Dear Member,

Shortly your employer will be asking all Cranbrook Care staff to vote on a new enterprise agreement.

Your enterprise agreement sets out your wages and conditions at work, so it’s important everyone understands how the agreement will affect them and has a say in the vote.

The enterprise agreement will only be accepted if a majority of people who cast a vote, vote ‘yes’ - therefore, it’s up to you to decide if this agreement is good enough.

Cranbrook has now agreed to important changes in your proposed enterprise agreement to ensure your pay rates conditions are protected, including:

• 3.5 per cent increase to wages per annum, with back pay from 1 July 2023.
• Cranbrook Care to always pay at least 10 cents above the relevant Modern Awards.
• Improved protections for part-time aged care employees, ensuring that there will be written agreement on the guaranteed minimum number of hours to be worked, the days of the week and shifts that will be worked and the starting and finishing times each day, prior to commencing employment.
• Casual minimum engagement has been increased from two hours to three hours.
• Annual leave loading will be paid on all annual leave taken and not limited to four weeks per year.
• Increase of “top-up” pay, totalling 10 weeks for primary carer and 3 weeks for secondary leave.

Next Steps

Before voting opens, your employer must share a copy of the proposed agreement with you and provide details on all the proposed changes.

Please review this information carefully and if you have any questions, get in contact with the HSU.

HSU will also be sending out further information about the proposal next week, to help members understand what is on offer.

You can find a copy of your proposed enterprise agreement here.

The new agreement can only be accepted if a majority of staff who vote, vote “yes”.

If you don’t like what is being offered and would like to keep negotiating, we encourage you to vote “no”.

If you have any questions about your proposed enterprise agreement, please contact the HSU for assistance.