Student Voice for RUSU

We love this song by the Smiths. What's your favourite song for when you're in a good mood?

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead From the album: The Queen Is Dead

Vote [1] Social Justice for RUSU in the student union elections next week.

Voting is open via a link in your student email.

Authorised by the Returning Officer & Ella Marchionda s3721915.

VOTING IS OPEN NOW! VOTE [1] SOCIAL JUSTICE!

Social Justice will fight to stop RMIT ripping off students – education should be free, not run for profit!

- Undergraduate students who started in 2021 are paying up to $3000/year more
- International students pay up to three times more for a degree, sometimes up to $69,000
- Meanwhile Australia’s billionaires have more than doubled their wealth since the start of the pandemic, to over $255 billion at the start of this year!

Fee hikes and funding cuts are robbing students blind while our education gets worse and worse. All the while the wealth Australia’s richest have made over just the last year could have made education free for domestic and international students for over a decade! If we want to make our education a priority, we have to fight for it.

Vote [1] Social Justice for a union that fights to tax the rich and make education free!

Authorised by the returning officer and Ella Marchionda s3721915.

Vote [1] Social Justice for RUSU in the student union elections next week.

Voting is open via a link in your student email.

Authorised by the Returning Officer & Ella Marchionda s3721915.

Students shouldn’t live in poverty – Social Justice will fight to raise welfare to $1500/fortnight!

Students have been doing it tough trying to keep up with the rising cost of living. Prices are soaring due to inflation but welfare payments have stayed below the poverty line. This hits students disproportionately since they are concentrated in casualised work along with their studies and struggle to pay for the basic necessities such as rent and groceries.

We need a student union that fights for a dignified life for all students and that means mass increases to welfare! RUSU should work with the National Union of Students to fight to raise welfare permanently to $1500/fortnight for all.

Vote [1] Social Justice for a union that fights to give all students a livable income!

Authorised by the returning officer and Ella Marchionda s3721915.

Vote [1] Social Justice for RUSU in the student union elections next week.

Authorised by the Returning Officer & Ella Marchionda s3721915.

Vote [1] Social Justice for an activist RUSU!

Social Justice for RUSU is a group of left-wing students who want change in our student union.

Students are angry. The climate is being destroyed. University fees are going up. Classes are overcrowded. Our tutors are stretched and underpaid.

S*xism, racism & homophobia are rife in society. Social Justice wants a student union that will stand up for students.

RUSU has a budget of $4 million. It has the capacity to run campaigns for climate justice, LGBTQI+ rights, and better education.

We need free education now. RMIT’s executives earn over $500,000. Our vice chancellor earns over a million. Their salaries should be cut and put into staff and student services. Our education should not be sacrificed for profits.

Our candidates are all activists who have organised a number of campaigns, such as:
• to free the Park Hotel refugees
• for a free Palestine
• against the massive increases to our university fees
• for LGBTQI+ rights, against the religious discrimination bill
• the recent 15,000-strong protests in defence of abortion rights
• campus protests against RMIT’s ties to weapons manufacturing
companies who profit from genocide
• climate justice campaigns through RMIT Students for Climate Justice

Vote for Social Justice if you want RUSU to fight for students.

Authorised by Ella Marchionda s3721915. Authorised by the Returning Officer.

Student Voice for RUSU fully endorses and supports Social Justice for RUSU in the RUSU elections coming up next Monday.

We need left-wing activists in the student union who are going to fight to make RUSU a union that does what union’s should do - fight for students.

Social Justice for RUSU has candidates who have been activists in a number of campaigns in Melbourne - from fighting for climate justice, fighting for a Free Palestine & to end weapons companies on our campus, fighting for abortion rights, and organising campaigns to free the Park Hotel refugees.

We also need activists in our union to stand against our Vice Chancellor and demand better education for all students. We need free education for all students and to stand against the exploitation of international students by the university sector for profits.

Vote [1] Social Justice for RUSU in the student union elections next week.

Polling opens at 9am on Monday via a link in your student email.

Authorised by the Returning Officer & Ella Marchionda s3721915

Who is Social Justice?

We are the left-wing activists running in the RMIT student union (RUSU) elections. We’re standing because we think students’ lives are getting worse and the union needs to do something about it.

The climate is being destroyed. University fees are going up, while classes are growing more crowded and our tutors are more stretched. S*xism, racism and homophobia are rife in society. Social Justice wants a student union that will take a stand against this.

RUSU has a budget of $4 million. It could be running serious campaigns for a better education, for student welfare, LGBTQI+ rights and climate justice. Our candidates are all activists who have organised a number of campaigns, such as:
- to free the Park Hotel refugees
- for a free Palestine
- against the massive increases to our university fees
- for LGBTQI+ rights, against the religious discrimination bill
- the recent 15,000-strong protests in defence of abortion rights
- to cut RMIT’s ties to weapons manufacturing companies who profit from genocide
to end coal, oil and gas, through RMIT Students for Climate Justice

Vote [1] Social Justice if you want RUSU to fight for students.

Authorised by the returning officer and Ella Marchionda s3721915.

Thanks to everyone who voted Student Voice!

We're so excited to be able to keep fighting for principled left-wing politics in the student union with our 2 NUS Delegates and at least one General Representative (but results haven't been fully declared so keep an eye out!).

You can get involved with left wing activism right now at the Building anti-fascist activism @ RMIT on Monday!

Student Voice candidates recently were part of a campaign to bring a social justice department to RUSU. An elected Social Justice Officer could promote activism and mobilise RMIT students around important issues they care about.

A social justice officer could:

- fight racism and stand in solidarity with BLM

- fight for climate justice

- fight against Islamophobia, as RMIT students did in 2019 in solidarity with victims of the Christchurch massacre

- fight to free refugees tortured by the Australian government

- fight for RMIT to end its partnerships with weapons manufacturing companies that build weapons which Israel uses to murder Palestinians

- fight against attacks on LGBT rights, such as the “religious discrimination” bills

Students unions have historically been radical, fighting bodies that have been on the front lines of social and political issues.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a union that fights for social justice!

Authorised by Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman 3486140.

VOTING CLOSES AT 2PM TODAY!

Today is your last chance to vote in the RUSU elections! Remember to vote [1] Student Voice. We want a fighting, left wing student union which stands up for education and social justice.

If you want a student union that fights the climate crisis, fights for free education and fights against racism, vote for activists in the RMIT student union!

You can find the link to vote in your student email.

Make sure to put Student Voice [1] for every position.

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Vote [1] Student Voice for an activist RUSU that fights sexism!

**Voting is open NOW - check your RMIT student email for the voting link!**

Earlier this year Student Voice candidates organised a rally against Liberal Party Minister Alan Tudge on campus. At a time when Christian Porter was exposed as an extreme sexist and alleged ra**st, we took a stand against the ruling class sexism endemic in the Liberal Party, which Alan Tudge is also complicit in.

We made it clear that students did not welcome the invitation by RMIT executives of an enemy of students and women onto our campus.

Women’s rights have only ever been won with struggle from below. We must build movements against those in power who foster sexism to put down and oppress women.

(Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.)

Over the past few days Melbourne has seen the largest far-right rallies in recent memory. These protests are led by covid conspiracists and far-right groups to oppose public health measures that ensure the safety of the community.

Student Voice for RUSU:
1/ publicly condemns the recent protests led by Covid deniers and far-right groups against mandatory vaccinations and lockdowns, and their attack on the headquarters of the Victorian CFMEU.

2/ declares its support for covid-safe classrooms with adequate PPE and ventilation, and public campaigns for students to get vaccinated.

3/ supports joint action with other student unions to oppose a reckless, profit-driven re-opening of the economy in Victoria, in opposition to those forces such as the protestors who seek to jeopardise this.

4/ supports work with anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigns to protest against the growing far right movement when it is possible to do so.

5/ stands in solidarity with our teachers and recognises that a reckless re-opening puts them at risk.

There has never been a more important time to unequivocally declare support for public health measures and for anti-racist and anti-fascist resistance.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a union that is actively anti-fascist.

(approved by the returning officer & approved by natalie acreman s3486140)

Student Voice candidates have been fighting to change RUSU’s constitution to make our union more democratic, accountable and transparent.

- Students should have a right to speak! All RMIT students should be assured the right to speak and participate in RUSU’s monthly student council meetings. We should be able to ask questions of our elected representatives and move motions to ensure our union fights for what students care about.

- Student Union Council minutes should be published! Students should be able to know what our union is speaking about, and how it’s money is being spent.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a more democratic union!

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Capitalism is destroying the planet. We need anti-capitalist activists in the student union to build campaigns to fight for climate justice - Vote NOW (closes Friday 2pm) to help make that happen!

RMIT has strong ties to weapons manufacturers responsible for fueling the climate crisis. RUSU should campaign to force it to cut these ties and to put pressure on the government to shut down the fossil fuel industry and transition to a sustainable future.

Student Voice candidates founded RMIT Students for Climate Justice. We’ve built climate strikes and organised protests like the Sack Scomo rallies during the Black Summer bushfires. We think the student union should be leading the charge for climate justice.

If elected Student Voice candidates will commit to making climate activism a key focus of RUSU.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a union that fights for climate justice!

(authorised by the returning officer. authorised by natalie acreman s3486140)

Vote [1] Student Voice for an activist RUSU!

Voting is open NOW. Check your student email for an email titled: "RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) 2021 Annual Election - Voting Link", and click on the link to vote.

Vote [1] Student Voice above the line for every position.

We want to fight for a union that actually fights for students and social justice.

Approved by the Returning Officer. Approved by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Student voice will fight to end the fee discrimination that international students face. International students typically pay up to three times more for courses than domestic students and make billions of dollars of profits for the university bosses. International students should not be exploited by RMIT or be forced to live in overpriced and cramped student accommodation services.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a disproportionate effect on International students. These students had no access to welfare from the Australian government, have lost jobs, and have struggled to be able to pay rent and daily living expenses.

Student Voice candidates will fight against fee discrimination and for free education for international students in Australia. We’ll also fight for international students to have full access to social welfare from the government.

Vote [1] Student Voice for an activist RUSU!

Voting is open NOW. Check your student email for an email titled: "RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) 2021 Annual Election - Voting Link", and click on the link to vote. Vote [1] Student Voice above the line for every position.

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Two weeks ago, Student Voice candidates went to the Special General Meeting (SGM) to try and make RUSU more activist and democratic by adding a Social Justice Officer position and changing the constitution to let regular students speak at RUSU council meetings.

The meeting was chaired by RUSU President, Akshay Jose, who used his privileges as the chairperson to present long arguments against the motions, disrupt debate, and enforce a one minute speaking limit.

Candidates from the Together team argued against the proposed motions 3a and 3b and voted that RUSU doesn’t need a Social Justice Officer, and that students shouldn’t have the right to speak at council meetings or be notified by email of when the council meetings take place.

Students at RMIT deserve better! We need a student union that is actively involved in building social justice campaigns around issues that matter to RMIT students. We need a union that is relevant to the student body and encourages students to hold their elected officers to account by coming to student council meetings.

Student Voice thinks that RUSU should be an activist body that fights for students and for social justice. Student unions exist to defend our education and fight for issues that students care about and that means organising students to fight back!

Vote [1] Student Voice for RUSU!

(Authorised by the returning officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140)

Students shouldn’t live in poverty – Student Voice will fight to raise Jobseeker to $1500/fortnight!

Students have suffered disproportionately from the global crises we’re facing. Our education has been gutted and fees have soared. Young workers are at risk on the front lines and Centrelink payments have fallen back below the poverty line. Students are concentrated in casualised work and many have lost jobs.

We need a student union that fights for a dignified life for all students and that means mass increases to welfare! RUSU should work with the National Union of Students to fight to raise JobSeeker permanently to $1500/fortnight for all.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a union that fights to give all students a livable income!

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

We need left-wing activists at every level of every union. Last year our candidate for NUS delegate, Natalie, led the fightback against the federal government’s attacks on higher education as part of the leadership of the National Union of Students.

We want the National Union of Students to be committed to grassroots student activism against the government and university administration. Support Student Voice’s activists in the NUS to support left wing student unionism across the country.

Vote [1] Student Voice and [2] Momentum above the line for NUS Delegates.

The voting link is in your RMIT student email titled “RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) 2021 Annual Election - Voting Link”.

Authorised by the returning officer. authorised by natalie acreman s3486140.

Attention all RMIT Students!

Vote [1] Student Voice to get left-wing activists elected into your student union.

*Voting is open NOW*
To vote:
- check your RMIT student email for an email titled "RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) 2021 Annual Election - Voting Link"
- This email will include the voting link.
- Vote [1] Student Voice above the line for every position.

Student Voice candidates are all activists.

We have been involved in:
- campaigning against the fee hikes proposed by the Liberals
- fighting against university management against attacks on staff and courses
- building protests for climate justice on and off campus
- protesting to free the refugees imprisoned just up the road from RMIT
- campaigning in solidarity with Palestine
- protesting against Liberal Party MPs on our campus
- fighting against the religious discrimination bills - a massive attack on women and the LGBT community

We will fight for your rights, not just your BBQs.

(Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.)

VOTING IS OPEN to Vote [1] Student Voice for an activist RUSU!

We need left-wing activists in our union to fight for students, climate and social justice. Every vote for us is a step towards making that happen!

To vote:
- click the link sent to your RMIT student email from the “RUSU Returning Officer” titled "RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) 2021 Annual Election - Voting Link"

- Vote [1] Student Voice above the line for all Office Bearer Positions

- Vote [1] Student Voice above the line for General Representative positions

- Vote [1] Student Voice and [2] Momentum above the line for NUS Delegates

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Voting opens online tomorrow!

Vote [1] Student Voice for an activist RUSU!

We need left-wing activists in our union to fight for students, climate and social justice. Every vote for us is a step towards making that happen!

You will get an email with a voting link in your RMIT student inbox from 10am.

To vote:
- click the link sent to your RMIT student email from the “RUSU Returning Officer” titled "RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) 2021 Annual Election - Voting Link"

- Vote [1] Student Voice above the line for all Office Bearer Positions

- Vote [1] Student Voice above the line for General Representative positions

- Vote [1] Student Voice and [2] Momentum above the line for NUS Delegates

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Scott Morrison’s national plan and the relentless tirade by the business class for us to “live with COVID” must be opposed. RUSU should be fighting for public health to be put before profits and reject the premature reopening of the economy. Public health issues affect students so RUSU should not be silent on this issue.

Living with COVID-19 at 70% vaccination rates of people over 16 (only 56% of the population) means dying with COVID. It means a hospital system that will not be able to cope, it means overworked and understaffed healthcare workers. Until adequate health measures are taken,students and young people will continue to be at risk of COVID-19 at work and in universities.

Vote [1] Student Voice for an activist RUSU!

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Meet all of our other candidates running with us in the RUSU elections - voting starts on Monday September 20!

We are all dedicated left-wing activists who think our student union should be a body that actively fights for our rights and for social justice.

Vote [1] Student Voice for activists in the RMIT student union!

Authorised by the Returning Officer.
Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Student Voice will fight to make RMIT’s filthy-rich executives take a pay cut!

Our vice-chancellor earns $1.1 million, while the rest of the 15-person executive receives an average of $545,000 a year. Together they earn enough to pay for 175 of RMIT’s lowest-paid workers. Yet last year they sacked over 1200 staff. Hundreds of casually employed teachers, librarians, student enquiries staff and IT workers had their contracts abruptly terminated. Before these cuts RMIT already had one of the worst student/staff ratios in the country.

RMIT puts profits before our education. Class sizes are bigger than ever, waiting times longer, and staff are more overworked. Meanwhile, RMIT has been taken to court for slashing the time tutors were paid to mark assignments down to 10 minutes. Clearly RMIT doesn’t take our education seriously, or care about the lives of its staff. RMIT should pay, not staff and students!

Vote [1] Student Voice to make our rich university foot the bill!

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Student Voice will fight to make RMIT cut its ties to arms manufacturers and will fight for a free Palestine and support resistance to the ongoing genocide and oppression of palestinians by the apartheid Israeli state.

RMIT partners with weapons manufacturing companies that export war and persecution across the globe, such as

- Boeing Defense, who create the guidance systems used by the bombs dropped on Gaza just this year

- BAE Systems, who developed the guidance systems for the precision artillery used to bomb civilian hospitals, schools and refugee camps in Palestine

- Elbit Systems, who contributed to the death of more than 2,168 Palestinians, including over 500 children, in the 2014 assault on Gaza

Weapons manufacturing companies also have serious effects on the climate. Lockheed Martin’s drones and missiles were responsible for emitting 1.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases during the ongoing global ‘War on Terror.’

Our student union must demand RMIT cut all ties to the military industrial complex that fuels imperialist wars and destroys the planet.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a student union that will fight to kick arms manufacturers out of RMIT & stands with Palestine!

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Hi, we’re Bela & Casey, and we’re running to be your Q***r Officers in 2022!

A student union should be a body that is willing to take a leading role in fostering activism and fighting for the students it represents, this is especially the case for the RUSU q***r department.

History shows us that fighting back against our oppression is the most effective way to win, such as in the Stonewall riot which turned into the Gay Liberation Front and the Mardi Gras riot of 1978 in Australia. In more recent memory, the equal marriage campaign in Australia, one of the largest civil rights movements in Australia’s history.

As q***r officers, we will organise campaigns against the Morrison government’s proposed “religous discrimination bill” which could see doctors refusing to treat q***r patients under the guise of ‘religious freedom’. We can’t be passive when threatened with these unprecedented attacks on LGBT+ rights!

Its time the RUSU q***r department actually dedicates itself to fighting for q***r liberation.


Vote [1] Student Voice for activist Q***r Officers.

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Name & Shame: tell us your unpaid internship horror story!

*****

Every year, more and more students are encouraged to take up unpaid internships to increase their ‘employability’ and acquire ‘valuable experience’ in their sector. Many students are, in fact, made to take unpaid work as a requirement of their study. For some, this means up to a whole year’s worth of unpaid, thankless toil under bosses only too happy to accept the free labour. These students are being robbed of up to $60,000 a year, on top of soaring education fees.

Australian law stipulates that unpaid internships must not involve productive work—i.e., work that an ordinary employee would be required to perform. Studies have also shown that unpaid internships and placements don’t necessarily improve employability. This is a rort that RMIT management is only too happy to go along with, spruiking to potential industry partners the “top-tier talent and work-ready graduates” that they have to offer.

University management and big business work hand-in-glove to rip off cash-strapped students for everything they have.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a student union that demands an end to all unpaid internships.

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.

Hi, I’m Amelia and I am running for Women’s Officer for RUSU in 2022.

To me, being the Women's Officer means fighting against sexism, on and off campus. It means standing up against politicians like the Education Minister Alan Tudge (the BFF of Christian Porter and renowned sexist) when they want to come onto our campus, to make them know that RMIT students don't accept sexists. Which is exactly what me and other students from Student Voice did, at our protest against Tudge in March.

Over my time at RMIT I have helped organise and build a wide range of campaigns and rallies including refugee rights, climate justice and against sexist politicians like Christian Porter and Alan Tudge. Because of this I am able to bring a whole wealth of experience and knowledge to the student union and help to rebuild an active resistance against sexist policies and institutions.

Vote [1] Student Voice for an activist RUSU!

Authorised by the Returning Officer and Natalie Acreman s3486140.

I’m Cormac and I’m running for Sustainability Officer for RUSU.

I’m running with Student Voice because I think RUSU should be an activist union that organises students to fight for climate justice. It should put pressure on RMIT to cut its ties to the diabolical and environmentally destructive arms manufacturers it partners with. RUSU should ensure that whenever there’s a climate strike we can use our power as students to shut our university down. A student union doing that wouldn’t just be making a difference at RMIT: it could make life hard for the Scott Morrisons and Gina Rineharts of the world.

The climate crisis is what made me an activist. Since March 2019, I’ve helped set up climate activism groups including RMIT Students for Climate Justice. Alongside other Student Voice activists we’ve called dozens of protests. I helped organise the Sack Scomo rallies in the midst of the Black Summer Bushfires, which brought 30,000 people onto the streets of Melbourne and inspired solidarity protests from Chile to Germany.

We’ve done all that with very little or no support from RUSU. A Facebook post here or there. Occasionally an email. But our student union could be doing so much more.

Vote [1] Student Voice for a union devoted to the fight for climate justice!

Authorised by the Returning Officer & Natalie Acremen s3486140.

Black Lives Matter in 2020 showed the world how you fight racism – on the streets. Student Voice candidates will organise anti-racist students to fight against oppression. We will:

- Build and support campaigns against Black Deaths in Custody and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter

- Promote Invasion Day protests and support the demand to abolish Australia Day - No Pride in Genocide

- Protest racist policing. No cops on campus!

- Stand up to Islamophobia and campaign to overturn the ban on Syrian and Iranian students enrolling in PhDs

- Support refugee rights and rallies to free the Park Hotel refugees

- Fight anti-Chinese racism - all international students are welcome!

Our candidates have consistently challenged racism. We’ve built protests in solidarity with Palestine, to resist Islamophobia and to free the refugees. We want to make RUSU a megaphone for anti-racist activism.

Vote [1] Student Voice for an anti-racist student union!

Authorised by the Returning Officer. Authorised by Natalie Acreman s3486140.