Response from the Head of Union, Mark Ellis on NZEI’s Settlement offer June 27 2023 – comparisons to update our membership.

Kia ora PPCB e te Whānau,

We were waiting for the NZEI principals to settle and now they have an offer to ratify. Many questions are raised in their offer as a comparison to our PPCB contract. The PPCB Board and Strategy Action team will be analysing this, just as you may as well.

We now have two principal unions and it is to be expected that there will be differences in our contracts and also wins on both sides. PPCB settled first and introduced the Professional Growth and Wellbeing payment idea. We negotiated an increase to travel reimbursement at 83c and a small $750 lump sum and one in December. We were back paid to December 2022 and had a $4000 increase to our base salary and an additional 3% to come in December 2023. We negotiated the easing of requirements for sabbatical reports and access to sabbaticals.

While we did not get everything we wanted, we voted to settle and carried on with the mahi to improve conditions and pay for our members.

NZEI has had an offer and I have begun to dissect it.  My preliminary comments are below and I await a meeting with the MOE to clarify anything that may affect us and also any variations that may arise. This is slow work and I await the return of a key MOE staff member who is away until July 7th.

Comparisons and Notes

Take into consideration the times of the offer.

  • We have been backdated until December 1, 2022, therefore being paid our new base salary for 7 months before the NZEI settlement.

  • They will then start their new rate and 5 months later we will get our second increase of 3%.

  • We will hold this rate and then NZEI will advance again in July 2024.

  • We will then file to enter negotiations 60 days out from December 1st 2024.

  • The base salary advantages seesaw in and out.

  • We then have rates to leverage our offer including advocating for a new remuneration scale ratified by PPCB membership that recognises experience and not just the size of your school.

Points of note:

  • The NZEI U1-3 offer for a set rate at $118,003 is December 2, 2024, and is one day after our contract ends so we will have a very clear starting point for our U1-3 principals

  • NZEI has won a Cultural Capability Payment as of 28/1/24 for Schools and Kura running level 1 and 2 immersion $5000. This is a welcome gain and one PPCB will be interested in adding to our Collective Agreement

  • NZEI has won an increase to the base of Leadership in Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) from $2,320 to $4,000 as of July 22 2024

  • NZEI members will get an immediate $2,000 one-off payment and also a $710 payment for Teacher council fees. They get another $1,000 on December 1st which is when we get our $500 payment and when our base salary increases by a further 3%

  • Maori and Pasifika immersion will be the same in both agreements

  • The $6,000 Professional Growth and Wellbeing payment looks to be the same, however, some wording in the NZEI contract is being looked at around NZEI members needing to use approved providers

In my opinion, the offer is good but not vastly different to what we have won. The lump sum payments are the repackaged back pay PPCB members received.   The Cultural Capability payment is for those schools with level 1 and 2 Maori Immersion units. The LLN increase will be a starting point for us as we move into negotiations 60 days before December 1st 2024.

I am of the opinion the dates in 2024 were chosen carefully by the MOE as they are very close to our negotiation dates.

Our Strategy Action Team (SAT) is meeting on August 10th to start our planning for negotiations in 2024.

The invited team is:

  • Mark Ellis U4 Head of Union,    Rakaia School
  • Hayley Read U6 Membership and Negotiation Team, Whangārei Intermediate
  • Jason Miles U6 PPCB Board Chair,   Kaiapoi North School
  • Meagan Kelly U2 PPCB Board,    Governors Bay School
  • Anthony Dorreen U2 Mid Canterbury,   Dorie School
  • Antony Criglington U4 North Canterbury,   Amberley School
  • Stephanie Thompson U5 NZPF,     Beach Haven School
  • Robbie Perreau U4 Auckland Glenbrae School
  • Michael Fletcher U4 Auckland Chaucer School
  • Ben Gorman U4 CPPA Exec St, Joseph’s Rangiora

We will be focussed on 4 distinctive pou:

Image by: Hayley Read

Our aim is to begin to look at a new remuneration system that reflects and recognises experience, equity and staffing demands. We will carefully examine a strategic and transparent approach to address the key areas of focus that our members desire for 2024 and beyond.

Nga mihi, 

Mark Ellis

Head of Union

Principal/Tumuaki

Rakaia Primary School

0273477982

Mā te Tumuaki, Mā te Tumuaki. By Principals and for Principals.