The USU is thrilled to announce a series of victories for our members based at Newcastle Civic Theatre. Our dedicated collective efforts have led to substantial improvements in wages, working conditions, and overall job security.

Historically, “hybrid” industrial arrangements were in place for these City of Newcastle workers, with most employment conditions, including wage increases, derived from the Entertainment and Broadcasting Industry – Live Theatre and Concert (State) Award. However, the USU was not a respondent to this Award, limiting our ability to directly apply wage increases and engage in other collective bargaining activities for these CN workers.

Following successful USU negotiations in 2022, we put an end to the industrial uncertainty and ambiguity of these arrangements with the successful transition to the City of Newcastle Enterprise Agreement 2023. This ensured that no USU members at the City of Newcastle would go years without a wage increase and that they would continue to benefit from collective bargaining.

We commend the efforts of the workplace representatives who worked tirelessly alongside USU Representatives to achieve this outstanding result. The USU formally recognises the following members for their exceptional representation:

Rod Bellamy
James Beech
Jon Peddie
Annette Faulkner
Luke Lovett
Lyndon Buckley
Eden Bourne|
Gavin Pickles
Ross Warren

These changes underscore our unwavering commitment to advocating for fair treatment and better working environments. Here’s an overview of the key updates:

  1. Increased Saturday Penalty Rates: From 6th July 2024, all hours worked on Saturdays will now receive a 50% penalty rate as per the Enterprise Agreement (EA). This includes back pay for all hours worked from this date, ensuring that all our members benefit from this increase.
  2. Extended Notice Period for Roster Changes: We successfully negotiated an increase in the notice period required for changes to rostered shifts from 24 hours to 48 hours. This provides greater stability and clarity for our members. If changes to rosters occur within 48 hours’ notice, a 1.25% roster change penalty is applied for all hours worked.
  3. Revised Overtime Hours for Casual Employees: Protective wording has been added by the USU to ensure that this change supports a fair working environment and effective fatigue management.
  4. Minimum Hours for Casual Workers: Casual workers are guaranteed a minimum of 4 hours for operational work and 2 hours for meetings and training. This change, reflected in the Council Agreement, offers more options for training and development for casual employees.
  5. Reduction of Multiple Positions: An agreement to reduce the number of positions each individual casual is assigned to, as outlined in Clause 10 of the new provision. This aims to streamline responsibilities, increase wages, and promote multiskilling.

These achievements highlight our steadfast dedication to enhancing the working conditions for all our members. Stay engaged, stay informed, and continue to support our collective efforts to secure fair and just workplaces.