Joining the NTEU

A union is an organised group of workers who collectively use their strength to raise issues and have a voice in the workplace. The most important strength of a union is its members, and that members participate in building that strength by supporting each other is one of the most important tenets of unionism.

Instead of an individual representing yourself, the union acts as a collective body of workers representing your best interests and the interests of other workers.

Keep in mind that union staff are not the union - union members are. Union staff are in place to assist members in recognising their strength as part of a collective and provide tools to enable members to act for positive change in our workplaces and our communities. This is where the strength and power of a union truly lies.

Being a union member also gives you access to advice and support from experts and workplace representatives (WPRs). Should you ever get into trouble at work, union membership means that there is someone there to help and provide you with knowledgeable and professional advice.

Using the collective strength and influence of each other, union members have helped improve working conditions and won important changes for people in the workforce including annual leave, workers compensation, parental leave, superannuation, and sick pay.

Unions provide a way for workers to support each other and to work together to improve their working lives.

Members negotiate pay increases and key working conditions, support each other when problems arise in the workplace, and lobby for changes that will benefit workers.

Members pay fees which collectively allows them to employ expert staff to provide training and support to allow members to build a stronger union.

Paid staff also assist with industrial issues, workplace campaigns and support for members.

Union rules around eligibility can be complex, but to put it simply: in WA you can join the NTEU if you work in, or are associated with, higher education which include: universities, private providers, research institutes and student associations.

NTEU members work as academic teachers and researchers, administrators, accountants, technicians, student support workers, librarians, scientists, gardeners and almost any profession in tertiary education you can think of.

You are eligible to join if you are employed under a casual or short-term contract. You may be referred to as casuals, sessionals, in ongoing roles or on short-term contracts, full-time or part-time depending on your institution.

If you are a postgraduate student who is not working in tertiary education, you can join and receive union publications and communications for free.

You can also join if you would normally work in tertiary education and are currently unemployed.

We believe that everyone should join their union.

By joining your union you can help to make your working life and that of your colleagues better. Through acting as a union, you can bring about positive changes where your voice can be heard and you enjoy protections at work.

Through the process of bargaining, union members are empowered to negotiate with senior management to improve their working conditions and pay.

Member of unions have campaigned for and won the important working conditions that we enjoy today; annual leave, parental leave, sick leave, workers compensation to provide for you if you are injured at work, weekends, and a host of other rights. Union campaigning led to equal pay for women, Medicare, and superannuation to provide for your retirement.

As a union member you are never alone when trouble strikes - your membership gives you access to expert workplace advice and support.

Here are some examples of how you can be supported as a union member:

• If you are called to attend a meeting with a supervisor or manager about a work issue, you have the right to bring along a support person. On request, your Workplace Rep (WPR) or another union representative might go with you to the meeting to ensure you are treated respectfully and fairly.

• You can register a work issue online through the Help@Work pages in the NTEU Member Portal. Your issue will be assessed by our Member Services team and potentially passed onto a member of the union industrial team if deemed to be an industrial issue.

• If you want to bring a matter to your management's attention and need some advice about framing your issue, you can contact a WPR. They will also have access to the union's workplace experts for advice. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, your union may escalate the matter to involve an Industrial Officer and/or a member of the legal team for assessment. For example, in the case of underpayments/wage theft, your union may investigate to see whether the issue is more widespread and take the matter to the Fair Work Commission or pursue the matter in the courts to ensure all staff are paid correctly.

• With recent changes to workplace legislation in WA, your union also has more provision for tackling psychosocial threats in the workplace, such as bullying and harassment, unsafe workloads and insecure work. Unions have always agitated for members who find themselves targeted by these unacceptable behaviours.

NTEU members decided that union fees for continuing and fixed-term workers will be 1% of gross annual salary, so someone earning $65,000 per year would pay approximately $650 before tax (remember that union fees are fully tax-deductable).

Employees who working as casual or sessional staff, or who are currently unemployed pay a reduced rate.

You can find the full schedule of union fees here

This fee structure allows us to have a well-funded, strong union to support members in the workplace. The principle behind the fee is that the more you earn the more you pay, so that those who can most afford to contribute support to those who can’t.

As a not-for-profit organisation, we put all our resources back into improving working conditions to members, defending them in the workplace, and campaigning for a better tertiary education for all.

Membership for postgraduate students, which includes access to communications and union activities, is free.

You can pay your union fees fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annually depending on your payment method. You can pay direct from your salary by payroll deduction, by direct debit, by credit card, BPay or by invoice.

Ready to join? You can sign up right now by clicking here: https://nteu.au/join (you'll be taken to the NTEU National website)

If you're a paid-up member of the NTEU and you encounter an issue at work, here's how your union can help:

• If you want some general advice, contact one of your Workplace Reps - you can find their contact details in the relevant NTEU Branch pages on this website.

• If you'd feel you'd like to get some advice from a workplace expert, log in to the Member Portal on the National NTEU website and lodge your issue using the Help@Work form. Someone from Member Services will contact you to discuss your issue.

• If your issue requires further input, it may be escalated to one of our industrial or legal experts.

If you are not a member of the NTEU, when an employment issue or problem arises in your workplace, it is unlikely we will be able to assist or represent you unless there are special circumstances.

Please read this information sheet about Joining the NTEU with an Existing Issue

In order to ensure you have access to the best workplace information, we urge you to join the NTEU today.

While we do not generally provide representation to people who are not members, we may be able to provide you with some basic advice, and in occasional circumstances may be able to provide representation if your matter is one that we are already working on for others (e.g. mass underpayment), or where it may set an important and useful precedent for members.

If you are not a member but are seeking assistance, you will need to join the NTEU immediately and apply in writing to the WA Division Secretary, Dr Catherine Moore for assistance: cmoore@nteu.org.au

Please read this information sheet on Joining the NTEU with an Issue