Founded on 9 January 1889, the Queensland Teachers’ Union is the oldest Teachers’ Union in Australia. “The circumstances which led to the formation of the QTU involved a tyrannical bureaucracy along with poor pay and conditions” said the Queensland Teachers’ Journal centenary supplement of May 31, 1989. The positive influence of the QTU on public schooling in the state has been considerable. The membership for its first seventy- five years or so consisted almost entirely of primary teachers, led in significant membership numbers by Head Teachers. They undertook a leadership role that helped the union to establish public respect and to act as a caution for Departmental and Government decisions.
It seldom flexed any industrial muscle of the kind shown by trade unions of the time, nor threatened to do so. It negotiated with determination for better conditions for school pupils, who always came first, and for teachers. As the Department’s bureaucracy became peopled with previously active unionists with G.K.D. Murphy an example, threats of industrial action were seldom if ever necessary and, as a general rule, cordial but wary relationships became the hallmark of negotiations between the QTU and the Department. In the 1960s, aggression became a characteristic of union advocacy.
The Union became noticeably sectionalised as Secondary Teachers dominated. The South Brisbane Secondary Branch with such notables as Ted Baldwin and Ray Costello in its ranks gained a reputation for militancy. This militant approach to claims for better conditions established a new hallmark for negotiations. Threats of industrial action became a standard procedure in many cases and there were some positive outcomes.
In 1968 when Minister Jack Pizzey introduced the ‘pressure cooker’ eight week teacher preparation scheme, a great majority of teachers supported strike action. [See "Song of the Trainee Supervisors"] A compromise was reached and guarantees established in regard to acceptable lengths of teacher preparation.
Ray Kelley’s songs about conditions, expressed in a number of parodies at the “Mackay Q.T.U. Pre-Departure Dinner – 1967″ [see list] were indicative of the state of affairs and the new willingness of teachers to push the envelope. In 1970, Teachers refused to accept classes of colleagues who were absent from duty. Gradually a workable supply-teacher scheme was introduced.
During 1971 the stance against the compulsory appraisement of all teachers produced a radical change that was acclaimed by the Union, Inspectors and Departmental officials after a working party came up with a more progressive policy. [See "Hector the School Inspector"]
1973 saw proposals for a strike coming from the Mackay and Northernmost Branches. One of the major issues was class size. Strike threats persuaded the Department to undertake to reduce progressively the size of classes…to 36 by 1974, 34 by 1975 and 30 by 1977.
The call for a 43 % increase in salary for the lowest paid teachers, tapered to the highest, was rejected. Subsequent unrest saw about 10,000 Teachers leave their schools to meet in eight major centres with a land-line established to the largest gathering at Lang Park. A compromise was achieved in the subsequent agreement and salaries to the lowest paid increased by 23%.
Problems associated with transfers, isolation and teacher housing also received public attention through these years. The Teachers at Laura and Pasha were withdrawn because of inadequate accommodation early in 1974. Housing continued to be an issue through to 1976 together with the dismissal of teachers for smoking and possessing “pot” at Charters Towers and Camp Hill. Rolling strikes became the main tactic. The Government reacted by withdrawing the preference for employment of Union members and also threatened to de-register the Union. The tactic of rolling strikes confused everybody including teachers and a ballot held in 1976 indicated that QTU members wanted some peace.
At the same time, Premier Joh was becoming more powerful and monarchical, prepared to use any means available to defuse Union power. When Man: A Course of Study [M:ACOS] and the Social Education Materials Project [SEMP] were banned in 1978, the Union took no industrial action, and, in the following year when he introduced an Essential Services Bill to provide severe penalties for strikes, Union opposition proved futile.
During these years of flexing industrial muscle the Q.T.U. leaders came to appreciate the wide range of attitudes amongst members. Hard-working professionally-oriented members who regarded contact time with pupils as golden time requiring serious preparation and who were prepared to perform multiple extraneous duties [see "Extraneous Duties"] felt despoiled by the rare nine-to-three loafer and by those whose form of dress was shabbier than that of other professional people. Fortunately, such curmudgeons [male and female] were few. Some claimed privilege because of membership. They were noticed.
UNIONMAN [Tune of the same name]
ALL: Oh, I’m a Union man,
I do the least I can,
And when it’s three
You don’t see me -
I work the Union ban.
Oh, I’m off at three, I’m part of the Union,
I’m off at three, I’m part of the Union,
I’m off at three, I’m part of the Union,
Till the day I die,
Till the day I die.
WOMEN: At nine o’clock I’m there,
With curlers in my hair,
My slippered feet
May not look neat
But that’s my Union wear
Oh, I’m off at three…..
MEN: I finally got wise -
I threw away my ties;
I’m righting wrongs
By wearing thongs
Like all the other guys.
Oh, I’m off at three …..
