Brendon O'Connor for National Council

School of Social and Political Sciences

I have been a union member for over twenty years and worked at the University of Sydney since 2008.

Universities like ours need to return to their core mission of offering high quality teaching and supporting our research.

I am most interested in this position because the Federal government has called out our universities for failing to live up to their core mission, for having far too many unaccountable managers, and for feedback processes that reward obsequiousness rather than encouraging open and meaningful dialogue with staff members.

I think these concerns are well founded and I am particularly concerned about the treatment of my fellow staff members in terms of: their workloads, promotion processes, applying for leadership positions, staff being too afraid to give honest feedback to managers in face-to-face meetings or via email, and there being a general culture of fear and disillusionment with management.

If elected, I will be advocating for measures to create a more accountable and cooperative university.

Vote for NTEU Renewal:

A good university needs a strong union, and a strong union needs engaged members. 

For Secretary, vote Rebecca Connell.