DADHC organising and recruitment activities

Executive, 28 July 2008

Report adopted

The following activities have been conducted by Organisers over the past month:

• Visited approximately 60 group homes/respite centres, 6 Day Program Centres and 6 cluster offices.

• Established a list of contacts and activists with the assistance of DADHC delegates with the goal of achieving at least one contact per worksite. Over 70 contacts have been established thus far.

• Commenced a campaign around two issues that widely and deeply affect DADHC disability services. These are pay and rostering issues.

• Established regular rostering review meetings with the Department. These have been successful in resolving many rostering issues by encouraging the Department to clarify, train and enforce the existing award and rostering principals. The Department has used scenarios and examples that the PSA provided when training the managers.

• Posted a bulletin about a recent DADHC overpayment issue to assist PSA members in ensuring that their pay is correct. It is planned to draft a bulletin shortly to inform member of our wins with regards to rostering.

• Shortly, it is planned to print and distribute stickers to all DADHC worksites (State-wide) that read "DADHC Disability Services: Don't mess with our pay! Don't mess with our conditions!". It is planned also to print and distribute a poster to inform staff of the union, what we are currently doing to assist members, and our wins.

• In 2008, we also planned to visit many DADHC worksites in Regional areas throughout the State.

• Many Group Homes and Respite Centres are closed during the hours of 9.00am and 4.00pm when clients are at the Day Program Centres;
  • When a client is home during the day, many Group Homes are staffed with agency or nursing staff that we do not cover;
• Many temporary and casual staff fear repercussions if they speak to the union;
• Many staff have misconceptions about the union.