KEY POINTS:
Two tertiary education unions are merging to create the 11,500-strong Tertiary Education Union.
The union, effective from January 1 2009, combines the Association of University Staff (AUS) and the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education (ASTE) and will represent academic and general staff in New Zealand's eight universities, 20 polytechnics and institutes of technology, two wananga and a number of allied organisations.
AUS members voted 77 per cent in favour of amalgamation, while 94 per cent of ASTE members supported it.
AUS president Associate Professor Maureen Montgomery and ASTE president Tangi Tipene said they were delighted with the strong support.
"Both unions have worked successfully together and already collaborate in the negotiation of collective employment agreements in the university sector, and the benefits of this cooperation would be enhanced by amalgamation," Prof Montgomery said.
Ms Tipene said amalgamation would strengthen both the political and industrial objectives of union members and would allow for the better use of resources.
Preparations for the formation of the new union were under way, with a rules conference to be held in July and the two unions to hold a joint conference in November.
- NZPA
