The CPSU NSW is the Professional Staff Union at the University of Wollongong (UOW), with a long and proud history representing Professional staff (formerly General Staff), beginning in 1962 when the Teachers College was established.
The CPSU NSW has negotiated pay and conditions for Professional Staff in every round of bargaining since its inception. It has advanced Professional Staff interests through an on the ground approach to local issues that focuses on the interests of members, and has represented staff in the Professional Staff Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) negotiating Enterprise Agreement conditions, restructures, and on a range of industrial issues.
The CPSU NSW not only represents Professional Staff interests in negotiations around Enterprise Agreements, it is there to support members if they are treated unfairly by their employer. The union also provides access to other benefits such as Union Shopper, free journey insurance covering travel to and from work and Provident Fund membership. The CPSU NSW has developed a handbook that explains the benefits of being a member of the only union that is exclusively for Professional Staff.
As the union that is focused on Professional Staff issues we recently reached out to some of our members asking them about their experiences and what they thought mattered to them.
The following is an account from a member:
What do you find most valuable about belonging to the UOW CPSU NSW Branch? A collective voice to raise concerns and discuss issues
Tell us your favorite story on how your UOW delegates and the CPSU NSW staff have supported you. During our restructure and the Expression of Interest process, the WHS delegates for CPSU, suggested that UOW support a Peer Connect program. So that staff from impacted units/team could work with other UOW staff to seek support during the EOI process. This was invaluable for all the staff that took up the opportunity. This was not limited to CPSU members, but it was thanks to the work of the delegates.
Is there anything else you would like your Delegates to know? Thanks for keeping us advised during the restructure and assisting us to have our voices heard. It was invaluable!
Members who haven’t already can share their story via a short, anonymous survey or they can reply to this email.
We’ll share these stories with Professional Staff over the coming months.
