SENTRY

Stop the Bill Fund Uni Fairly

Deepfakes Artificial intelligence vs Real Intelligence

The jobs apocalypse It's happening now!

Published by National Tertiary Education Union • OCT 2020 • vol. 1 no. 5 • nteu.org.au/sentry CONTENTS NEWS & CAMPAIGNS The jobs apocalypse. It's happening now! Since March this year, the NTEU began issuing strong warnings about possible heavy job losses coming to the sector. Thousands of higher education jobs have already been lost or are targeted to go. 03

Cover: Indian entrant in the United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives to help stop the spread of COVID-19. (Sam Varghese)

Sentry is a free online news magazine for NTEU members and Australian higher education staff. Sentry will be published during the COVID-19 shutdown in between publication of the Union's regular member magazine, Advocate. Sentry will be published in May, June, August, September, October and December. Advocate will be published as usual in July and 08 10 November. Fund Uni Fairly campaign Deepfakes The fight against Dan Tehan's Do you believe what you see? flawed funding bill is now at the Can you tell real from fake? Can pointy end. anyone? SENTRY ISSN 2652-5992 In case you missed it... 0101 Published by National Tertiary Education Union PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia A flexible &and dynamic dynamic work work culture culture 0 6 06 ABN 38 579 396 344 All text & images ©NTEU 2020 unless stated Current disputes 13 Publisher Matthew McGowan Editor Alison Barnes How are disability practitioners surviving COVID-19 'isolation'?'isolation' 14 14 Production Manager Paul Clifton Editorial Assistance Anastasia Kotaidis RecentAUR special publications issue call 16 for papers 16 Sentry is available online free as a PDF and e-book at www.nteu.org.au/sentry

Sentry • OCTOBER 2020 NEWS & CAMPAIGNS In case you missed it... CATCH UP CATCH , Please don't pass the bill! University of Tasmania scientist, Jenny Smith, made a passionate plea to Senator Jacqui Lambie, asking her to block Dan Tehan's university funding bill, pointing out it would result in worse educational outcomes for Tasmanian students. Luckily, Jenny's voice was heard and Jacqui Lambie has said she'll block the bill! Watch the video E Upload your own video message to Senator Sterling Griff Video

A message for future students and their families from university staff Staff at the University of Wollongong produced this short video to high- light the many problems, miscalculations and adverse consequences in the Morrison Government's Job-Ready Graduates bill. Watch the video E

Rex Patrick asks: Is this just a masked funding cut? Send a message to Sterling Griff! We're struggling to understand too, Rex! In the Senate NTEU President Dr Alison Barnes and ACTU Sec- Education & Employment committee, Senator Rex Patrick retary Sally McManus call on members to send a asked some great questions about the Government's real video message to call on him to reject the Liberal's agenda to cut $1 billion from Australian universities. Job-Ready Graduates package. Watch the video E Watch the video Video more overpage...

vol. 1 no. 5 • nteu.org.au/sentry 1 NEWS & CAMPAIGNS

In case you missed it... CATCH UP CATCH 'I will be voting NO to the Tehan cuts' We asked Federal MPs to sign our pledge to oppose the Morrison Government's Job-Ready Graduates bill. View the photo gallery

Agenda, vol. 28 Connect, vol. 13 no. 1 AUR, vol. 62 no. 2 NTEU's annual women's journal, The 2nd semester issue of NTEU's The 2nd issue this year of NTEU's Agenda, was sent out on 11 Sept. casual magazine, Connect, came refereed academic journal, the It covers Bluestocking Week out on 28 August with features on Australian Universities' Review, was activities, how women are bearing wage theft, COVID as the casual released on 4 September, packed the brunt of COVID pain, the latest pandemic, parenting in lockdown, as ever with interesting articles, gender stats, and what life is like building an inclusive post-COVID opinions and book reviews. in a pandemic for precariously sector and much more. employed women and more. Read online Book-Open Read online Book-Open Read online Book-Open

NTEU online meeting backgrounds We've created a range of striking NTEU background images for members to use in those unavoidable online meetings. Download them now and help grow the Union! Download the images Camera

Sentry • OCTOBER 2020 It's happeningnow! apocalypse The jobs the crossbenchsenators to achieve this and reject this bill–and we continue to urge members to join usincontacting the right thing in the coming weeksrightin the the thing It isnot too late for the Senate to do Policy &ResearchOfficer Kieran McCarron outcome. vol. 1no. 5 that didnothing toaddress the 'support package' on Easter Sunday Keeper andreleased adisingenuous to restrict Universities’ access toJob ed. Instead,theGovernmentmoved Sadly,these warnings wentunheed support. losses in2020 without government ia’s estimateof atleast20,000 job ling confirmed Universities Austral At thetime,NTEU’s own model full-page newspaper ads. to theGovernment,andeven and radio appearances, pleas included TV warningsThese international studentrevenue. the sector inthe wake of lost heavy joblossescoming to warnings aboutpossible NTEU began issuingstrong Since March this year, the

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nteu.org.au/sentry - - - - to achievethisoutcome. contacting thecrossbench senators tinue tourge members tojoinusin and reject thisbill–and we con the rightthingincoming weeks It isnot toolatefor theSenatetodo (over quantity). even theconcept of teachingquality teaching-research nexus, or indeed unwillingness toacknowledge the to fundingper place, andcomplete its idiosyncratic fee increases, cuts from allcorners of thesector for This billhasbeen widely criticised implement for 2021andbeyond. that would berapidly legislated and the Job-Ready Graduate Package surprise fundingreforms they called the boot inagain, announcingthe Later, inJune,theGovernmentdug enrolments. gaping holeininternationalstudent

continued overpage... POLICY &LOBBYING -

3 JOB LOSSES POLICY & LOBBYING

Getting to the bottom of the job staff and casual staff have not been renewed as a result of cost cutting loss numbers at a handful of universities, but we JOB LOSSES have little official data on most. The NTEU can confirm that there have been at least 12,185 positions If universities are going to the lost in Australian universities since expense of making hundreds of March. This comprises at least 5,300 continuing staff redundant, it is very continuing positions, 6,486 casual likely they are ending fixed term and positions and 399 fixed term posi- casual roles too. After all, we esti- tions that we are aware of. mate that casual staff account for If reductions of these magnitudes are 45% of all university employees by occurring sector-wide then it is not Sadly, the full figure is likely much headcount, and fixed term staff 21%. out of the question to assume that up higher. Universities generally cannot conceal continuing staff redun- Two universities where we are aware to 50,000 of our casual colleagues have dancies – this is because NTEU of the full extent of casual job losses lost work since the COVID-19 disaster negotiated Enterprise Agreements are La Trobe and Deakin, each with a began. have strong redundancy provisions, reduction of over 2400 casual staff. including mandatory consultation. These figures are enormous. These processes reveal the numbers of jobs affected to us. There is currently no requirement for NTEU ad in the Geelong Advertiser for the universities in states other than Vic- Deakin Day of Action in June Notably, however, the 5300 figure toria to report a headcount of casual comprises a mix of headcount and staff (something we have lobbied full time equivalent (FTE) counts. for consistently), however, they do This is because several universities report a FTE figure annually to the have announced FTE redundancy Department of Education. targets, but they have not an- nounced which positions are affect- Based on these figures, it appears ed. The total number of positions that La Trobe has reduced its casual affected will always be higher than staff by almost the full amount these FTE figure targets as not all reported in 2019, while Deakin has positions are full time. lost about two-thirds versus this particular figure. Casual staff losses Overall, NTEU estimates that there are around 100,000 people engaged Beyond continuing staff redundan- on casual contracts in the sector. cies, the true extent of job losses be- If reductions of these magnitudes comes more difficult to quantify. The are occurring sector-wide then it is NTEU has confirmed that fixed term not out of the question to assume

4 Sentry • OCTOBER 2020 POLICY & LOBBYING

Continuing staff redundancy targets: forced & voluntary

RMIT MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE 605

UNSW MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE 493

MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE Division between forced Melbourne 450 & voluntary unknown

ANU MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE 415

MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE Currently paused due Deakin 386 to NTEU action

CQU MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE 287

Swinburne MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE280

Monash MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE 277

La Trobe MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE239

Wollongong MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE200

UNE MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALE200

MALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEMALEAt least 100 planned at: Adelaide, CDU, CSU, Murdoch, UTS, VU that up to 50,000 of our casual on staff at Australian universities colleagues have lost work since the and the ongoing problem of insecure COVID-19 disaster began. employment in our sector.

We will also be surveying sector Honesty in numbers needed employees shortly to try to get to the bottom of the true extent of The NTEU has requested all univer- concealed job losses among those in sities openly provide data on these precarious employment. • changes in employment so we can properly track and publicise the enormous impact this crisis is having

vol. 1 no. 5 • nteu.org.au/sentry 5 MEMBER STORIES

WORKPLACE A flexible & dynamic work culture My name is Alex Vickery-Howe and I’m a lecturer in Creative Writing and Drama at Flinders Uni- versity, . My main focus is on foundation teaching, including equipping students with literacy and research skills.

The great disruption

The advent of COVID-19 has obviously disrupted university life and created a great deal of uncertainty for both staff and students. For staff, employment is no longer secure – far from it – and workloads are increas- ing to unsustainable levels.

For students, camaraderie is lacking, teachers are hard- er to access, and online tutorials are still in their testing phase.

Despite these disruptions, I believe there is an oppor- tunity now to reflect on the structure of university life and adapt both our teaching methodologies and our office culture. One thing that has startled me is the way many introverted students, who were previously struggling in my classes, are now thriving in the virtual environment.

Another unexpected discovery is how effective lectures can be in the online space and how much more relaxed I am when I give them, with coffee in hand. For every Alex Vickery-Howe challenge, there are perks and positive lessons. Flinders University From an office point of view, it is fair to say that the virus has changed our work habits and the way we interact with each other, and many of these changes will continue after the creation and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. To tell your COVID-19 story to the NTEU member community, please contact Helena Spyrou

6 Sentry • OCTOBER 2020 MEMBER STORIES

Changing the workplace consistently or how frequently a staff member is working. WAUs cannot accurately quantify industry My focus – or my hope – lies with profile, level or quality of student in- the possibility of a more flexible and teraction, curriculum innovation and dynamic work culture, combining development, approachability, colle- online and face-to-face teaching giality or commitment to university with working hours that suit individ- values. The landscape is changing ual employees. and so too must the modelling.

Many of us prefer to work at night, for example. As a writer and re- Union support searcher, and possible vampire, I’m drawn to the idea that productivity So how does the NTEU support its and ERA outcomes will be signifi- members in a post-COVID world? cantly increased if we allow people How do we collectivise when we are to work away from campus and more distant than ever? Part of the schedule their lives according to answer lies in responding proac- their own strengths and preferences. tively to this new landscape and At Flinders, the Work Allocation Unit demonstrating to management that In this environment, traditional met- flexibility leads to productivity. system is like a lost level from Super rics for evaluating the value of staff, Mario Brothers as teachers eagerly including workload models that are Our worth to our employers cannot claw at WAUs (pronounced ‘wows’) like applied across disparate colleges be sliced and measured in pretty, phantom gold coins. or incompatible subject areas, will sparkly WAUs but manifest in the become less and less meaningful. depth of our research, the achieve- ments of our students, our dedi- At Flinders, the Work Allocation Unit cation to our disciplines and our system is like a lost level from Super connections with community. Mario Brothers as teachers eagerly claw at WAUs (pronounced ‘wows’) It is difficult to say with any confi- like phantom gold coins. Every so dence what the Union will look like often, a staff member catches that in the near future, to say nothing elusive shining star in the form of of the next five years, the next ten a research theme leadership or years, the next fifty... but there is a director of studies position. That’s chance now to redirect the conversa- when the music kicks in and Mario tion and create a new normal. • goes wild.

Much more often, however, the number of WAUs bears little or no resemblance to how diligently, how

vol. 1 no. 5 • nteu.org.au/sentry 7 NEWS & CAMPAIGNS Fund Uni Fairly campaign at pointy end

FUND UNI FAIRLY The August issue of Sentry detailed the Morrison Government’s attack on the higher education sector through the Job-Ready Graduates legislation announced by Education Minister Dan Tehan on 19 June.

NTEU quickly launched the Fund Uni 80% of the submissions received Fairly campaign, to mobilise mem- were negative about the proposed bers and university staff, students, changes to funding. the wider community and politi- • Many NTEU members have con- cians to oppose the Government’s tacted their local MP urging them attempts to cut overall funding to to not support the Bill. NTEU ad in the Burnie Advocate in August the sector and make some courses, especially humanities, more than • We have prepared briefing papers twice as expensive. to assist members and supporters to lobby their MPs. So what have we been doing? • ALP education spokespeople Tanya Plibersek and • Over 16,000 people have signed spoke to a gathering of Tasmanian our Fund Uni Fairly petition to members online to announce that Education Minister Dan Tehan. The the ALP would not support the petition was tabled in the Senate proposed Bill. by ALP Senator Louise Pratt on 2 • We developed a Fund Uni Fairly September. pledge that has been signed by • Nearly 6,000 people from around ALP and Greens MPs, an independ- the country sent emails to the ents Senator Rex Patrick (SA) and crossbench Senators urging them Andrew Wilkie MP (Tasmania). to block the Government’s legis- • We have regularly targeted social lation. media ads at the crossbench Sena- • Over 100 members from three tors urging them to block the Bill. NSW Branches sent emails to • We ran a full page advertisement National Party MPs and Sena- in the Burnie Advocate on 21 tors urging them to block the Bill August, urging the crossbench because of the potential effects on Senators (and Jacqui Lambie in regional universities. particular, as Burnie is her home • Nearly 600 members and sup- town) to block the Bill. porters sent submissions to the Michael Evans • NTEU prepared three different Senate inquiry on the Govern- submissions in relation to the National Organiser ment’s proposed legislation. Over (Media & Engagement) 8 Sentry • OCTOBER 2020 NEWS & CAMPAIGNS

Bill, and NTEU National President The fight continues and we will Alison Barnes gave presentations to two Senate inquiries about the certainly never give up legislation. • We have had strong support from The Senate inquiry handed down the Australian Services Union and its report on 25 September. The the Australian Education Union government-dominated Committee who have sent information to (predictably) recommended that their members and urged them to the legislation be passed without contact their local MP. amendment, despite strong opposi- tion to it from a wide cross section of • Our ACT members demonstrated stakeholders, including all three SA against the Job-Ready Graduates Vice-Chancellors, Sydney VC Michael Bill in front of Parliament House in Spence, and a range of higher educa- August, the first sitting day of the tion policy specialists. last Parliamentary session. • We have received support for our The legislation will return to the campaign from a range of academ- Senate in the Budget session of Par- ic professional associations, espe- liament, beginning on 6 October. The cially in the arts and humanities. two One Nation Senators have said they will vote with the Government. • Over 80 NTEU Tasmanian mem- bers, students and supporters Independent SA Senator Rex Patrick attended an online meeting on 24 has publicly opposed the Bill and will September to discuss the Bill and vote accordingly, as will Tasmanian our campaign. Senator Jacqui Lambie. Lambie de- • Over 180 people attended an clared in a statement that she want- national online seminar on 25 ed 'everyone to get a chance at being September to hear a presentation what they want to be. I’ll be damned on the Bill and the campaign. The if I’m going to be the vote that tells meeting culminated in participants the country that poor people don’t sending emails to the crossbench get dream jobs.' Senators, phoning their offices, and tweeting and posting on social Senator media to get the message across is yet to declare his final position. to the MPs. The Government needs his vote for the Bill for it to become law. NTEU • On 30 September, Tasmanian Sen- is encouraging members to send ator Jacqui Lambie announced she Sterling Griff a video message. would vote against the bill. Watch out for more lobbying efforts Whew indeed! It’s been a busy few over the next few days in the lead-up weeks. to the Senate vote next week. •

vol. 1 no. 5 • nteu.org.au/sentry 9 10 TECHNOLOGY MEMBER EXPERTS Artificial Intelligence vs RealIntelligence Deepfakes University of Melbourne Dr Simon J. Cropper Sentry ers? Deepfakes are getting better andbetter yet (some) from fake? And if you could, would you share it with oth (he probably didbutnot onvideo)? Can you tellreal Do you believe what you see? DidObama • humans remain thebestjudges of thetruthdespite OCTOBER 2020 the efforts of themachines. The more well-known deepfakes videoscir culating are either for entertainment,such as becoming Tom Cruise andSethRogan to illustrate thedanger of deepfakes, as pithily doneby Bill Hader channellingandmomentarily Obama) example of an interview the year of theUSelectionstakes an altogether more sinister turn. The disseminationof false infor mation onlineisa well-recognised societal problem thathasbeen around since the internetitself, and indeedthespread of disin formation is afundamentalchar acteristic of humanself-interest. . More disturbingly arecent

Joe Bidenfalling asleepin Image: MorningBrew/ Unsplash

has surfaced, which in Jordan Peele (and Barak really say that - ,

- or or - -

- over 124,000 videos, both real and (DFDC). Facebook/Kaggle created Deepfake DetectionChallenge videos: The manipulated find a way toautomatically detect issuing achallenge tocoders to disseminators of false information sulted inoneof themore culpable The AI approach hasrecently re unexplored. deepfakes, however, remains largely the audience; humanvulnerability to weed outthefakes before they reach methods of deepfake detectionto search intoartificialintelligence (AI) has beenanextensive body of re In response tothisproblem, there Deepfake detection fundamental toacivilisedsociety. from democratic processes, arguably ultimately promote disengagement tional sources of information and inevitably erode our trustintradi These sources of ‘information’ or spoken evidence. evidence ismore reliable that written innate assumption thatphotographic online disinformation, exploiting the sounds cool) are aninsidiousform of in which they are produced –plusit (known asdeepfakes duetothe way ing concern thatcredible fake videos disinformation. Indeed,there isgrow Sentry David Coady inthe August editionof surrounding COVID-19 highlightedby The harmful(conspiracy) theories are doubtless fuelledby such Facebook

- - - - vol. 1no. 5 as themachines (AI) with ahitrate ligence) seemtobeaboutasgood On average, people (RI –Real Intel analysis sofar. interesting aspectsfalling outof the examining thedatathere are some one by over 100. While we are still 700 participantsthusfar, thelonger survey hasbeencompleted by over and personality measures. The short survey which includedmore videos We alsoconcurrently ran alonger video was deemedtobe‘fake’. basis they madetheir decisionif the confident they were, andon what whether they were real or fake, how asked theparticipantstojudge a selectionof theDFDCvideosand minute)challenge where weshowed in Victoria, challenge for National Science Week stimulus set. We developedour own using thepublicly availableDFDC We thinkhumanscando better, so can keep up. time unlessthedetectiontechnology to get worse rather thanbetter over improves, thatperformance islikely at which thequality of thefakes particularly good, and with therate time (guessingis50%). That's not in theprivatetestset66%of the guish areal videofrom afake video Seferbekov) was abletodistin The winning code (written by Selim test thesubmittedcode. about day today thingstotrain and fake, of unknown ‘actors’ talking

Fake Out •

nteu.org.au/sentry continued overpage... , ashort(15 - - Video! You Won’t Believe WhatObama Says In This , deepfake by Jordan Peele (Youtube) MEMBER EXPERTS 11 TECHNOLOGY MEMBER EXPERTS

of around 62%, but the variation Trust your gut between individuals is large with the highest scorers getting almost perfect performance. The AI did not So, what does this all mean? In the even do this in the public test videos current climate of a global pandemic where the code could ‘examine’ the and heavily distorted political power stimuli multiple times before coming structures, misinformation and dis- to a decision; our human subjects information play a significant role in only saw them once (equivalent to skewing people’s beliefs and reac- the private test set conditions in the tions to the world, often with the po- DFDC). tential for great damage to be done. From dangerous ‘cures’ for COVID-19 When asked about the reasons for to discrediting a presidential candi- their decision, apart from the stimuli date, these things change the course where there was some obvious glitch of society, and it is not in the right or discontinuity, to which we are direction. Our research suggests they particularly sensitive in natural imag- are not easy to detect when done well es such as faces, a very common and it might well make sense to trust response was that the person in the your gut if you do see something odd video did just not ‘feel’ right: a very or unexpected. RI response. It remains to be seen whether performance correlates to With the pandemic simply being the measurable traits of personality and forerunner to the crises we will have whether the ‘super-detectors’ are to deal with in the 2020s, accurate good at other related tasks such as believable information is crucial. We facial recognition or memory for time need to believe Dr Norman Swan and place, but it is a clear suggestion when we see him on our screens that RI can beat AI at its own game. and hope for better leaders at every level; they need to be allowed to Of course, these results characterise speak and be heard and seen unadul- only the first stage of the deepfake terated. lifecycle; being sufficiently good to deceive. Then the viewer needs I once harboured hopes that Donald to decide to share it, to have the Trump was simply an elaborate fake means to do so and for the cycle to to warn us of what might happen if continue; examining this behaviour we were truly that careless, but the is the next phase of the research but sad truth is that no fakery can make as with all good science, however him more repulsive to humanity than slow it may seem (for good science is he really is. • slow), you start at the beginning.

12 Sentry • OCTOBER 2020 NEWS & CAMPAIGNS

Current disputes Union win at Murdoch

NTEU continues to raise dis- portant to have the NTEU involved INDUSTRIAL putes and fight on behalf of in drafting Agreements! A ballot seeking to vary the terms members and their interests. of the Enterprise Agreement at As the variation does not have the Murdoch was voted down with a Newcastle annual leave dispute effect that management said it does massive No vote of 73%! – and that difference could have a negative financial impact on our The overwhelming successful In the August issue of Sentry, I re- members – the NTEU has no choice rejection of Murdoch’s Senior ported on a dispute at the University but to raise these issues with the Executive drive to attack staff pay of Newcastle regarding a direction FWC. and conditions tells the University for all staff to take annual leave over that NTEU members are a united the Easter period. NTEU alleges that We will argue that the poor drafting and powerful voice. this direction was not consistent of the variation means that it cannot with the Enterprise Agreement. be approved, and that management The exorbitant salaries of senior will need to try again if they wish to executives are grotesque in the The matter did not settle at concilia- change the current Agreement. midst of a crisis where staff are tion, and the dispute is now set to be being told that they must sac- arbitrated by the Fair Work Com- rifice their working conditions. mission (FWC). We are asking the Griffith casual wage theft Staff workloads were already at a FWC to find in our favour and have breaking point and then manage- all of the leave taken in reliance on In the latest example of casuals hav- ment came after staff pay. management’s direction recredited ing their work reclassified in order to staff. to pay them less, the Problem Based Murdoch management refused to Learning Facilitators at Griffith provide any transparency about University have had their pay rates their financial position stating JCU variation redesignated from tutors to clini- that even the University Senate cal facilitators, effecting a drastic had not seen the financials and Management at James Cook Uni- drop in pay with no less work being wouldn’t until October - after they versity (JCU) asked staff to vote on required. had already attempted to vary the a variation to the Enterprise Agree- Enterprise Agreement. This was ment in response to the financial im- After discussions with management an outrageous attack on staff pay pact that COVID-19 will have on the were unsuccessful, this matter has and conditions and just the latest University. The vote was successful been referred to the FWC for resolu- since the Senior Executive termi- by a very narrow majority. tion. We are asking the FWC to find nated the Agreement in 2017. • that the tutorial rate is the correct The deal was supposed to postpose rate of pay for these members, and a pay rise due this year until Decem- order that Griffith pay them accord- ber 2021, but management drafted ingly. • the variation in such a way that it does not provide for that pay rise – a Campbell Smith, National Industrial Officer good example of why it’s always im-

vol. 1 no. 5 • nteu.org.au/sentry 13 MEMBER STORIES How are disability practitioners ACCESSIBILITY surviving COVID-19 'isolation'?

Four of the five 'hot spot' municipalities in Melbourne’s west that were locked down in June, surround three campuses of Victoria University – Sunshine, Werribee and St Al- bans. This is where I work.

Along with a small team of Accessibility Liaison and Student Wellbeing practitioners, we support students across eight metropolitan campuses – two in Footscray and three in the city.

With the exception of essential workers, strict restric- tions were extended at the end of June and Melburni- ans were 'locked in' with limited reasons to leave our homes; 5km travel limits and unending uncertainty im- pacting the fear and anxiety levels of 4.5 million people!

The problem-solving aspects of my role as Coordinator of services for students with illnesses and disabilities went into overdrive, as the dread set in. Students lost face to face classes, events, access to libraries, clubs – many lost their jobs. International students arriving early in 2020 had do deal with no family in Melbourne, Jen Anderson homesickness and unending uncertainty. Studying on- Victoria University line is possible for most, but this has been not without its challenges.

As we collectively realised the isolation was not going to end any time soon, we hurriedly printed course materials for TAFE students, arranged Zoom support To tell your COVID-19 story to sessions for note takers and sourced local options for the NTEU member community, cheaper devices. My thoughts returned to a national please contact Helena Spyrou Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) Zoom session, where

14 Sentry • OCTOBER 2020 MEMBER STORIES more than one hundred disability How do you learn online whilst practitioners shared their initial sharing two devices with a family thoughts as campuses across Aus- of younger siblings being home tralia closed. schooled? How do you access the Braille printer in the Library at For clients – Compassion! Footscray Park, when you live in For teams – Coaching! Keilor? How do you upload assign- For colleagues – Encouragement! ments with an unstable internet For academics (online teaching, with connection? How do you participate one week’s notice) – Awe! in the Zoom class when you don’t For our communities – Advice! know Auslan and your hearing aid To have a job – Gratitude! isn’t compatible?

Buoyed by the flood of positivity Never fear, AustEd1 is near! The na- How do you upload assignments with an from our dedicated network of tional community (via email) of dis- unstable internet connection? How do colleagues, we got on the phone ability practitioners – where advice, you participate in the Zoom class when to check in with our students and tips and stories are shared warmly you don’t know Auslan and your hearing we’ve been monitoring, solving and delivered with just the right aid isn’t compatible? problems and realising new forms amount of humour and wit to keep of liaison across the university us all motivated. No matter how community ever since. Then there’s strange the request – all you have to juggling Jabber, Zoom, WebEx and do is ask! Before long, a caring and phone meeting – with competency dedicated DLO out there in AustEd improving, despite unstable internet land will respond with suggestions connections. I’ve lost count of the or a solution! number of times I’ve abandoned a Zoom session on my computer to In our work, we skip along the border quickly join the session via mobile. of Switzerland, with one foot in the independent learning camp and the The wonders of technology paving other advocating for what is reason- the way for what will hopefully be- able? Since the COVID-19 lockdown, come a silver lining to the pandemic I am noticing more nods, more flex- Man using a Braille screen reader (Sigmund/ improved awareness of 'accessibility' ibility, more compassion and more Unsplash) for all. Are your course materials willingness as we and our academic compliant? Do your videos include colleagues work for all students to captions? Do your images have 'Alt succeed – despite the myriad of im- text' descriptions? Is your university pacts and challenges the pandemic willing to engage hybrid attendance has brought. options post COVID-19? Stay well, be hopeful it will be over Initially the problems and challeng- soon and be kind to yourselves! • es seemed insurmountable as we 1. The AustEd email list is a closed list to facilitate juggled increasingly complex issues, discussion and information-sharing among disability practitioners and teachers within the post-secondary referrals and advice. education sector.

vol. 1 no. 5 • nteu.org.au/sentry 15 16 CALL FOR PAPERS PUBLICATIONS Please email theNational Officeif: Please update your NTEUmembership details if: Transfer of membership participate. academics andprofessional staff to particularly encourage early-career contributors atalllevels,and We welcome submissionsfrom impact onhigher education. any aspectof thepandemicandits impact of COVID-19 andfocus on Papers shouldcentre around the 'Coronavirus andthecrisisof higher education:Post-pandemic universities'. special issueof Guest editors Associate Professor James Roffee andNic Kimberley are callingfor papers for a Call for Papers: AUR special COVID-19 issue You movetoanother between institutions is If your payroll deductions stop without your authority, please urgently contact yourinstitution’s Payroll Department Your work address details change. Office, building, not automatic.  institution. campus etc. OR OR Australian Universities’ Review name or merges with Your Departmentor ensure you are paying School changes its Your employment Please notify usto details change. the correct fees.   another. Publication date:September 2021. Papers due:15March 2021. 20 November 2020. Notification of acceptance: Abstracts due:31October 2020. KEY DATES OR OR Sentry direct debitaccount Required if your home Your credit card or You movehouse. is your nominated contact address. details change.  • , theNTEU's refereed academicjournal,entitled OCTOBER 2020 OR OR university employment. Deductions will not stop

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