Staff ‘threatened’ and ‘berated’ by union secretary, a Fair Work Commission investigation has heard

Senior workers have lifted the lid on the culture of the state’s Education Union, claiming they were ‘bullied’ and ‘threatened’ by a senior staff member.

Australian Education Union (AEU) President Howard Spreadbury speaks to members during a rally outside the Department of Education building in Adelaide. (AAP Image/Kelly Barnes) NO ARCHIVING

Australian Education Union staff claim they felt “threatened”, “devalued” and “distressed” after allegedly being “berated” by a union secretary, a FairWork Commission hearing into bullying has heard.

Union staffer Howard Spreadbury has sparked action against his employer - the Australian Education Union SA - and current secretary Matthew Cherry in the Fair Work Commission over a series of alleged incidents between January and July 2024.

Mr Spreadbury, who worked as president of the union until 2019, claimed three separate alleged incidents with Mr Cherry left him “shattered”.

Howard Spreadbury claims he was “berated” by union secretary Matthew Cherry (AAP Image/Kelly Barnes)

One of the alleged incidents, on March 1, came after Mr Spreadbury contacted Education Minister Blair Boyer about a recent trip to Whyalla for the opening of a secondary college.

He alleges Mr Cherry called him into his office, before launching at him in an “aggressive manner” as the interaction with Mr Boyer wasn’t endorsed by the union.

“I had no idea what the idea was to be about and that I was going to be berated in such a hostile manner,” Mr Spreadbury told the hearing.

“I was feeling unwell, even talking about it now makes me feel distressed.

“In 50 years of working in public education, in schools and the union, as a president … I have never experienced an interaction like I did on that day.”

Mr Spreadbury says he was “threatened” by union secretary Matthew Cherry. Picture Dean Martin

The hearing heard it came after Mr Cherry allegedly told staff in January that if someone “was bad for culture, they wouldn’t be offered ongoing employment”.

Mr Spreadbury said the incident left him worried about his ongoing employment, with other workers also feeling threatened.

He told the hearing Mr Cherry reminded workers about the union’s code of conduct and informed them of changes to working from home requirements in a third incident in July 2024.

Mr Cherry was not present today, but his legal council did question some of these claims and Mr Cherry will give evidence later on.

The investigation will be ongoing for another four days.

Mr Spreadbury said the interaction left him feeling “devalued” as a senior member of staff.

“He made it clear that working from home was no longer an option,” Mr Spreadbury said.

“It was very direct, it was quite authoritarian.

“I didn’t feel valued … we were not being valued as workers.”

Mr Spreadbury is one of three senior AEU staff to address the FairWork Commission this week over claims of bullying.

He is one of three Education Union workers to make claims of bullying.

It comes after a 40-page annexure listed specific and detailed grievances by 12 staff members, including claims of being yelled at, emails containing threats of dismissal, “mysterious” dismissals of staff, belittling of staff, unrealistic demands, a “toxic atmosphere” and orders not to have “quiet conversations” with colleagues.

One staff member wrote “If a leadership team was behaving like this in a school we would be outraged. Now we live in fear within our own union. I constantly feel panicked.”

Another wrote: “I have witnessed colleagues in tears and heard of their suffering health.”

The hearing is set to continue all week.