I’m a teacher in Australia. Admittedly, the large majority of teachers are union members here, and that’s led to a lot of benefits. There’s still a lot of work to go, but we are better off than any non-unionised place, for sure.
What strikes me with the most happiness though, and I hope this is true for the majority of teachers in Australia, is how supportive our management/admin is of down-time. They recognise the absolute importance of it, and even go as far as wherever possible, minimising any additional work that would be placed on us – if not, downright refusing it. On so many occasions a task has been given to me, and when I ask when they need this done by, they respond with something along the lines of “if you get it done, that’s amazing, but I wouldn’t be working on it unless given explicit time to do so.”
The respect that our leadership has for our jobs is truly heartwarming, and is what makes me never want to leave. Teaching is a tough job, and I signed up for that, but a management style like this makes it just that little bit more reasonable. I feel truly supported, and because of that, I am far more willing to help with other things if it’s needed – because I know that I’m allowed to say no. This is how you retain teachers/workers.
This attitude of respect and care is no accident. There were absolutely days where that did not exist here. This respect has been built and earned through years of hard work from previous union-members who fought for our right to fight, and to be respected as people in our workplace. Now, we get to reap the benefits, and enjoy a workplace where they truly put people first. We get to enjoy the culture that has been built for us, by us. It’s shown me how important it is to stay unionised, and keep fighting for a better future for those that come after us.
Stay unionised, folks. If not, get unionised. It’s worth it.