Jennifer Dowling

I am nominating for membership on the branch committee because I want concerns of professional staff to be taken more seriously by management of the university.

I have been employed by the University of Sydney and have been a member of the NTEU since 1997. During that time, I have been employed as an academic — contract-by-contract as well as casual — and as an Educational Designer — contract, casual and now finally continuing. As a result, I am very familiar with the mistreatment of staff by some of our senior management.

It was members of our branch who stood by me when the School Manager told me, when my lectureship ended, that I was not entitled for Long Service Leave after working continuously for fourteen years; who supported me when I received threatening emails; and it was the branch who gave me advice when the opportunity for professional development (including a promised secondment) was withheld. Even more recently, members of the branch committee have given advice on how to handle managers who are more interested in fulfilling their own KPIs rather than working in the interest of our staff, our students, our community.

I want to be able to return the support by working on the branch for our members. On the branch committee,  I would like to work toward the following goals:

·       Inclusion — I would like to see a growth in diversity: more CALD members; members living with or caring for those with disabilities; carers in general; and more representation of our ATSIC colleagues.

·       Respect and collegiality — I want management to acknowledge and respect the hard work of our professional staff. We have some of the most talented, dedicated professional staff — at all levels — and yet our voices are not heard. We are told we have no place at the table. Along with this, I would like management prioritise our own staff for roles, new or otherwise, rather than hiring from outside. 

·       Transparency — too often decisions are made by management without communication, or consultation. I would like to hold management to task for their inability to undertake change management according their own agreed process.

·       Growth —I want our branch to grow to very healthy numbers so that senior management will be unable to fallaciously claim that our actions have little effect due to our small membership.  In addition to canvasing for new members, I would like to work toward encouraging those who have left the union to return to the branch.

We need to look forward, to work not only for our present, but also for future members. By being an inclusive, progressive and collegial, we can create opportunities for all staff — academic as well as professional, continuing as well as casual.

 —Jennifer Dowling