Bargaining Loop #4 – 23 April 2026 | 🖨️ Download printable PDF
All IEU member claims have now been tabled, following yesterday’s meeting with Queensland Catholic school employer representatives.
In short:
- All IEU member claims are now on the table, setting out our plan for ACTION NOW on the key issues in schools.
- Our wages claim targets teacher wages to leading rates in a comparable school system and addresses the undervaluing of school officer work.
- Employers are yet to respond to most of our claims.
- The next bargaining meeting will be held on 12 May 2026.
Yesterday, our union put forward a strong wages claim that includes:
- 📈 A 4% increase to all salaries and allowances in each year of the agreement.
- ⬆️ Targeting teacher wages to leading rates in a comparable school system.
- 📶 Adjusting school officer wages to recognise the true value of their work.
Employers have not put forward a wage claim of their own.
Claim responses
Employer representatives have still not responded to most IEU member claims – many of which were tabled back in February.
They have rejected our claim for an allowance for staff administering medication to students.
Employers are still threatening to withhold backpay unless staff vote in favour of a new agreement before 31 October 2026.
The next bargaining meeting will be held on 12 May 2026.
Our plan for ACTION NOW
With all claims tabled, our union has outlined a clear plan for ACTION NOW on the key issues in schools:
- Addressing the workload crisis.
- Wages that recognise the value of their work.
- Implementing contemporary rights at work.
- Recognising specialist and leadership roles.
Members can download the IEU member log of claims for a full overview.
Teacher pay must keep pace
Queensland public sector negotiations are now in arbitration and won’t be settled until at least 2027.
Queensland Catholic school teachers cannot wait for fair pay.
We’ve faced this situation before.
In our union’s 2016 Recognise, Respect, Reward campaign (with public sector pay rates unknown), we secured strong teacher wage increases by targeting rates in New South Wales Catholic schools.
Once again, our union is leading the way on teacher pay.
Our claim targets leading NSW teacher wages (Catholic sector and public sector) by:
- Applying a 4% increase on 1 July of each year of the agreement.
- Reducing the Proficient 8 classification period from three years to one year.
- Increasing the graduate teacher rate.
- Increasing the Experienced Proficient Teacher (EPT) rate.
School officer work must be valued fairly
School officers are currently paid less than the real value of the work they do.
The Alternative School Officer Classification Structure (ASOCS), which we won in the last agreement, provides clearer classification of roles in modern schools.
The other piece of the puzzle is ensuring school officer pay reflects the true value of their work.
Because ASOCS is based on the Australian Public Sector (APS) system, our wage claim uses public sector pay rates as a fair guide.
Our claim would phase in fairer wage rates over the three years of the agreement, recognising work value for school officers.
On 1 January each year, a phased adjustment would occur – the separate proposed annual wage increase would then be applied from May.
Next steps
Now is the time to ramp up ACTION NOW activities within IEU Chapters.
- We strongly encourage all members to join us at our online Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 as we shape the next steps in the ACTION NOW campaign.
- Keep an eye on your inbox for details about upcoming campaign activities.
- Encourage colleagues who are yet to join our union to become a member.
We need a strong collective voice to secure a successful outcome in these negotiations.
We’ll continue to send Bargaining Loop updates. Previous editions of Bargaining Loop are available from the ACTION NOW campaign hub.