The Australian Education Union ACT branch has a new secretary, while the membership remains in the dark about charges against the former secretary.
Patrick Judge has assumed the role of branch secretary as he was the only candidate to nominate for the position.
Two candidates have nominated for the position of branch president: the current president, Angela Burroughs, and former secretary Glenn Fowler.
Mr Fowler was placed on paid leave in March after the union executive received "a number of complaints" against him.
In October, union members were informed that Mr Fowler had been charged under the rules of the union but the nature of the charges was not disclosed.
Ms Burroughs said she wanted to continue working with Mr Judge and the other union staff in a strong, united front after a tumultuous year.
"This year has been a year of turmoil for us for to some extent but Patrick and myself and the team of staff that we have here have worked to ensure we have protected the members from that as much as we have," Ms Burroughs said.
She said it was considered appropriate for the branch council to have updates on the reasons for Mr Fowler's absence, but information for the general membership has been limited to one email on October 22.
"I'm sure they [the members] would like to know more. It's so tied up in legal complexities that I am not able to comment," Ms Burroughs said.
"It's a significant matter, not action that you take lightly."
The charges do not preclude Mr Fowler from putting his candidacy forward for president.
Mr Fowler previously said he was confident of a positive resolution but the fact that the process was continuing during the election was not ideal.
Mr Judge said next year was a crucial time for the union with negotiations for enterprise agreements for teachers, school assistants and CIT employees set to commence.
"It's a time when we need to be listening to our members and focusing on their needs and provide them with representation," he said.
Ms Burroughs said work had begun on gathering members' views to compile a log of claims.
The election for branch president will open on December 2, 2021, and close on January 13, 2022.
