BARGAINING
AT UNE
It’s time to bargain for better workplaces and a better university.
Through Enterprise Bargaining, staff at the University of New England, led by NTEU members get a chance to negotiate for improvements to our workplace and working conditions.
Our union negotiated Enterprise Agreements expired on 30 June and members play a critical role in securing the next Agreement.
Now, the NTEU bargaining team will be negotiating the UNE Management to secure our claims and win improvements for all staff at UNE.
We should feel empowered to raise our voices for basic assurances, but it’s going to take all our voices to ensure we get the change we want to see.
It’s more important than ever to join the NTEU! If you’re already a member, you can get active in our branch work using the form on this page. We're stronger together!
Take the NTEU Bargaining Survey!
This bargaining survey is open to all MQ staff and will inform what improvements we propose in the next round of bargaining. We want input from as many colleagues as possible so we get a broad representative sample.
It should only take you about 10 mins, so jump in now to make sure your voice is heard!
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS
ABOUT BARGAINING?
Our Enterprise Agreements – that set out working conditions at UNE – expired on 30 June 2026 and NTEU members have begun bargaining for a new Agreement.
Our union negotiated collective agreements lead to better wages and improved conditions. It's one of the ways for members to have a real say in their workplaces.
In the last round of bargaining, across the sector, union members won above-inflation pay increases and breakthroughs on job security. None of it was handed over — it was won because staff stood together.
This round, staff identified through the NTEU's Bargaining Survey key issues within our UNE workplaces. These responses were used to form our log of claims, which was recently endorsed unanimously by NTEU members at a members' meeting. This log is what our bargaining team takes into negotiations and what they will be advocating for.
Members are central to the whole bargaining process. Members determine what we claim for, how we campaign in support of those claims, and ultimately decide whether the Union accepts an agreement with management.
At UNE, we have so many things to look forward to that members can actively participate in, including identifying what improvements we can make in our workplaces, endorsing a log of claims, voting in a Protected Action Ballot and, eventually, taking industrial action if our claims aren't met.
For our non-member colleagues, make sure you join the NTEU to contribute to a strong bargaining campaign. Because the more voices we have, the better our chance of winning improvements to our workplaces, which leads to better institutions, better lives for workers and better outcomes for students!
