On 7 June 2018 your Neami ASU delegates met with management to progress discussions for your new Neami agreement.
The Good
Neami has agreed to a number of the changes that ASU members wanted to see in your new agreement, including:
- Better redeployment rights for employees whose positions are made redundant
- Better access to flexible work arrangements
- Introducing paid family violence leave for all employees experiencing family violence
- Some improvements to conditions for employees who work sleepovers
- Rights for casual employees to become permanent employees.
The Bad
Unfortunately Neami has taken some pretty bad positions on a number of the changes that ASU members have asked for, including:
- Neami has told us that it thinks that CRSW’s should be classified at Award level 2, whereas at other organisations, they are classified at Award level 4. They are looking into this and also other classifications at Neami. We have said that you deserve to be classified and paid fairly for the work you do.
- Neami has not yet amended its pay offer that sees differential pay rises for employees at different levels. For example, in 2018 Neami is proposing that a level 2 band 4 employee should get around 1.9% whereas a level 3 band 4 employee should get almost 7%! We have told management that we think pay rises should be distributed fairly across all employees. Management is reviewing their pay offer.
- Neami is refusing to increase paid parental leave.
- Neami is refusing to properly consult and communicate with its employees by rejecting our request to establish local consultative forums.
- Neami is refusing to guarantee employees who work sleepovers a minimum 4 hour shift alongside the sleepover shift.
The Ugly
Astonishingly, management advised us that the Neami Board and CEO have refused to provide any guarantee or assurance that Me Well will not be used to tender for funding and projects that Neami would otherwise tender for. We asked for simple confirmation that Neami would not use Me Well to undercut the work of Neami, by bidding for work like PHN contracts or other government contracts for the life of the agreement. This is a very important job security measure for the employees at Neami. But they have refused to provide it.
We told management how insecure and worried this makes employees feel, and have asked them to reconsider. Management will respond at our next meeting on 18 June. We will keep members informed of developments.
Time to join the union
If you want fair pay rises and job security at Neami now is the time to join with your colleagues in the union and send a message that these are things you care about. You can join online here: www.asu.asn.au/asujoin.
Your workplace representatives at the bargaining table:(download the full bulletin below for details) 
Neami Bulletin - 8 June 2018