Janeen Cramond. Photo supplied.
District nurse Janeen Cramond has been an ANMF member her entire working life, but only became a Job Rep at her current workplace, Bolton Clarke, about a year ago.
It was a decision driven ‘out of frustration’, she says, due to the Bolton Clarke EBA being five years out of date – it had expired in June 2018.
‘There was only one Job Rep working in the East and I felt it was time to put my hand up and help out, even though I only work part time,’ she explains. ‘That was in February 2023, and I quickly found myself on the bargaining committee for the EBA with some other long standing Job Reps.’
It turned out to be a positive decision, with Janeen particularly appreciating ‘the opportunity to work with ANMF on the bargaining committee to ensure that our log of claims for the new EBA reflects what the nurses at Bolton Clarke want.’
This is especially important, she explains, due to the extra complexity arising as a result of Bolton Clarke merging the Royal District Nursing Service, the RSL and the Allity EBAs into one agreement.
The only way to ensure that this new whole-of-Victoria Bolton Clarke agreement appropriately improves workplace conditions and entitlements for nurses is for nurses to be actively involved in renewing it. The more, the better. Janeen has been leading by example, and has been very actively involved in the process as a bargaining representative over the past year.
That work has paid off and she has been gratified to see some gains happening after years of inaction – revived negotiations for the new agreement began in early 2024. But the more Job Reps across the services who get involved, the better the eventual outcome will be for Bolton Clarke’s nurses.
‘We would really love to have more Job Reps,’ Janeen says, to help ensure the best possible outcome. ‘Residential aged care will be under the new EBA and I particularly encourage members working in the Bolton Clarke RACF to consider being a Job Rep. You will be most welcomed by the Job Reps in At Home Support.’
Beyond her work supporting the EBA negotiations, Janeen’s day-to-day Job Rep work has not required much change to her previous working routine. It is primarily about communication – chatting with colleagues about their concerns, and advocating for ANMF.
There are some unique challenges for district nurses in this regard: ‘I’m a care manager out on the road,’ she explains. ‘Nearly all of our workforce is remote/mobile so communication and connecting with members can be challenging (though far easier with the advent of Teams meetings).’
At the end of the day, however, it’s a challenge that Janeen relishes. Being a Job Rep has given her a new appreciation of how diverse nurses’ roles are ‘even just within the community and residential care space’ – and of how important it is to represent and advocate for all of them.
