The New South Wales Teachers Federation is the registered trade union which covers NSW public school teachers. The New South Wales Teachers Federation represents all teachers in New South Wales public pre-schools, infants, primary and secondary schools and TAFE (technical and further education) Institutes. Teachers in Schools for Specific Purposes, Adult Migrant Education Service (AMES) and Corrective Services are also members.

The New South Wales Teachers Federation is an affiliated organisation of the Australian Education Union (AEU), the national union covering public school teachers in Australia and through that organisation to Education International and the Australian Council of Trade Unions. The New South Wales Teachers Federation is also affiliated to Unions New South Wales. The NSW Teachers Federation is not affiliated to any political party. The Australian Education Union is an Australian trade union which is registered with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission as an employee group, and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions. ... Education International (EI) is a global union federation of teachers trade unions. ... The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is the peak national body representing workers in Australia. ...

The New South Wales Teachers Federation is based at 23-33 Mary Street Surry Hills NSW near the Sydney central business district. The union also has regional offices in Blacktown, Bathurst, Dubbo, Lismore, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong. Sydney is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian state of New South Wales, as well as Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ...

The membership includes about 41,000 full-time teachers, 15,000 casual and unemployed members and 6,000 TAFE teachers. The total membership stands at about 65,000.

The state council of the union consists of approximately 300 locally elected delegates. The union’s annual conference consists of approximately 600 delegates. The NSW Teachers Federation executive is elected by the state council.

The secretariat of the Federation is composed of 45 officers who are elected by the council for a three year term. They perform such jobs as organiser, industrial advocate, welfare officer and research officer, supporting the Federation's membership.

The three Presidential officers - President, Deputy President, and Senior Vice President - are elected by the whole membership every two years.

The NSW Teachers Federation looks after a multiplicity of issues on behalf of teachers. It is responsible for negotiating the salaries and working conditions of its members with the New South Wales government. The union is committed to the interests of public education.

Stewart House is the official charity of the NSW Teachers Federation.

History

Throughout its history, Federation has campaigned long and hard on issues affecting public education, teachers' salaries and teachers' working conditions, those issues which are at the heart of teaching as a profession in New South Wales.

The first Annual Conference of Federation in 1919 had listed as part of the agenda "inadequacy of teachers' salaries, understaffing of schools, unwieldiness of classes, insufficiency of accommodation, conducting of classes in sheds, corridors and unsuitable rooms to the detriment of the health of teachers and pupils". Other matters included "unhealthy congestion of school population in overgrown suburban schools, as against decentralisation into schools with a maximum enrolment of one thousand, the high percentage of unclassified and insufficiently trained teachers, inadequacy of supervision by heads of departments owing to class duties and absence of schools for the mentally disabled". Throughout this century, Federation has continued to campaign on these issues. All go to the very heart of a quality public education delivery.

In the years immediately following its establishment, Federation was concerned to increase its membership. In 1920 the membership of the Federation was 5,600 or 78% of the total membership of the Department of Education. In 1996 membership is about 64,000. This number includes permanent full time school, TAFE teachers, AMES teachers, part time school, TAFE, AMES and casual teachers as well as those teachers in other associated groups.

It was not until 1937 that the first organiser was appointed, following an Annual Conference decision of 1936 that stated "we are firmly of the opinion that, for a really effective increase in membership, it is necessary that some person be employed for the whole of their time organising the schools". More officers were progressively appointed. There are 43 full time administrative officers in 1996, who service the needs of the membership and undertake recruitment activities.

In 1961, 241,000 signatories for a National Education Petition were presented to the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, calling for Commonwealth funding to state schools. This was the culmination of a long campaign begun in the 1940s, to encourage the Commonwealth Government to fund certain programs in State schools. To this day such programs are funded by the Commonwealth Government. This number of signatories was a record which was only broken in 1993 by a petition calling for private health insurance to be tax deductible. Over the years to 1968, the year of Federation's first general strike, the Union campaigned on the theme of "United Action", emphasising a community of interest between different sectors of the membership and the community, in policy development. Political, industrial and professional issues concerning public education were given focus and emphasis. There were significant advances - in 1946, for example, there was a major salaries breakthrough for teachers which gave the first realistic salary increases since 1920 and set the standard for other professional workers. The average gain was over 100 pounds for men and 80 pounds for women.

Federation made a major break with the past in 1968, its 50th anniversary, when the first state-wide strike was called over the appalling conditions in which teachers were working. The strike was an overwhelming success - the vast majority of members stopped work and the demonstration outside Parliament House is still remembered. Since then, industrial action has become a part of the Federation's campaigns - not as a threat to be used lightly but as one way of indicating the depth of teachers' concern.

External link

New South Wales Teachers Federation