Positive dialogue at rules hui.

Last week saw yet another milestone in Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union’s extensive consultation process surrounding constitutional change that will herald fresh organising and governance structures to comply with new regulations, respond to vocational education reform, and further embed our Te Tiriti commitment.

Four online hui were held on Thursday and Friday, open to all members keen to discuss TEU’s proposed rule changes.

Tumu Whakarae | National President Julie Douglas says, “overall the meetings were positive and constructive with members engaging thoroughly in the detail and interested to tease out what the proposed changes might mean in practice.”

“It was particularly good to see so many people present who have been involved in this process all the way through via member led structures such as the Rules Reference Group, Council, Conference, and national committees. Members who have not been as engaged until now could see that we’ve got this and most potential sticking points have been well considered and worked through.”

For Unitec’s Jonyne Mariu-Komene, Tangata Whenua, the meetings gave her great hope that the TEU is becoming a better, more Te Tiriti-led organisation. “While there will always be a level of discomfort in some quarters, the leadership of the TEU has done a brilliant job of responding in a way that allays fears and reassures us as members that this will be a positive change. It makes me proud to be a TEU member. I think it’s brilliant.”

Meanwhile AUT’s Tanya Ewertowska, Tangata Tiriti, says “I’ve really liked the debate around it. It’s intense but it’s cool to see the space being given for all points of view to be talked through and still see that we are moving in a good direction with a social justice and social movement approach to unionism.”

The proposed rule changes will go to the TEU National Conference in May this year, but prior to that there will be further opportunities for members to have more input at branch level in April.