The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) elected Lesley Francey of Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) to the post of President in 2013 through the Members’ ballot system recently.
She received more votes than Richard Draper, from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.
Ms Francey, who campaigned to protect tertiary education workers from on-going ‘casualisation and restructuring,’ will take up the two-year post in January, succeeding Sandra Grey, who will return to her academic work at Victoria University of Wellington.
A Scot, Ms Francey said that the biggest issue facing TEU members was preserving and protecting their conditions of employment.
“This, as well as restructuring and casualisation that impact detrimentally on the lives and livelihoods of members, are major issues. I want to make these industrial issues my priority as president of the TEU,” she said.
Faculty restructured
The University of Auckland has announced a proposed restructure of professional staff at the Faculty of Education, disestablishing 40 professional staff positions and creating 30 new positions.
The faculty dean, Graeme Aitken, said that the review aimed to cut costs as the Vice-Chancellor required the faculty to increase its contribution margin to the University, accounting for savings of $3-4 million over the next two years.
TEU is now looking at all options for this proposed restructure, while encouraging members to make submissions on the proposal.
