I refer to the announcement from the Vice-Chancellor earlier today, and correspondence from the NTEU, regarding the new proposed Deakin University Enterprise Agreement 2009 - 2012 (EA).

As mentioned by the Vice-Chancellor, Human Resources Services Division (HRSD) will be holding information sessions on each campus to explain the key features of the EA and answer any questions that staff may have prior to the ballot occurring.

Details of these sessions are:
    • Warrnambool Campus - Wednesday 1 September 2010 at 2pm in room W - G1.101.
    • Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds - Thursday 2 September 2010 at 9.00am in Lecture Theatre ka 3.406.
    • Geelong Waterfront Campus - Thursday 2 September 2010 at 2.30pm in the Percy Baxter Lecture Theatre D2.193.
    • Melbourne Campus at Burwood - Friday 3 September 2010 at 11am in Lecture Theatre 11, B1.20.

Each of these sessions will run for approximately one hour.

A confidential online ballot will then be conducted from 9am Tuesday 7 September 2010 to 5pm Friday 10 September 2010. All staff who are covered by the EA and who have University system access will be able to vote at www.deakin.edu.au/dsa/e-election/index.php.

You will need your user name and password to access this link.

The University acknowledges that a small number of staff do not have University system access to enable an electronic vote to be registered. For those staff, a separate roll will be maintained at the office of the University Governance Unit at the following locations during the voting period between the hours of 9am and 5pm:
    (1) Level 6 Building C Melbourne Campus at Burwood
    (2) Level 4 Geelong Waterfront Campus
    (3) Warrnambool Campus

Staff located at the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds are welcome to lodge their vote at any of these other campus locations during the voting period, or lodge their vote with a member of the Governance Unit who will be present at the Deakin Management Centre at Waurn Ponds on Friday 10 September 2010 between 3pm and 3.30pm.

Whilst voting is not compulsory, all staff are strongly encouraged to attend an information session and vote during the ballot period.

Subject to a majority vote of support for the EA, it will then be submitted to Fair Work Australia for approval. The EA will come into effect 7 days after it is approved by Fair Work Australia. A non-superannuable "sign-on" payment of $1,000 (less applicable tax) will be paid to eligible staff (with a pro-rata payment to be made to part-time and casual staff) following the approval of the EA by staff through the ballot process.

A copy of the full EA can be found at:
http://www.deakin.edu.au/hr/benefits/eb.php.

Also on this site is a summary document of the key features of the EA. Hard copies of the EA may also be requested from HRSD by contacting Mr Chris Ross on email address (chris.ross@deakin.edu.au).

Kind regards

Wendy Cooper
Director, Human Resources Services Division