How to recruit new members to Federation

Transcription

1 How to recruit new members to Federation Collective strength is vital when negotiating for better pay and conditions, and so every new member, whether permanent, temporary or casual, helps the union grow stronger. Recruiting new members is one of the most important responsibilities of union members in the workplace. This guide will help you have more effective one-on-one conversations with potential members about the many reasons to join the union. 1

2 Recruiting new members can be both a positive and challenging experience. Many potential members will respond positively to the question: Would you like to join? For others, you ll need to take time to explain the benefits of membership and to address any concerns. Not everyone immediately understands why belonging to Federation is good for them and for the collective power of members in their workplace. Federation s ability to help you recruit at your workplace is strengthened if you provide the union with potential members details. Fed Reps Online has been designed to assist Federation Representatives and Women s Contacts. Membership kits and forms are available for you to give out to colleagues. First steps to recruit new Federation members Know who the potential members at your workplace are. If they are new teachers, welcome them to the profession. Find out what s going on for them at work, ask questions and listen to their concerns. Take a genuine interest in the person to whom you are speaking. Explain that you are a Federation member and tell them why you re a member. Give information about Federation and talk to them about the benefits of being a member. Try to make a connection between teaching and Federation, for example point out the Beginning Teachers Conferences and Federation s Centre for Professional Learning (CPL) courses. Give them opportunities to ask questions about Federation. Reassure them that Federation does not reveal or disclose membership lists to the Department. Ask them if they would like to join give them a membership form or show them the Join online website page. Sign them up as soon as they make the decision to join if they opt for a membership form, be sure to check that it has been sent in. Offer to send it. Before you can begin recruiting, it is important to understand why people decide to join the union so that you can introduce these key points into your conversations with potential members. 2

3 Reasons why teachers join Federation To be part of a collective that wants to make things better for public education For collective strength and a voice at work together we achieve more To protect and improve existing rights and entitlements To obtain professional support For information and advice on workplace issues For individual representation For member benefits such as Teachers Health Fund, Teachers Mutual Bank, the Federation library and other members-only offers. You ll encounter a variety of scenarios, questions or arguments when recruiting members. If the person responds with an issue it is important to listen carefully. Ask questions if you re unsure of what they mean or where they re coming from. If there are barriers stopping them from joining, acknowledge their concerns and address them in your conversation. It s important to familiarise yourself with the common reasons people have for not joining the union and to consider what response you ll make. Suggested responses to commonly encountered comments I ll think about it. It s worth asking whether the person needs any more information to help them make the decision to join Federation. Explain that if the person joins, they can immediately begin to enjoy the benefits of union membership and that if a problem arises in the workplace they will have peace of mind knowing Federation stands ready to give advice and support. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, membership forms get left on a desk or in a drawer or pigeon-hole and potential members never quite get around to filling them in until a problem arises. By that time, unfortunately, it might be too late for Federation to assist, so it s worthwhile explaining the potential consequences of delaying the decision to join. If a colleague wishes to give more thought to a decision to join, it is important to follow up on your conversation within a week. Following up will involve checking back to see what the person has decided, being prepared to answer further questions and providing a second opportunity to join. 3

4 I can get the benefits without joining. There might be some people who don t feel the need to join because they take their working conditions for granted. They ve inherited reasonable salaries, paid holidays (permanent/temporary), the right to a safe and healthy workplace, maternity leave, permanency, protection from unfair dismissal all hard-won conditions secured by Federation members over many generations. Union membership is a small price to pay to safeguard and improve your conditions and for individual representation when it s needed. Every member makes the union stronger. Without a strong membership base, the union would have limited capacity to bargain/negotiate on behalf of members or to represent them when they have grievances, and the conditions teachers enjoy would erode. Non-members have no vote on whether to strike. They have no voice in the decisions that are made nor a vote in elections for those who represent teachers when the union sits down to negotiate with their employer, the state government. Talk to these members about other benefits not associated with working conditions, such as the professional development opportunities provided through the Centre for Professional Learning or Trade Union Training; talk about access to the Teachers Health Fund or Teachers Mutual Bank. I can t afford to join. The fees are too high. It seems a lot to pay. What do I get for my money? I don t see the value. It s important to listen carefully. Ask questions if you are not entirely sure where they are coming from. People might say they can t afford union membership fees but when you talk to them in detail you might realise their real reason for not joining is because they don t actually see the value in union membership. In that case, you really need to find out what is most important to them at work and demonstrate that Federation membership is relevant and valuable to them. For example, if they complain about accreditation you could talk about all the conferences/courses and support available through Trade Union Training or the Centre for Professional Learning. If they complain about workload issues, talk about Federation s campaigns and policies for greater support for teachers. If they are part time/casual TAFE teachers explain that their membership fees are based on the hours worked and are capped at the full time temporary rate. Membership fees are a good investment rather than an expense. Being a member of a union pays in the form of job security, better salaries and improved conditions. It really does pay to belong! 4

5 Union fees are tax-deductible and are much more affordable than paying for legal representation. Apart from the important industrial reasons to belong to the union, members also have access to a broad range of services and benefits. Everything of value has a price. It might help potential recruits if you put union fees into perspective by comparing something of value to them their house, their health, their income. Compare the value of these with the price you have to pay for them. For example, compared to the cost of home/health/income insurance, union membership fees are a sound investment. If it weren t for Federation members, teachers would not have the salaries and income levels they have today. Federation has a long history of advocating and representing teachers. If it weren t for Federation, teachers salaries would be far lower than they are and they wouldn t have the conditions they enjoy today such as primary relief from face-to-face (RFF) teaching, class size regulation and access to long service leave after seven years. The union doesn t do anything for you. A teacher had issues here at the school and the union couldn t do anything. I can look after myself. Federation has nearly 100 years of experience in negotiating with the Department and advocating for public education. The union has access to a wealth of industrial and legal knowledge. Individual teachers cannot really match the power and negotiating strength of their employer. Acknowledge and explore the potential members issues. You could do this by reflecting on your experience in coming to realise that the Officers you ve dealt with have always done their best for members. Explain that if a teacher wants assistance from the Federation, they need to be a financial member of the union. I m only going to be working here for a short while on a casual/ temporary basis. You never know when you might need the help of the union. It s very important for any teacher casual, temporary or permanent to have the protection the union offers from day one of starting work. For casual teachers who are uncertain of how much work they will undertake, Federation has a policy to refund 50 per cent of membership fees paid if a casual teacher works fewer than 20 days in a calendar year. Further refunds are possible depending on the number of days worked. 5

6 I don t like unions. My partner/parents don t like unions. Unions are corrupt. Every union is different. Perhaps their perception of unions relates to a specific example. Unions are simply employees who work together to ensure everyone gets a fair go. Unions bring together members feelings on issues and put their cases forward. Teacher unionists believe in a fair go, that colleagues should be treated with dignity and respect at work, that teachers should receive decent pay for the contribution they make to society and that teachers should have access to a healthy and safe working environment. Federation is accountable to its members. The recent situation with the Health Services Union did not reflect well on the union movement but it is the exception rather than the rule. Federation s finances are properly audited every year and the auditor s report and concise financial reports are provided to members in the Annual Report. Executive and Council receive regular reports on the union s finances. Federation has policies and procedures governing the use of credit cards by union Officers, which require receipts and approval by the relevant Deputy Secretary. Federation takes its responsibility to members very seriously. The union isn t strong enough. This statement comes from a struggle to believe that joining would make a real difference. The NSW government is the employer of teachers in the NSW public education system and the reality is that governments are not known for their benevolence. Federation gets its strength from its membership. The union could not make a real difference in members lives if it only represented a minority of the workforce. To join and become active in the union is the only way to ensure that Federation is strong enough to tackle important issues for members. When you talk to someone who lacks confidence in the union s strength it s really helpful to talk about some recent wins that the union has achieved for its members. Arm yourself with a collection of stories of wins by visiting the Federation website and keep up to date with union s and publications such as Education. If we can provide hope, they will happily join. I m not interested. I don t want to join. If someone responds like this, it is worth exploring the reasons. You could do this as simply as asking: Do you mind if I ask why? The chances are there is an underlying objection that you could address. It might be helpful to give a general explanation of the reasons people join unions. Collective strength is vital when negotiating for better pay and conditions. Every new member helps the union grow stronger. 6

7 Summary: membership fees Membership fees are a good investment rather than an expense. Fees are tax-deductible. Regardless of membership category, all members have access to the same services. The structure of the fees is related to employment status and job security. What are membership fees used for? To provide Officers to negotiate salaries and agreements To provide information and advice to members on employment conditions To provide professional support in the form of Officers and staff To represent members in disputes To provide quality professional learning and development To provide education and training programs, publications and resources for campaigns that are important for public education To represent the interests of public school teachers on regulatory bodies such as BOSTES To provide Organisers with resources to assist members AND MORE! Useful websites and contact details For up to date campaign information: To join online: To check who the members are at your workplace and to update your workplace membership list: To speak to someone about membership related matters contact For information about employment and industrial related matters contact Scan and return completed forms to membership@nswtf.org.au 7

8 Contact your workplace Organiser City Organisers (02) Country Organisers Bathurst (02) Dubbo (02) Lismore (02) Newcastle (02) Port Macquarie (02) Queanbeyan (02) Tamworth (02) Wagga Wagga (02) Wollongong (02) Authorised by John Dixon, General Secretary, NSW Teachers Federation, Mary Street, Surry Hills NSW