Intensive AEU campaigning in 2009 delivered 500 permanent positions for SSOs and ECWs.  In addition, the AEU achieved 800 conversions to permanency in the past two terms as part of our new Award implementation.

Yesterday Minister Jay Weatherill issued a press release announcing that more SSOs and ECWs will be made permanent in the near future.  The AEU has been lobbying for months to ensure that SSOs and ECWs who may have just missed out on permanency in the current Award implementation process are not forgotten. 

The Minister’s public announcement of this next step to extend permanency to more support staff follows years of campaigns, negotiations and lobbying on the part of the entire AEU membership.  This will soon provide more AEU members with stable and secure employment.

The AEU welcomes this announcement from the Minister and his acknowledgement of SSOs and ECWs as unsung heroes in schools and preschools.

Further details of the process to be conducted in Term II will be published by the AEU in the coming days. SSOs and ECWs who have been employed on a term by term basis rather than full year contracts, and those who may have worked for at least 15 hours per week for all but a few weeks over the two year qualifying period, will be the key focus.

The AEU extends thanks and congratulations to the thousands of members who have worked so hard to achieve this very positive outcome.