Live: USU AGM 2020

Ellie Stephenson reports.

The 48th Annual General Meeting of the USU is being held today at 1pm. It’s open to all USU members who have registered to attend beforehand. The meeting will be used to discuss the organisation’s Annual Report and reports from the President and Honorary Treasurer.

1:02pm - The meeting has reached the quorum of 60. This means there are enough USU members present to begin the meeting. Incoming Board Director Prudence Wilkins-Wheat’s absence is noted.

1:04pm - USU President Connor Wherrett begins the meeting with an Acknowledgement of Country. Next up, we have apologies and leaves of absence. There’s an apology from Senate Appointed Director Jane Drummond, who is due to give birth soon. Hardly surprisingly, the apology is approved. The minutes of last year’s AGM are approved.

1:07pm - Connor Wherrett is speaking about his Report as the President of the USU. He says “I have some things that I really want to go into careful consideration”, saying that there are “pressing issues” which he wants to prioritise in his speech, while praising the “fantastic 2019 Annual Report”.

Connor notes that all USU decision-making attempts to “balance” the welfare of staff, wellbeing of students, and the financial viability of the USU. He talks about how the ban on events on campus due to COVID-19 has impacted the USU, describing the day that the ban was put in place as “the worst day I’ve had at the USU”. He says that his love for “clubs, revues and performances” made this decision particularly painful.

The “continually radically reduced revenues” of the USU has prompted future hard decisions, Wherrett says, referring to the decision to scale back staff working hours by 40%. He describes this decision as “extraordinarily hard” and wants to “set the facts straight” about it.

He clarifies that the USU could not have placed additional staff onto JobKeeper, noting that while the subsidy could cover some of the wages, the USU had more overhead costs which were not covered. Regarding staff members who were made redundant or whose contracts were not renewed, Wherrett explained that “this happens every semester at the USU” and was not related to COVID-19. “The USU has never used COVID-19 as a scapegoat” in its dealings with staff, he says.

In response to the argument that the University could have bailed out the USU, Wherrett notes that the USU is an independent organisation, not a “department” of the University. He says it is concerning that the University could impose conditions or demands on the Union. He does, however, clarify that the USU has been in negotiations with the University.

Wherrett adds that the USU does not have “reserves” that they could use: there is “not pot of gold sitting below the Holme Building”. He also points out that “all staff, including senior management” have been reduced to 60% capacity. Finally, he suggests that the USU Board is keen to lift the policy.

Wherrett argues that going forward, there are a number of lessons that the USU can learn from the COVID-19 crisis, including being in a more secure financial position and increasing the transparency of the organisation. He says that the USU needs to become “more adaptable” in tapping into new revenue streams, critiquing the USU’s organisational structure.

Wherrett is, nonetheless, hopeful. He points to a number of initiatives within USU programs, the successful online USU Election and the “community” in general. He finishes his speech with “one emotion”: pride in the USU’s “30 000” strong membership. The Report carries.

1:22pm - Now we move the Report of the Honorary Treasurer, Maya Eswaran. Eswaran dismisses “the usual drama of a self-important student politician” and platitudes about being “all in this together”, but all the same emphasises the important of the USU in her life.

She begins by discussing the USU’s 2019 results - including a revenue of 30 065 419 and an increase in the USU’s reserves. She emphasises that “as a not-for-profit, we don’t seek growth for growth’s sake”, suggesting that this means the benefits of the USU’s financial position should always be directed towards student programs.

She points to some financial difficulties, including a decreased revenue from 2018 and some organisational change, but suggests that broadly the organisation managed its finances well. She also points to some structural difficulties for the USU, including students being materially locked out of enjoying campus life.

Moving to 2020, Eswaran notes that the auditors found “material uncertainty as to [the USU’s] going concern” due to COVID-19. “Our number one priority is returning staff to their normal hours as soon as possible”, she says, claiming that the Union is “positive for the future” and adapting to the crisis.

She urges the new Board to “have expansive imaginings of what is possible for the USU”, pushing them to “genuinely care” and have “active contestation” about the Board’s decisions. She adds that the USU needs to listen to criticisms and be “worth fighting for”. Before thanking USU staff and her fellow Board Directors, her final message is that “an independent student-run USU will always be better than a University-run USU”. The Report is approved.

1:31pm - The next motion is to re-appoint the auditors, from BDO. In addition, there is also a foreshadowed motion to review the options for auditors using the Finance Committee. This carries.

1:34pm - There is no other business or motions on notice, so the meeting closes.