More than 2000 Catholic school teachers and support staff from about 350 NSW and ACT schools have stopped work for four hours in a bid to send a message to their employers.
Staff are at "boiling point" after their Catholic employers put an enterprise agreement to a vote without gaining union endorsement, Independent Education Union NSW & ACT branch secretary John Quessy says.
"This has never been done before in Australian history. Catholic employers are coming for our members' rights and they will not tolerate that. We are urging a 'no' vote," Mr Quessy said.
"We certainly sent that message to those that were there today and they will send it to their colleagues at their workplaces."
More than 2000 people attended rallies in Sydney, Canberra, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Bathurst, Lismore, Wollongong, Armidale, Newcastle and the Central Coast on Tuesday, with many other meetings taking place in regional communities, Mr Quessy said.
Catholic Commission for Employment Relations executive director Tony Farley says he's appalled by Monday's industrial action.
He says it's a scare campaign by the union designed to trick teachers into voting against their latest enterprise agreement.
"We're actually giving employees pay increases and teachers will have increased opportunity for salary progression," Mr Farley said in a statement.
