Antonia Verstappen - University of Auckland.

Kia ora! My name is Antonia Verstappen, and I’m seeking your support for the position of women’s representative on the Industrial and Professional Committee.

I am an active TEU member at the University of Auckland, where I’m an academic staff member in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. I have been a TEU member since 2012 and have served on the Branch Committee since 2014 where I am currently an academic staff representative, and previously served as the branch treasurer for many years. I am currently the women’s representative on IPC, after being elected in a by-election in 2019 and re-elected in 2020 and 2022.

In my time on the Branch Committee, I’ve weathered several rounds on our bargaining team, including the most recent one: negotiating with an often difficult and hostile employer. I’m no stranger to taking strike action and helping to run bargaining campaigns! This experience has really demonstrated the power and usefulness of our process of national TEU claims, and it’s this experience that has been really helpful to me in my time on IPC so far.

As a precarious, fixed-term academic, I understand the challenges posed by the increasing precarity of employment in the sector, and my involvement in the TEU to date has included advocating for those in our position and working to find solutions.

Outside of my union involvement I have recently been active in the National Council of Women, having attended recent NCW conferences, and in Progressive Alliance (the peak body for progressive political organisations globally), where I have travelled internationally to speak about New Zealand’s record on social policy and gender equality.

In addition to my experience on the Branch Committee and in bargaining, I am active in the U35 sector of our union and I currently represent TEU on the CTU’s StandUp youth committee. Being involved with StandUp has given me some really helpful insights into the challenges faced by young workers nationally and across unions and sectors, and I believe this is also a valuable contribution to the work of IPC.

I have found my time on IPC to be really enjoyable, and extremely helpful in my TEU work at the University of Auckland at the branch level and on the bargaining team. I would love the opportunity to continue to serve and represent our wonderful TEU women on Industrial and Professional Committee for another term, and believe I have the skills and experience to continue to make a valuable contribution. I hope to have your support!