# Tertiary Education Union

The New Zealand Tertiary Education Union (Māori: Te Hautū Kahurangi o Aotearoa) is the main trade union in the New Zealand tertiary education sector, with over 10,000 members employed within the sector across New Zealand. Its membership includes academics, researchers, teachers and workers employed in all occupations in universities, polytechnics, institutes of technology, wānanga, other tertiary education providers and allied organisations.

## History

Founded in 2009, the TEU was established a result of the amalgamation of the Association of University Staff of New Zealand (AUS) and the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education (ASTE). The Tertiary Institutions Allied Staff Association (TIASA) voted not to amalgamate and remain independent.
TEU is a registered trade union in accordance with the Employment Relations Act 2000. The TEU is a democratic union with strong membership participation and is governed by an elected council. Policy is determined by an annual conference and implemented by a number of committees.

## Campaigns

As well as negotiating typical labour rights and employment issues with employers (salary levels, hours of work, etc.) the TEU has been involved in a number of national campaigns.

### Paid parental leave

The Union have actively supported longer statutory paid parental leave, including the recent Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave and Work Contact Hours) Amendment Bill which provides six months paid parental leave and guaranteed right to return to work afterwards. The bill is currently stalled in parliament.

### Academic Freedom

The Union have campaigned for academic freedom, running an essay competition in cooperation with Academic Freedom Aotearoa. and giving out awards, including to Mike Joy, an academic at Massey University who had a high-profile clash with Prime Minister John Key.

### Living Wage

Under the Employment Relations Act 2000 there are limits on what actions a union can take in support of employment relations involving employees other than union members, but the TEU supports the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa NZ which campaigns to raise the legal minimum wage. A number of the TEU's members are paid the current legal minimum wage.
The Tertiary Education Union has engaged in strike action on multiple occasions to advocate pay increases. These have included a strike in New Zealand's eight universities in October 2022, and another in Lincoln University, Massey University, the University of Canterbury, and the University of Auckland during September 2024.

## Membership

The Union is present in most tertiary education institutions representing academic, purely teaching, purely research and general staff.
The Union is the members' official representative in employment matters when dealing with their employers (directly or indirectly), many union members (particularly academics and researchers) are also members of the Royal Society of New Zealand (commonly via constituent bodies) as it is the peak professional body in the humanities and the sciences and has legislated roles in science and research funding.
Membership by institution :
| Institution | Type | Membership | Total Staff | General Members | Academic Members | Notable office-holders and life members |
| Aoraki Polytechnic | ITP | 97 | 479 | 0 | 97 | |
| Bay of Plenty Polytechnic | ITP | 25 | 177 | 0 | 25 | |
| Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology | ITP | 143 | 1057 | 0 | 143 | |
| Eastern Institute of Technology | ITP | 133 | 352 | 0 | 133 | |
| Manukau Institute of Technology | ITP | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | |
| Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology | ITP | 73 | 222 | 0 | 73 | |
| NorthTec | ITP | 126 | 230 | 0 | 126 | |
| Otago Polytechnic | ITP | 282 | 616 | 0 | 282 | |
| Southern Institute of Technology | ITP | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | |
| Tai Poutini Polytechnic | ITP | 50 | 95 | 0 | 50 | |
| The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand | ITP | 80 | 119 | 0 | 80 | |
| Unitec New Zealand | ITP | 238 | 543 | 0 | 238 | |
| Universal College of Learning | ITP | 204 | 463 | 0 | 204 | |
| Waiariki Institute of Technology | ITP | 131 | 239 | 0 | 131 | |
| Waikato Institute of Technology | ITP | 128 | 338 | 0 | 128 | |
| Wellington Institute of Technology | ITP | 139 | 247 | 0 | 139 | |
| Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki | ITP | 88 | 116 | 0 | 88 | |
| Whitireia NZ | ITP | 118 | 257 | 0 | 118 | |
| University of Auckland | University | 1297 | 3688 | 473 | 824 | |
| Auckland University of Technology | University | 744 | 2642 | 62 | 682 | |
| University of Canterbury | University | 834 | 1644 | 435 | 577 | Jack Heinemann, Garrick Cooper |
| Lincoln University | University | 281 | 574 | 136 | 145 | Malcolm Burns, George Hill |
| Massey University | University | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | |
| University of Otago | University | 508 | 1564 | 0 | 508 | Craig Marshall (academic) |
| Victoria University of Wellington | University | 775 | 1701 | 281 | 494 | Mere Broughton, Stephen Blumenfeld, David Weatherburn, Dougal McNeill |
| University of Waikato | University | 521 | 1383 | 169 | 352 | Te Huirangi Waikerepuru Cat Pausé |
| Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi | Wānanga | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | |
| Te Wānanga o Aotearoa | Wānanga | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | No Available Data | |
| All data from the 2014 TEU Annual Report |||||||

## International

Through membership of Education International, TEU is linked to international education groups worldwide, and a wide range of education unions and through membership of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, TEU works with other unions to improve the position of all New Zealand workers.
* TEU Branch presidents in April 2014
* Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, elder of the TEU
* Dr Tom Ryan and Grant Robertson, MP