A good faith negotiation

Radio NZ reports:

A union for primary principals has been able to secure a pay rise, because – according to them – it has not threatened strike action.

The Primary Principals Collective Bargaining Union has accepted a 2.5 percent pay rise this year, followed by a 2.1 percent rise next year, after four months of negotiation with the Ministry of Education.

Offered by Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche last week, the deal was set for the next 26 months.

Of their 515 members, 85 percent voted on the proposal, 95 percent of them voting in favour.

President Mark Ellis said the union never reached a point where it felt a strike was necessary.

“Our membership has gone and accepted it as a good offer,” he said. “We can appreciate that, right now, we’re in a crisis for living costs and living wages, and things like that.

“In particular, our principals want to do their jobs, be in front of kids, be supporting teachers.

“I think the good-faith negotiations continued because we had not threatened strike action.

“I believe firmly that we were at the table in constructive conversation, we had clarity of communication and, in particular, we had prioritised our priorities very carefully.”

Great to see a deal done, and with both parties saying the other operated in good faith.

The difference here is PPCBU is a union with a sole focus – negotiating a good salary deal, and supporting principals. The NZEI is a political lobby group that listed Palestine as the first item on its agenda for a meeting with the Education Minister.

PPCBU only costs $300 a year for principals to join, while NZEI charges almost $800.