes: 12% in salary over three years with an initial increase of 3.75% from the 22 December 2011 pay period and further increases of 4% and 4.25%; CPI increases to Remote Teaching Service and Country Teaching Program Bands A, B and C schools; a single Agreement for teachers and school leaders; the retention of many clauses the Department proposed to strip from the current Agreement; and the inclusion of new and amended clauses included for Federal and State initiatives.

Members will have an opportunity to consider this proposal early in the new school year.

Should the proposal be accepted by the membership we would expect to see a replacement Agreement registered in the WAIRC late in March 2012. The SSTUWA Executive acknowledges the work by members in keeping their local politicians and other key Government ministers apprised of developments in these negotiations and making clear their expectations.

Their persistence and determination has assisted the SSTUWA to resist a push for significant and long held conditions to be stripped from our Agreement, as well as achieving adjustments to remote and country allowances, and ensuring that WA teachers continue to be the best paid in Australia.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Early in Term One 2012, the SSTUWA will seek to obtain formal approval of the proposed agreement by way of a ballot of the membership. A ‘voting package’ will be sent to each workplace containing the complete proposed agreement with an accompanying analysis of the changes and outlining the procedure to be followed in each workplace to ensure members have a say on this important issue.

The SSTUWA will hold information sessions during weeks 1-4 of the new school year, prior to a formal vote in weeks 5-6.

If members approve the proposed agreement, an application will be made to the WAIRC to formally register the agreement at which time it will officially replace the current 2008 GA.

If the agreement is not supported by members, it is likely that arbitration proceedings will commence.