Uniting Vic.Tas welcomes the approval of the Victorian Early Childhood Teachers and Educators Agreement (VECTEA) 2020 which will bring our nearly 950 early childhood educators and teachers considerably closer to the wages and conditions of primary school teachers.
The agreement will deliver significant wage increases along with 16 weeks employer-paid parental leave for primary care givers and four weeks for secondary carer givers, 20 days paid family violence leave and 15 days personal or carers leave for each year of service.
The agreement also recognises importance of wellbeing with those under the VECTEA now able to access confidential counselling. The new agreement also includes providing educators with more time to plan and deliver their educational programs.
Uniting Vic.Tas CEO Bronwyn Pike welcomed the agreement as recognition of the hard work and dedication of early childhood educators.
“We’re very proud of our early childhood educators and the role they play in children’s lives,” Ms Pike said.
“We know how important a solid foundation is for children in their early years. Our early childhood educators deliver high quality educational programs giving children a solid base preparing them so they’re ready and fully equipped for school.
“This agreement is recognition of their hard work and dedication, and hopefully, this new agreement will help encourage more people to consider a career in early childhood education.”
“Such a significant agreement cannot be reached without commitment and goodwill from everyone involved, including unions, the Victorian State Government, and the Early Learning Association of Australia who acted on behalf of Uniting.”
