By Terri Macdonald. While it has been said that unions reflect their industries, a quick glance shows the gender breakdown as reported by the NTEU to the Workplace Gender Equity Agency (WGEA) is significantly better than the sector. With low numbers of staff as fixed term or casual (less than 7 per cent of all staff), and women well represented across the different levels of the Union staff, the NTEU is better placed than not only universities, but many other trade unions. More...

By Jeannie Rea. I knew from a young age that feminism and unionism would play a role in my life. During primary school, my class was asked to do a presentation on our favourite Australian. While others spoke of Kylie Minogue, Donald Bradman and Bob Hawke; I very proudly stood in front of my peers and talked about my ancestor, Jean Beadle. It is recently that I have rekindled my reflections on Jean Beadle’s legacy, and how her activism shaped my life. More...

By Jeannie Rea. Don’t we know all there is about gender and equality in university employment? Aren’t women the majority of staff? The answer to this last question is Yes, women are the majority of university employees. But the answer to the first question is No. And these issues of gender and equality are particularly important as universities change their employment models. In a changing system, equalities – or inequalities – can change – and we need to be aware of this. More...