SSTUWA elections

Nominations for SSTUWA branch office bearers

At the start of each year, union members at your worksite should meet to organise your branch of the SSTUWA. It is generally the responsibility of the previous year’s union representative to arrange this meeting. The rep (or other member) should use the information in Getting Organised to build the worksite branch for 2026. 

As one of the agenda items of the first meeting of the year, the outgoing representative (or deputy) should conduct elections for branch positions, record the results on the nominations for branch office bearers form and return the form to the SSTUWA. 

Branch elections must be conducted every year, even if positions have not changed.

The SSTUWA rules allow for one branch member per position, for all positions:

• Union rep 
• Deputy union rep 
• Treasurer 
• Secretary
• Women’s contact officer
• District Council delegate 

Refer to the information here for role descriptors.

Election schedule:

Branch nominations open: Monday 2 February 2026

Branch nominations close: Monday 23 March 2026^*#

*Nominations for branch office bearers received after 23 March 2026 will be formally credentialed and sent to the Executive Committee for endorsement.

^#Elections, should a branch require one, will be completed by 31 March 2025.  

As per SSTUWA rule 33(f)(i), a list of branches and current (2025) office bearers is available below.

Further information

View the links below.

SSTUWA committee nominations 

Round one

Opening date: Monday 2 February 2026
Closing date: Noon, Monday 2 March 2026
Results declaration: Monday 16 March 2026

Eligibility criteria

The following committees are for members who identify:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee
• LGBTIQ+ Committee
• Women’s Committee

These committees are for members who represent their respective sectors:

• Early Childhood Educators Committee
• New Educators Committee
• School Leaders Committee
• TAFE Committee

This committee is open to all members:

• International Committee

Nomination time frames

Round one

Opening date: Monday 2 February
Closing date: Noon, Monday 2 March
Results declaration: Monday 16 March
Candidates advised: Friday 20 March

Round two

Pending the declaration of results of the first round of nominations, a second round of nominations may be called.

Opening date: Monday 9 March 
Closing date: Noon, Tuesday 2 April
Results declaration: Thursday 16 April
Candidates advised: Monday 20 April

Further details about the second round of nominations, including the election notice and nomination form, will be circulated via eNews and available at sstuwa.org.au/sstuwa-elections

Committee information

Committees are restricted to a maximum of 15 people with the exception of the TAFE Committee. Nominations must be dated, signed by the nominator and seconder and bear the written consent of the nominees or his/her agent, all of whom must be financial members of the union.

Should fewer than 15 nominations be received for a committee, Executive shall make a specific decision about whether the committee is to actually proceed.

The committees generally meet at least once a term. The term of office is 12 months and will end on completion of the 2027 committee elections. Notification of meetings is published in early 2026.

Emailed copies of the nomination form will be accepted.

TAFE Committee

TAFE Committee shall consist of members of the TAFE division, made up of TAFE Executive member/s, AEU National TAFE Council Executive member/s, and a representative from each of the TAFE branches. Note: A branch is a TAFE campus.

A branch representative for the TAFE Committee is nominated by their TAFE branch during the first branch meeting of the calendar year, which must be held before the end of February. 

Where there is only one nomination, the branch needs to endorse the member as the TAFE Committee branch representative for the year. Where there is more than one nomination, the members’ names should be forwarded to the Returning Officer who will make arrangements with the branch secretary to conduct an election. 

TAFE Committee proxy position
The SSTUWA supports the position of a branch/campus proxy rep to TAFE Committee. 

The proxy rep position is to represent the branch/campus when the elected rep is absent.

Each branch/campus therefore has one proxy rep entitlement on the committee.

The proxy rep election will run alongside the committee rep elections, managed by the returning officer.

Committee terms of reference

The terms of reference of the committees, as endorsed by Executive, are as follows:

1. Review and revise relevant union policy.
2. Assist in the formulation of position papers.
3. Assist in the planning and organisation of seminars, conferences and other membership activities.
4. Monitor government and employer actions under relevant legislation. 
5. Evaluate SSTUWA rules, policies and other positions as examples of “best practice”.
6. Consider and make recommendations on matters referred by the Administrative Committee and Executive.
7. Make recommendations to Executive on matters considered by the committee.