Recruiting new members to your union is a task which all unionists are familiar with. In many of these discussions the achievements of union power are spruiked, and rightly so.
One of the most notable union achievements in the last decade, is the monumental improvement to parental leave for working parents, particularly for mothers.
Far and away paid parental leave is the best it’s ever been, but in many workplaces, mums are still getting the short end of the stick.
One of our members working in admin for an airline attempted to negotiate a Flexible Working Agreement on her return to work. The repeated response from management was that there was no way to accommodate her requests. Then she contacted us.
It took some time to finalise, but once we were involved, suddenly they were happy to negotiate! This situation is not a one off- it’s a pattern that we see way too often.
After her matter was settled, our member told us about her co-workers who weren’t union members. These mums all just quit in the end- because according to the bosses, there was just no way to make their flexible work agreement work.
The transition to parenthood can unfortunately be a time where we see the worst sides of a workplace, and it’s happening to dads too.
Jason, one of our members at Campbelltown Council, chose to take some paid parental leave and work a 4-day week to share parenting responsibilities with his wife. Council were initially supportive of the plan he made with them, but once it was actually in place, the pressure for a date when he would return to ‘normal’ kicked in. It was only through seeking our help that he was able to push back.
We are hearing time and time again about what happens to parents who are not union members during this vulnerable time in their lives and careers.
That’s why, since our conference last year, we have been developing a campaign specifically to reach and support working parents.
Because you shouldn’t have to stress about work during that precious time- let us look after your career, so you can look after your family.
If you have a story about your experience with parental leave and navigating work as a parent, we want to hear from you! Sharing real stories on the value of union membership for parents is essential for us to reach and recruit new USU members. Please send an email to Hannah Mercer at hmercer@usu.org.au.
