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What We Do

What We Do

  • Negotiation of Collective Agreements: We negotiate progressive collective agreements on behalf of academic staff at ARA.
  • Join Us: Become a member to take advantage of our Collective Employment Agreement (CEA) and its numerous benefits.

Key Membership Benefits

  • Higher Salaries: Members enjoy competitive salaries as part of the Collective Employment Agreement.
  • Flexible Study-Leave Provisions: Take advantage of flexible study-leave options to enhance your professional development.
  • More Part-Time Hours: Benefit from increased availability of part-time hours to suit your work-life balance.
  • End-of-Year Leave: Enjoy additional leave during the year-end holiday period.
  • Generous Professional Development Provisions: Access extensive professional development opportunities.
  • Institute Leave: Benefit from institute leave, where the ARA Christmas/New Year three-day close-down does not count as Annual Leave.
Join AASC Now

Financial Assistance

  • Eligibility: Under the AASC Rules of Association, members and their families can apply for financial assistance to support activities that promote the betterment of their well-being and development.

  • AGM Proposal: Following the Annual General Meeting (AGM), the AASC committee allocates a specific budget for financial assistance. This budget is intended to help with issues related to health and well-being, community involvement, sports activities, or self-development for members and their families.

  • Application Process:

    • Members can submit an application for financial assistance, which will be reviewed by the AASC Executive.
    • The amount granted will be determined based on past precedents, the perceived need of the application, and the total budget available.

  • Decision Transparency:

    • The AASC committee is open to explaining the reasoning behind their decisions.
    • However, the committee’s decision regarding financial assistance will be final.
  • Support
  • Collective bargaining
  • Advocating Health and Safety
  • Scope for part-time tutors to work up to 80% of the hours of a full time tutor.
  • Highest academic salary scales at ARA
  • Provision to buy extra annual leave
  • Flexible study-leave provisions, after a qualifying time on the CEA.
  • Advocacy
  • Legal representation

Our Committee

Warwick Shillito

President

Warwick is a senior lecturer in anatomy, physiology, pathology and image interpretation in the Bachelor of Medical Imaging. He also teaches clinical anatomy and pathophysiology to osteopathy students in the Bachelor of Musculoskeletal Health and Postgraduate Diploma in Osteopathy.

His background is in psychology and chiropractic, having practiced for 10 years in Singapore and Australia. He has been involved with the union for over ten years and has been Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and President over that time.

He has experience with resolving a wide range of industrial disputes as well as being involved in a number of collective employment negations. He has two adult sons, both of whom live overseas. In his spare time he is involved in sport and the performing arts….even a dabbling in musical theatre from time to time.

Jane Parker

Vice President

Jane has been a lecturer in law in the Dept of Enterprise and Digital Innovation for the last four years. Since graduating in law Jane has worked in diverse areas at the interface between the law and the legal rights of individuals in their daily lives.

Jane has worked for the Parliamentary Ombudsmen, the Ministry of Justice as a Disputes Tribunal Referee and the Real Estate Agents Authority on the regional Complaints Assessments Committee and is passionate about access to justice and transparency within government.

For Jane, active involvement with AASC is an opportunity to be part of a team that achieves positive outcomes for AASC members in a critical area of daily life – their employment. Away from Ara Jane loves reading, “lively” discussions, farmers’ markets and sharing meals with friends and her family.

Gus Walkden

Treasurer

Gus started teaching at Ara (in the CPIT Department of Business) at the start of 2012, after working as a professional Business Consultant for over 8 years.

Gus loves teaching and making a real difference in student’s lives as they come to study at Ara.

Gus enjoys amateur photography, in particular macro-photography. Gus has a Masters’ in Business Administration (MBA) degree from UC and loves making accounting reports relevant and easy to understand for everyone involved in the business. As treasurer, his aim is to help AASC use their financial resources to maximise member benefits.

View All Committee

Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone employed by ARA in a tutorial or academic role is eligible to be a member of AASC.

Yes, certain categories of employment are not covered by AASC’s Collective Employment Agreement (CEA). Additionally, you cannot be a member of two unions at the same time. For more information, you can contact our secretary, Linda Toohey, at [email protected]

  • Full-timers: $364 per year, split evenly over 26 pay periods, which amounts to $14 per fortnight.
  • Proportional: $84 per year plus a proportion of $280 per year, split evenly over 26 pay periods (e.g., a 0.5 proportional tutor pays $84 + 0.5 x $280 = $224 per year, which equals $8.62 per fortnight).
  • Part-timers and Casuals: 50% of the full-time fee, resulting in a deduction of $7 per fortnight from your wages.

AASC members enjoy various benefits, including:

  • Higher salaries and the opportunity for Academic Study Leave (ASL), which can be up to 20 weeks (Type One) or up to 45 weeks (Type Two).
  • Paid Institute Leave during the working days between Christmas and New Year, which effectively adds 3 extra days of leave per year.
  • Part-time tutors can work up to 80% of a full-time tutor’s annual teaching hours, allowing them to earn more.
  • The convenience of collective bargaining and the support of professional legal representation if needed.
  • Coffee get-togethers and after-work socials (dates to be announced).
Yes, AASC’s contract provides for part-time tutors to work up to 80% of a full-time tutor’s annual teaching hours, which allows part-timers to earn more.
The key role of AASC is to support employees, ensure that the employment agreement is upheld between employees and employers, and promote health and well-being in the workplace.
Members will receive emails regarding the progress of the Collective Employment Agreement bargaining round.

To join AASC or for more information, you can fill in the membership form on this page or contact our secretary, Linda Toohey, at [email protected]

Ara Academic Staff of Canterbury
The Ara Academic Staff of Canterbury (AASC) is an incorporated society of academic staff solely of Ara Institute of Canterbury. It is, in effect, a site union. Members of AASC have their own Collective Employment Agreement (CEA) with a number of key member benefits.
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