Question is what it will do next

Curtin U management has not announced the actual vote on its proposed enterprise agreement offer (CMM yesterday). But Provost Jeremy Kilburn and COO Fiona Notley did tell staff  “that a majority of our employees who voted did not approve the proposed new agreement.”

How big a majority will not be known for a week – which means management have an opportunity to think what to do next. If the vote was close, they could have another go at putting an agreement to staff, without union endorsement. It has been known to happen – just not successfully in recent years – Victoria U staff voting twice knocked back management offers opposed by the union (CMM  February 20 2019).

But if not, it is back to bargaining over pay and conditions with the National Tertiary Education  Union.

All the university would tell CMM yesterday was, “Curtin respects the voice of its staff and will carefully consider the result and the broader considerations before determining next steps.”