Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)
Being a unionist is in Lisa Murphy’s DNA. “It’s part of my family heritage, being from a Catholic family there are a lot of
teachers in my background. My Mum was a high school teacher in the 1970s, she taught in all sorts of Auckland schools and was always involved in the union. So, we had discussions about Tomorrow’s Schools, education, and politics. “Being a union member is just not something I would question, I suppose. I never look at the subs and think I could save that money.
Chairing with gusto
Paul Stevens, Chair of PPTA’s Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland region, nominated Lisa for the Guy Allan award. “As branch chair, Lisa has taken to this role with gusto, ensuring her colleagues and comrades are well supported and well connected to the work of the PPTA. Lisa should feel proud that she has maintained a strong branch through very tricky times.
“To me Lisa is the demonstration of what PPTA Te Wehengarua represents at its best: a humble hard-working teacher and activist, who cares about our rangatahi, supports her colleagues, and recognises the important work of our collective to ensure the future of our profession.”
When Lisa heard she had won the award, she felt pleased and proud. “I feel like I put in the work and the award is an acknowledgement of that which is nice. It is also an acknowledgement of the branch behind me and around me.” A sign of a great leader is that they do not have to be present for the work to continue. “I was away last July and a bunch of them went to the pub and wrote a submission on charter schools.”
Enjoying the role
There are many reasons why Lisa enjoys being a branch chair. “I love the people I work with; I want to bring them together so they have a place they can feel safe and heard- and get power from each other.” She also finds the political and social dynamics fascinating. “We’ve got these really interesting political and social structures going on, like why are people in the union or not? The political background to that, their choices of why they are in the union or not fascinate me, how they are led to their various political choices and why.
‘It is also an acknowledgement of the branch behind me and around me.’
“I really enjoy navigating the variety of views that you get across such a big branch and I’m always quite amazed by the psychology of it, how different perceptions can be of any one issue.” Being a staunch PPTA member, Lisa has always been interested in union meetings and how they operate. She was an observer at Annual Conference a couple of years ago and was fascinated. “Seeing the formal processes that are happening, I was amazed by that because in my daily life as an art and art history teacher, I touch on politics and philosophy, but to see democracy in action and how structured it is, was really inspiring. It was like being in a mini government.”
Tips for new branch chairs
Lisa has some tips for new branch chairs in preparation for this year’s collective agreement campaign. Go to your regional meetings and get as much information as you can because the members will be hungry for information
about what’s going on. Set up regular meetings – because most members would prefer to hear it in a discussion or meeting than have to read a whole lot of emails. Some people do read the emails so they can bring the information to the meeting. Make sure meetings are a nice place to be- have a bit of food if your branch can afford it. And provide the opportunity for members to share but keep it focused as well – not a whinge fest.
* PPTA Te Wehengarua established the Guy Allan award in 2005 to recognise outstanding branch activism in the Counties-Manukau and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland regions. The award commemorates the late Guy Allan — a former PPTA branch chair and Auckland based field officer who was renowned for his commitment to unionism and branch activism.
Last modified on Thursday, 27 March 2025 11:44
