Raise the floor: the Architects Award review

The Fair Work Commission is reviewing whether degree-qualified professional classifications have been undervalued. The Architects Award is in that review, and the outcome sets the legal minimum for every architectural worker in the country.

The Association of Consulting Architects has already told the Commission that architects do not deserve an increase. The UAW is putting the opposite case, with names behind it.

What we are asking for

• Lift the graduate architect minimum to the professional benchmark.
• Recognise architecture graduates as professionals doing professional work.
• Acknowledge that the qualifications, responsibilities and liabilities architectural workers carry are not reflected in current Award rates.
• Apply proportional increases through every classification above.

Why this one is worth your minute

Most wins in this industry are won one practice at a time. An Award increase is not. It moves the legal floor for everyone at once, including every architect who will never join a union and every graduate who has not started yet.

The scope of architectural work has expanded for decades. We carry professional liability on every project and sign off on fire safety, accessibility, building codes and compliance. The Award floor has not moved with it. Our five-year graduates earn less than three-year construction-management graduates.

How to help

Sign the petition, then send it to the people you work with. Signatures are not shared with employers, and you do not need to be a member to add your name.