Published 1 November 20171 December 2017 · News / Main Posts Open letter to Victoria University regarding attacks on union representatives Editorial team To Vice Chancellor Peter Dawkins and the Victoria University Council, It is with considerable alarm and shock that we protest Victoria University’s decision to target three out of four branch officers of the VU NTEU branch for redundancy. These redundancies are happening as bargaining for a new VU enterprise agreement is about to begin, suggesting that VU management has adopted a very adversarial position by targeting key staff best situated for the negotiations. These redundancies are part of a significant restructure at VU, which involved large cuts to courses and staff positions, forcing students to look for alternative courses elsewhere or leaving many students without senior and experienced teaching staff. The targeted redundancies of the three NTEU branch officers were also raised in the Victorian parliament on 19 October 2017. We are extremely concerned that VU management’s actions will damage the university’s reputation and commitment to providing good quality education for Melbourne’s westerns suburbs. We demand that university management immediately halt the actions against the three elected union representatives and call moratorium on any further change plans until the harm on students and staff can be more fully assessed. Yours in protest: Colleen Hartland, Greens MP for the Western Metropolitan Region Professor Maree Brennan, honorary adjunct at VU Les Thomas, Monash NTEU member Jacob Andrewartha, VU student Professor Tony Birch, VU Research Fellow, writer Dr Jeff Sparrow, Honorary Fellow, VU Dr Jacinda Woodhead, editor Overland, VU NTEU member Dr Natalie Kon-Yu, VU academic, writer Dr Maree Keating, former NTEU Vice President, VU branch Associate Professor Enza Gandolfo, NTEU member, novelist Alex Skutenko, Overland Sian Vate, deputy editor, Overland Stephanie Convery, journalist, union member and former Overland deputy editor Dr Dorothy Bottrell, VU staff Anna Branford, former VU staff Alison Croggon, writer, critic, Overland contributor Margarita Windisch, VU staff Mikhaila Hargraves, VUWC and VU Pride member Dr Kerrie Saville, NTEU Deakin Branch President Dr Tom Clark, VU academic Dr Karina Smith, VU academic Professor Christian Haesemeyer, University of Melbourne; VP (Academic) University of Melbourne NTEU Branch Maria Strofalis, former VU staff member and student Nicole Hilder, former VU librarian Melinda Brown, VU staff Cameron McInnes, VU student and VU Pride Dr Britta Schneider, VU staff Tina Grimes, VU staff Natalie Zirngast, VU postgrad student Julie Butler, former VU student Sandra DiGiantomasso, local resident, CD worker Zoe Halabrec, VU student Dr Iain McIntyre, Monash NTEU member Mel Balkan, VU student Rachel Dann , former VU student Lourdes Garcia-Larque, former VU staff and student Deb McDonald, former VU staff member Phil Evans, VU graduate Trish Hayes, ex-sessional VU teacher Dr Liam Ward, School of Media & Communication, RMIT University Conall Cash, former VU history teacher Terry Mason Rosie Barron, RHD student and NTEU member Peter Jones, JUC Tania Jorquera, former VU student Lizzie O’Shea, writer, unionist, human rights lawyer Phoebe Churches, Manager Advocacy & Legal University of Melbourne Student Union Shelley Turner, former VU staff James Vassilopoulos, NTEU member Melbourne University Julian Coppens, NTEU Monash branch delegate Chris Leslie Anne McMillan, VU staff member Maria Kakala, VU student Dane Letcher, VU student Melanie Lazarow Life member NTEU Leeanne Gooch, former VU student Carmelina Monea, President of the Community Development Association VU, current VU student Anna Nicholson, VU student Lise Aumau, current VU student Isabella Mcleod VU student Camille Fitzgerald, current VU student Amy Saunders, current VU student Venus Loriente current VU student Samantha Bourke, current VU student Trinh Dao Mackeno, current Vu student Catherine O’Connor, current VU student Danea Johnston VU student Leanne Higham, Footscray resident and NTEU member Melb Uni Marian Burford Jane Kenvay Alexandra Haschek, NTEU member Brianna Stevenson former VU student Sam Douglas, NTEU member Kellie Sanders, Deakin University Claire Akhbari, former VU student current Uni Melb student Dr Gary Pearce, RMIT NTEU member Dr Vannessa Hearman, Charles Darwin University lecturer, former VU student and staff member. Kate Bellew, VU Student Bernedette Bonanno Angotti Pippa Petty Julie Stephens Lauren Koroneos, VU student Sara Eagle, VU alumni Zemfira Brugts VU student Daniel Ooi, VU staff Brindley Sellick current VU student Karen Penman, current VU student Rebecca Abernethy, current VU student Janette Wilcox, Kangan TAFE AEU member, Ex NTEU member. Nicole Toupin, Footscray resident and ASU member Owen Richardson Samantha Mannix, NTEU member, University of Melbourne student Irene Paulsen Alexis Vassiley, NTEU member, Curtin University Kieran Bennett, La Trobe University, student *Academics, students, writers, union members and readers can add their names via the comments section below. **There is a Stop VU Union Busting protest this Thursday 2 November at the VU CBD campus at 300 Flinders Street. From 12pm. Guest speaker Sally McManus. Image via @eneferri Editorial team More by Editorial team › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 8 November 20248 November 2024 · Poetry Announcing the final results of the 2024 Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers Editorial Team After careful consideration, judges Karen Wyld and Eugenia Flynn have selected first place and two runners-up to form the final results of this year’s Nakata Brophy Prize! 4 October 202418 October 2024 · Main Posts Announcing the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers 2024 longlist Editorial Team Sponsored by Trinity College at the University of Melbourne and supporters, the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers, established in 2014 and now in its ninth year, recognises the talent of young Indigenous writers across Australia.
