TEU Co-Presidents – in their own words.

by Garrick Cooper, Te Tumu Whakarae—Māori | National President—Māori

Tēnā koutou katoa,

It is a real privilege and honour to step into the role of Te Tumu Whakarae—Māori | National President—Māori of Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union. I am excited by the challenge ahead, and deeply conscious of the responsibility that comes with it. The TEU has a proud history of standing together – tū kotahi, tū kaha – and it is exactly that collective strength that matters.

We also need to be honest with one another: the challenges facing our members, and the tertiary education sector more broadly, are significant. Working conditions across universities, wānanga, Te Pūkenga, and the wider sector are constantly being eroded within a fiscally constrained environment. We continue to be asked, by both sides of the aisle, to do more with less. The vision of a world-class, publicly funded tertiary education system that Aotearoa New Zealand needs and deserves, feels increasingly fragile. Yet, honesty does not require pessimism. We know what works: an organised, values-driven union can win real change, even in difficult political and economic climates.

The current government coalition appears to be treading water in terms of public trust and support, and this is reflected in a striking lack of creative policy solutions to address the deeper economic and social malaise we are living through. Instead, we are seeing a return to familiar right-wing ideological, fact-free, evidence-free policy, pursued with a missionary zeal. In the current destabilised political environment, even a modest economic improvement could be enough to secure their re-election – a prospect that concerns me and, I am sure, you, the members of our union.

The antidote is organising. It is engagement. It is engaging respectfully in robust dialogue and advocacy grounded in aroha-ki-te-tangata, done with compassion for those who may see the world differently. I will be working closely with my fellow co-president, Ti Lamusse, our new Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary Amy Ross, and the committed and hardworking TEU staff to strengthen connections across our membership and embed organising at the heart of everything we do.

Furthermore, I will be working to ensure the TEU is responsive to the needs and aspirations of Māori members, guided by our mātāpono and our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Together – tātou, tātou – we can build the power and momentum needed to create a fairer, stronger future for our sector, our members, and communities.

by Ti Lamusse, Te Tumu Whakarae Tiriti | National President Tiriti

Kia ora comrades,

It is most certainly a daunting time for tertiary education workers, for Aotearoa, and for our planet.

It’s also no secret that our sector has been suffering for years. From funding cuts, to restructures and job losses, tertiary education workers have borne the brunt of bad governmental decisions that prioritise the greed of the wealthy few, over public education.

The global rise of right-wing authoritarianism, with all its hatred and militarism, is destabilising the world as we know it.

This is a time of deep uncertainty. It is a time when it can be tempting to look away and hope others will fix these crises for us.

But complacency is no longer possible.

Some of the answers to these crises are in your hands, as members of Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union.

Unions are the largest democratic organisations in Aotearoa. It is your democratic strength as a worker that can push back. It is also the skills and expertise that you and your colleagues have as education workers that will provide us with the vision and know-how to build a better Aotearoa.

In 2026, most TEU members will initiate bargaining. This is an opportunity for us all to demonstrate the importance of tertiary education for Aotearoa’s future.

After years of cost-of-living pressure and increasing workloads, I know many members are hoping for some big wins this year.

To paraphrase the late, great Jane McAlevey, the quality of a new collective agreement is only ever as good as the workers are united and engaged.

As your newly minted Te Tumu Whakarae—Tiriti | National Co-President—Tiriti, I will continuously ask you to demonstrate your democratic power, by showing up and taking action. I will be working alongside Garrick and Amy to make it as easy as possible for you to do so.

Because now is the time to get more involved in your union. Now is the time to re-engage with your branch. Now is the time to sign-up to become a delegate. Because when you and your co-workers stand together, you can change the world.