NTEU elections at the University of Melbourne are being contested by a 24-person “union power” ticket

The candidates on it are running for most of the 28 National Tertiary Education Union branch positions up for election.

Annette Herrera is on the ticket for re-election as branch president, with David Gonsalez standing for secretary.

The ticket is 60 per cent casual or fixed term staff – which is said to reflect Uni Melbourne’s workforce. Whether candidates get up the campaign message will appeal to union members and perhaps staff beyond, “We have the power to change the structure of workloads and overtime payment, the terms of casual employment, and the culture of our workplaces.”

Last year NTEU members at Uni Melbourne voted down a management proposal to cancel a scheduled payrise as a COVID-19 savings. The union kept campaigning when the university put the prop to an all-staff vote where 64 per cent of people voting knocked it back (CMM June12).