My name is David Brophy. I’m an academic in History and have been a member of the NTEU since getting my first job in 2011. I joined the Branch Committee soon after coming to Sydney in 2013 and have been on it—with one interlude—ever since. The NTEU is one of the best things about working here. The values our union embodies—mutual support and democracy—are things that Sydney University needs much more of.
I’ve been active in three industrial campaigns at Sydney, which means I’ve helped organise strikes, run picket lines, spoken at rallies etc. I joined the bargaining team in the latter half of the most recent EA campaign, and quickly got an education in detailed, face-to-face industrial negotiations with the corporate law-firm we were up against. No EA is perfect (I was among those arguing to keep fighting), but we achieved a lot in that 2022-23 campaign: we saved important conditions and won gains of national significance. A major focus of my term as president will be to coordinate the collective development of our next log of claims and get the branch ready to take industrial action when bargaining opens again in June 2026.
I’m currently the branch’s vice-president for academic staff, so I’ve had a close-up view of what the president’s role involves. It’s a big job, not something I take on lightly. There are spot fires breaking out across the university all the time – excessive workloads, bullying, mistreatment of casualized staff, and a corporate management style that prefers staff to be seen but not heard. Much of our new EA still needs to be enforced, with the University held to account on questions like Indigenous employment. We will need to strongly resist any new punitive measures that accompany the Academic Excellence Framework, and be prepared for the possibility that the VC may use the window between bargaining to launch further such attacks.
Nick Riemer is leaving big shoes to fill. Our branch has a strong democratic culture that we need to value and develop. Our lively all-in members meetings put decision-making where it should be—in the hands of ordinary members. But just as important are good communications, ongoing recruitment, smaller local meetings, and the fostering of workplace activism. Developing our confidence to kick up a fuss wherever we are, whenever we feel it’s necessary, is the way we’ll build a successful union.
Finally, a note on Palestine. I’ve long been a supporter of Palestinian rights, and an advocate of the boycott of Israeli institutions. Our colleagues in Gaza need meaningful action from us, and I will look for ways to implement and build on the solidarity resolution we have adopted as a branch. The current upsurge of support for Palestine has also raised important issues of intellectual freedom and free speech on campus, which our union must remain vigilant on.
I want the Sydney University NTEU to be a place where we can discuss and debate all kinds of issues arising at the local, national, and international levels. The AUKUS pact and the militarization of higher education also require a response from the NTEU.
I’m running in this election with a ticket called Rank and File Action. It’s an alliance of activists of various left persuasions that came together during our last industrial campaign. Personally, I’d describe myself as an independent socialist, who puts most of their political energy into union work. RAFA has a vision of radical, grassroots unionism, but always seeks to build as much unity as possible. That sums up how I intend to approach this job.
Rank-And-File Action USYD 