TEU welcomes new staff.

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union has welcomed two new staff members to its Ōtautahi Christchurch office. John Miller joined us in January as an organiser, supporting Lincoln University and three faculties of the University of Canterbury. Meanwhile Kate McKenzie has been with us as a regional administrator since November.

John says “I am very pleased to have this opportunity to work with TEU as an organiser. I have been part of the Union movement for over 20 years – firstly as a delegate, then as an organiser with the Service and Food Workers Union and, for the last 15 years, with the New Zealand Nurses Organisation.”

“I consider myself very privileged to have a role as a Union organiser. I’ve worked alongside people doing a variety of jobs such as fish processing, casino croupier, aged care work, intensive care nursing, mental health nursing and now university staff, both academic and general. It is very exciting to have the opportunity to support a new group of workers facing new and not so new issues.”

Kate comes to us from the early childhood sector, which she rightly identifies as “another under resourced and underappreciated sector, and also another vitally important one. I am used to working with and alongside people who make a difference, and I am keen to contribute to that as much as possible.”

“I came to the TEU to make a difference. Educationalists are so important and must be supported. It’s through education, from early childhood, to primary and secondary, to tertiary and vocational and to lifelong learning that education is strong and properly resourced so it can build better people who will in turn build a better community.”

John and Kate both singled out recruitment as something they can’t wait to get stuck into so look out non-members, here we come!