Executive Director’s Update to Principals #54 - 14 October 2025

Your Voice Matters: Have Your Say on the Enterprise Bargaining Offer

This Friday, 17 October, all Catholic school employees across Victoria will receive a short, yes or no survey seeking feedback on the enterprise bargaining offer developed by Catholic school employers through the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA).

This is a critical step in the process, and your response matters. The survey will be open for one week, closing Friday 24 October.

If the majority of employees indicate their support for the offer, the process can move swiftly to a formal vote and, if endorsed, deliver higher wages and improved conditions from the start of the 2026 school year.

If support is not achieved at this stage, the offer will be withdrawn, and bargaining will revert to the traditional process. Due to the timing of the state election next year, it is unlikely that any new agreement will be reached in the state sector until late 2026 at the earliest. That means our people could be waiting a year or longer before any wage increases or enhancements to conditions could take effect.

Real improvements, without delay

The offer on the table represents the strongest in many years – designed to deliver real benefits for our people and their families now, not in a year’s time.

Key elements include:

• A $1500 sign-on bonus (pro-rata for part-time staff)
• A minimum 7% pay increase from January 2026 – the largest single-year rise in 25 years
• Pay parity with government school employees for the life of the agreement
• Enhanced leave provisions and improvements for Education Support staff, deputy principals and primary principals

This offer recognises the vital contribution of every Catholic school employee and responds directly to what staff have told us matters most: more money in your pocket and better conditions, sooner.

Learn more and ask questions

All staff are invited to attend one of the upcoming information sessions, facilitated by either myself or members of the P&D Team, to learn more about the offer and ask any questions they may have.

• Wednesday 15 October – 3:45pm–4:20pm
  Join the meeting now
  Meeting ID: 426 981 330 266 7
  Passcode: vT6qS65V
• Thursday 16 October – 1:00pm–1:40pm
  Join the meeting now
  Meeting ID: 422 708 707 224 0
  Passcode: 2Sm3Ze6A
• Thursday 16 October – 3:45pm–4:25pm
  Join the meeting now
  Meeting ID: 431 859 117 371 6
  Passcode: 8um9i2PA

These sessions are open to all staff and will help ensure everyone is fully informed before completing the survey.

Principals are strongly encouraged to have conversations with their staff this week – sharing the session details, discussing what the offer means in practical terms, and ensuring everyone understands the significance of this stage in the process. Further information can be found on eb.catholic.edu.au. 

What will the offer mean for schools?

By supporting the offer now, employees can help bring certainty, stability and calm to our schools.

• Schools can plan budgets with confidence.
• Staff can focus on their students and the year ahead.
• The 2026 school year can begin in a considered and positive way.

Early agreement is in everyone’s best interest. It avoids the stress and tension of prolonged, antagonistic negotiations and allows us all to move forward together.

Supporting both processes

If you or staff in your school have already indicated support for a Single Interest Agreement (SIA) through your union, this does not prevent you from supporting this offer as well. Employees are encouraged to consider the benefits of this offer and participate in the survey regardless of any previous indication of support for an SIA.

Confidential and anonymous

The survey will be conducted confidentially and anonymously. We encourage every employee to take a few moments to consider what this offer means for them, their families and their school community – and to have their say.

Your support at this stage is essential to deliver the wage increases and improved conditions that staff have been asking for.

Focus on outcomes

While there has been discussion from some about the type of agreement being proposed, our focus here is on delivering real benefits and outcomes – higher pay, better conditions, and greater certainty – without delay.

A message from Tom

I’ve recorded a short video to explain what this offer means for you and why your support in the upcoming survey is so important. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch it before completing the survey.

Your voice matters. A strong show of support in this yes or no survey will allow us to move forward, secure these gains, and bring stability and fairness to our schools and staff sooner.

Additional Resources