Auckland Academics have still not been able to settle their CEA and negotiations are still fraught for them.  There are two key sticking points:

• University management want to remove core terms and conditions around research and study leave, promotion processes and outside activities, from the CEA and place them into policy;
• The use of Professional Teaching Fellows (PTF’s) by the university in place of permanent staff, typically Tutors/Senior Tutors.  PTF’s are being primarily employed on casual or fixed term contracts thus far, purely for teaching periods with very basic agreements and without the protection and benefits that are available if employed under the CEA.
• Academic members have been offered a 4% pay offer by the university but they are prepared to forego this as they feel so strongly about the conditions they wish to keep in their CEA. They are committed to quality education and research for the benefit of students and the university which they believe is significantly at risk if they accept the university’s offer in its current form.

To date, the academics are pledging to forego advising the university of any research outcomes, publications etc, and they have been picketing outside key events as well at the university.  They also have a webpage www.saveourconditions.org where you can go for the latest news and post messages of support, or make a comment.