Massey staff pay negotiation ends in a disappointingly low pay rise

Massey staff have settled their pay dispute, landing a low rise of 4.25% instead of the 8% they bargained for.  

As Massey’s Collective Agreement expired in July last year, the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) were negotiating a 8% pay rise across universities to match inflation.  

Staff took action last year, with multiple protests and strikes pushing for a pay rise over the eight long months of bargaining.  

The offer of 4.25% was ratified last Monday.  

Ben Schmidt, TEU organiser said, “While we acknowledge the pay increase is not the 8% that we went into bargaining for, the settlement that members have ratified is significantly improved from the initial pay offer because of the action and the hard work and commitment of union members.”  

Other universities, such as the University of Canterbury, secured pay increases as high as 17.9%. 

Massey staff will be paid the increase on the 20th of April, backdated to the 9th of January.  

A further 3% pay increase will be effective on the 8th of January 2024 for union members.  

The settlement also included a graduate assistant pay increase from minimum wage to just above living wage.  

Schmidt said, “The settlement and pay increase now ratified by members has improved significantly from when bargaining started and that is because of the action members have taken.” 

The new collective agreement will be in place till the 30th of June 2024.   

Teresa Housel, senior tutor at the School of Journalism, Communication & Marketing, is fortunate to have a second source of income as her husband works as a software engineer.  

However, she said if she were living as a sole income earner, she would have to go back to how she lived as a closely budgeting post-grad student.   

“I would go back to that and be really careful.” 

“I do notice everyday costs and food has definitely increased.”  

She said a pay rise would make a difference, “We’ll probably just save it. My father always stressed to me to ‘pay yourself first’ and save for retirement.” 

Housel didn’t feel the pay dispute was an issue of staff being undervalued.  

“I’m very happy in my role and I really love what I do.” 

Housel attended the first of the protests and thought it helped get people's voices out and brought awareness.  

She said the protest had a celebratory tone of people coming together to protest for something they were concerned about.