Sarah Collins – National Officer FE

The post of EIS FELA Officer will be taken up by Sarah Collins. Before joining the EIS, Sarah previously worked for the Scottish Trades Union Congress as a young workers’ organiser and latterly as a policy officer. Sarah was also an employment solicitor with a trade union firm and has previously been a lay rep and branch secretary for Unison. In 2019 Sarah joined the EIS as the Area Officer for Glasgow, Argyll & Bute, Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles.

Sarah has been a lifelong campaigner for the rights of all workers with her rarely missing the opportunity to walk in a march or stand on a picket. Showing support and solidarity for causes close to the trade union movement comes naturally to her and is only further replicated by her working life through out her time at the STUC and now within the EIS.

Sarah was instrumental in the recent disputes at both city of Glasgow college and Hutchesons’ Grammar School as the Glasgow Area officer. In both cases she worked tirelessly to achieve resolutions putting the interests of our members at the forefront of discussions. Having extensive experience working within trade union structures and being a lay representative herself, Sarah will make a great addition to EIS FELA as the national officer for FE.

John Hunter – Area Officer

I have been a trade unionist since I started working at Tesco at 16 when I was still attending Lesmahagow High School and held my first lay position as an USDAW shop steward. After studying law at Strathclyde I completed my traineeship and worked as an employment lawyer for a number of years – maintaining my membership of and involvement in the labour movement throughout.

I then moved to the Scottish Social Services Council carrying out regulatory work for a number of years. Prior to joining the EIS, after a lot of campaigning and building for my UNISON branch at the SSSC, I was working on release as a lay activist.

It is a real privilege to join the EIS as an Area Officer. My mum has worked as a teacher her whole professional life and I know just how difficult and how important a role education workers carry out in society. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first few months here at the EIS and couldn’t have asked for a better welcome. I am looking forward to working over the months to come, meeting and supporting more members and working to build the EIS.

Eireann McAuley – Learning and Development Coordinator

I am really delighted and honored to have joined the EIS and taken up the newly developed post for the Institute as the Equality Related Learning and Development Coordinator. My role sits within the Education and Equality Department, and I am very much looking forward to working closely with the EIS National Officer for Equality.

I join the EIS straight from the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) where I worked as an Equality and Policy Officer for three years, supporting and coordinating all of the STUC’s Equality Committees, Equality Conferences, Equality Related Activity, and providing general policy support and assistance to the STUC General and Deputy General Secretaries.

Before STUC, I worked as a Modern Studies and History Teacher, and have been involved with the trade union movement since the age of 15, first becoming a rep at 17 years old and involved in a whole host of campaigns.

My time with the EIS has been great so far! I think this role is a very exciting and diverse one, and I can’t wait to meet more EIS members and activists, play a role in supporting EIS equality activity and learning opportunities, and support the wider institute more broadly.