Yesterday, in front of the Lismore City Hall over 50 members of the community, Educators, Directors and families, came from Lismore Clunes, Jiggi, Alstonville, Lennox Woodburn and Evans Head to join together to strike against pay and conditions that they say, is long overdue for an industry-wide upgrade.

Childcare workers protested here and across the country to increase the pay rate where the minimum wage (entry wage) for a childcare worker is just $21.75 per hour.

After 3 years of work and study, an Early Childhood Educator who has completed a Diploma can earn just $27.89 per hour. "This low award wage is the reason" stated Trish and Bronte from Friends Childcare in Lismore, "for a high staff turnover and part of what is causing challenges for children who aren't able to develop consistent relationships with experienced and dedicated staff".

Deborah Marks, an educator who organised the event in Lismore, also delivered the following letter to Janelle Saffin's staff at the event, saying that Lismore was just the first step, the next step is the parliament!

(Deb Marks behind the mic with some of the kids supporting their teachers at yesterday's strike)

"Dear Janelle,

The early learning sector is in crisis. 

As an Early Childhood Educators in your electorate, we are asking you to be a part of a better future. 

Educators are leaving the sector in record numbers every week, due to burn-out, workload and low pay. Centres across the country are having to limit enrolments, close rooms and cancel staff leave. Children and families are suffering due to the strain.

Educators, children, and families deserve better. 

This is why we as Educators are here taking action on 7 September 2022. 

After almost a decade of neglect, we urgently need the Federal Government to deliver on three key priorities:

• Give educators a reason to stay and pay them what they are worth, ( $24 an hour doesn’t cut it)

• Value early learning as part of the education system, as it is just as important as schools, and

• Put children before profit.

It’s time to reform the early learning sector for good!

We ask that you take action on this.

Sincerely yours 

Northern Rivers Educators". 

Another challenge is the large amount of unpaid labour expected of early childhood educators who spend many hours in their own time, developing child-led programs, because XX says, there simply isn't enough time in their paid hours to provide this level of care, which she is clearly passionate about.

One thing was clear as the Lismore App spoke to the local educator's and that is, that they all share a passion and love for what they do, and recognise the importance of the formative years (the first 8) on lifelong learning and career outcomes.

Image: The passionate staff from Clunes Preschool: Yolanda Peraita, Jack Auckram, Anne Hosking, Skye Lawrence, Kate Behan. 

Bronte from Friends Childcare Centre in Lismore said "I'm having to decide between the reality that under these conditions, I will never be able to afford to buy a house, and as a young woman, I shouldn't have to choose between a career I love, and the other life goals I have."

An impassioned parent spoke at the rally saying she felt "the sense of acute injustice and shame" every day that she was leaving her children, to those in the most important job, for such a low take-home wage.

She spoke of the benefits of Early Childhood Education on the development of her child's life, from their emotional regulation, positive behavioural shaping, and child-led interests and learning, and how she strongly supported, and will continue to show up at rallies, a wage increase in line with the increased cost of living and education and training, as well as responsibility, that workers such as these who care for her children, are expected to hold.

Early childhood educators often pay for their own education, and ongoing professional development is an industry expectation, to deliver best possible outcomes. This too is something strikers said needs to be considered and valued, accordingly.

Kirby Barker a Banjalung woman from the Bundjalung Nation, spoke about the passion she had for caring for children in her community at her Evans Head pre-school for the past 10 years, "I love my job and I love what I do, I love going onto country and working with my people, and love going to work every day, but love doesn't pay my bills, love doesn't put food on the table or pay my mortgage".

Kirby also told the Lismore App, that as a woman, she feels the current level of wages across the industry is a gendered issue.

"Women are still seen as the primary caregivers and expected to care, even professionally, without adequate pay for their service.

"If more women, and mothers, were in parliament, perhaps this would change. It's a systemic issue, but it's causing massive effects for our communities, for the children, the families and those who have to leave the jobs they love, to pursue a career change, so they can afford their rent, groceries and costs of living."

Liz Grey from Care-Ring Childrens Centre, has worked in the sector for 40 years and said she had seen the changes, and that there is "an unfortunate lack of respect, with no real gains for the sector in the past 40 years, aside from the gain of educators needing to be trained to a high level, which she said, "is great, and very important, but then there is no matching income to support this extra work we are doing".

"Men aren't stupid," said Trish from Friends Childcare Centre in Lismore. "They aren't here working under these conditions, they know they won't get ahead. But we need more men in the industry, particularly for kids who don't have positive male role models at home."

Jack Auckram, a male-bodied human from Clunes pre-school confirmed that there aren't necessarily many other males but that it's important for kids to have the input of male educators, and that while he absolutely loves his job, which he has been working in for 2 years, it's a struggle to consider a career in the industry due to the cost of living pressures which have increased in the past 24 months. Jack realises that he too, won't be able to buy a house under the current wage subsidies, and that even rents have gone up and continue to do so, which has made things particularly tricky.

Janelle Saffin, Lismore's State MP says "Our Childcare workers are entrusted with our precious children, and need to have the best working conditions to fully support them to do their job".