History

Teacher unionism has existed in Victoria in a formal sense since 24th April 1886 when the State School Teachers’ Union of Victoria (SSTUV) was formed.

About 50% of teachers joined this union. Before that time teacher unionism in Victoria was characterised by a number of small associations representing specific categories of employees. Often these alliances of teachers were formed in response to local grievances or to protect salaries and these bodies tended to disappear within a year or two. Two of the most prominent associations formed in 1884-85 were the Lady Teachers' Association and the Country and Melbourne Teachers' Associations.

Associations were usually bound to the Union by very loose ties with members giving their loyalty to their association, rather than the union. The first breakaways from the SSTUV occurred in 1888-89 when the Lady Teachers' Association and the Male Assistants' Association withdrew from the union over policy issues. This was to set the pattern of fragmentation that has been a feature of teacher unionism in Victoria from settlement until 1995.

When a depression hit the colonies in the 1890s, a flood of harsh legislation impacted adversely upon teachers. An Act of Parliament in 1892 stipulated that a school of 1,000 children could have no more than 6 assistant teachers and 18 monitors/student teachers. The harshness of this legislation led to the establishment of the Sixth Class Teachers' Association that wielded much influence within the union. During this period only 10-20% of teachers were members of the union.

In 1907 the Head Teachers', Lady Teachers' and Male Assistants' Associations rejoined the Union so that all Teachers' Associations were affiliated, albeit it briefly. When high schools were established, bitterness over classification issues divided primary and secondary teachers. As a result, the High School Teachers formed their own association in 1912 and the State Technical Teachers' Association was formed in 1914. Rather that affiliate with the SSTUV, both groups affiliated with the Public Service Association.

It was not until 1926 that the Victorian Teachers Union (VTU) was formed to represent primary, secondary and technical teachers. In effect this was an amalgamation of these fragmented groups representing teachers. For many years the VTU operated effectively and campaigned successfully on conditions issues. The crowning achievement happened between 1943 and 1947 when the VTU campaigned vigorously for the establishment of an independent tribunal to determine teacher salaries and conditions. After strikes, mass meetings and delegations, the coalition government was unseated in the 1945 elections. The new John Cain (Senior) Labor government implemented its election promise and established the Teachers' Tribunal in 1946. In 1948, two hundred male teachers broke away from the VTU to form the Victorian Secondary Masters Professional Association (VSMPA) because they felt their interests were not being served effectively by the VTU's High Schools Branch. In particular they were concerned that VTU policies would lead to the abolition of the salary differential paid to secondary teachers. In 1954 women secondary teachers joined their male colleagues in the VSMPA and that organisation became the Victorian Secondary Teachers Association (VSTA).

Teachers in kindergartens formed the Kindergarten Teachers Association of Victoria (KTAV) in 1954. It operated independently until it merged with the AEU Victorian Branch in late 1995.

In 1967 a rift occurred within the VTU over the autonomy of Branches to take independent political and industrial action. This primary/secondary/technical conflict resulted in some 3,200 technical teachers leaving the VTU to form the Technical Teachers Association of Victoria (TTAV) and the VSTA gained many members as most secondary teachers forsook the VTU.

In 1976 the VTU decided to formally cease recruiting post-primary teachers and abolished sectional branches. Effectively it became the union for primary teachers. The Teachers Federation of Victoria (TFV) was formed in 1984 as a confederation of the three teacher unions. It was set up to streamline and co-ordinate industrial representation. This body was abolished in 1990 when the VTU and TTUV merged.

From 1979 to 1990 the VTU, VSTA and TTUV (previously the TTAV) ran campaigns on a co-operative basis and influenced the state elections in 1982 and again in 1985. The 1982 election saw the formation of the John Cain Labor Government. This was a curious coincidence given that the VTU was largely responsible for the election of the John Cain (Senior) Labor Government in 1945.

In 1990 the VTU and the TTUV merged to form the Federated Teachers Union of Victoria (FTUV). This body represented members in primary and technical schools, TAFE teachers, instructors in Disability Services and teachers in Adult Multicultural Education Services.

It was not until 1995 that a final round of amalgamations saw the establishment of a single education union in Victoria. In mid-1995 the AEU Victorian Branch was formed when the FTUV, and the VSTA merged. On 21 December 1995 the KTAV merged with the AEU Victorian Branch. There was now a single teacher union that covered almost all employees from the education sector. Establishing that single entity was a most progressive move.

During the 1990s attempts had been made to gain coverage of what were called "Allied Staff". Principally these education industry employees were School Services Officers in primary and secondary schools. The AEU News of 22 May 1997 proudly proclaimed that the AEUVB was officially able to offer full membership to Allied Staff as a result of a decision of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Since that time SSOs have been the fastest growing membership group within the AEU Victorian Branch.

Perhaps it is somewhat ironic that the first efforts of visionary men and women teachers in 1886 to establish a single union for teachers has eventually led to a single union for workers in education in 1997.

History has taught us that a single united union is the best way to represent the interests of workers in education. In the final analysis, all the breakaway unions and factions have outlived their usefulness and members have returned to a single effective education union in Victoria.

In 2005 we celebrated ten years of the AEU Victorian Branch.