Union News

TOGETHER

The Journal of TogeTher • 1800 177 244 • www.together.org.au

(WHAT ARE WE ALL ABOUT?)

Contents Welcome to your unionIntroduction by Together Secretary, Alex Scott

and Together President, Vivienne Doogan 3Together Now! 4Industrial Assistance 6Unions’ proud history 7 Together at work 8 Working as a union group 10Working Together — building a better society 12TUH 13Together’s leadership 14Together Council 16Together’s Committees 18Women’s Network 19GLAM 19Together’s staff 20Contact Together 21ME Bank home loans 22Union Shopper 23

Dear member,

Being in a union is about making lives better for our colleagues at work and in the community.

Union members win fair wages and conditions, and improvements to their lives inside and outside of work through acting collectively.

As part of Together, you are a part of one of Queensland’s strongest unions. You help give workers a voice.

The strength of a union is its members – only with active and committed members at every workplace can we as a union win improvements to our lives. Acting collectively we are stronger than we are alone. This is why we are Together.

Within this edition of our union journal you can find out about what our members do and who we are.

We are a large and diverse union with workers across Queensland. But we are united in wanting to improve services, enable ourselves and our colleagues to spend time with family and friends, and make sure everyone has a chance to get ahead.

We hope that you can get involved in the work of your union to build a stronger collective voice for workers across Queensland.

You can also find out about ways to become more involved in our union.

You can also support your union colleagues at www.facebook.com/togetherqueensland or www.twitter.com/togetherqld

Check our website, www.together.org.au for more ideas. Give our office a call on 1800 177 244 for assistance and advice.

Yours in union

Alex Scott Vivienne Doogan Secretary President www.together.org.au

Union News

ALEX SCOTT Together Secretary

VIVIENNE DOOGAN Together President

PAGE 3

HAvE yOUR sAy

HOW DO yOU FEEL ABOUT THE FUTURE OF

yOUR WORKPLACE? GET invOLvED

in yOUR UniOn!

Have you connected with Together on Facebook and Twitter?@togetherqldwww.facebook.com/togetherqueensland

Our union is made up of members from many different occupational groups working in all areas of Queensland. Many members serve the community in state government agencies. Other members work in airlines, local government, non-government organisations and the private sector.

There are plenty of Together materials available for download at www.together.org.au

One of the best ways to recruit new members is to hold a workplace morning tea or other activity. On our Facebook page and website you can see photos of members and the events they have organised.

Together members do amazing work. All over Queensland people are

doing amazing things for our communities. You can

read more about your fellow members throughout this

journal.

If you’ve taken some photos of a workplace action or rally -

send them to members@together.org.au

Know people looking to join? Together Membership forms are available at www.together.org.au

Our union website is www.together.org.au - here you can join your union, update your membership details, keep track of current campaigns and find out what is happening.

www.together.org.au

WHAT MAKEs Us “TOGETHER”?

TOGETHER POsTERs & DOWnLOADs!

CELEBRATE TOGETHER!

MEET OUR UniOn!

FACEBOOK & TWiTTER

GOT sOME PHOTOs FROM A RALLy? sEnD THEM in!

nEED TO siGn sOMEOnE UP?

www.together.org.au

joinunion

your

ARE yOUR MEMBERsHiP DETAiLs UP TO DATE?

TOGETHER BURsARy

To stay connected and receive the latest union materials and emails - make sure you keep

your details up to date by calling 1800 177 244 or visiting www.together.org.au

The Together bursary scheme is available to dependents of Together members who are entering years 11 and 12 or equivalent. The winners from each region are drawn randomly. To nominate for a bursary, simply complete the application form at www.together.org.au/bursary

TOGETHERnOW!

PAGE 5PAGE 4

Things like fair wages, regular hours of work, safe and healthy working conditions, respect for women, the right to weekends and holidays, long service leave, the right to be protected from unfair sackings and access to superannuation have all come about because the men and women of Australia’s union movement chose to support campaigns to create a better future for us, their inheritors.

This work has continued up to the present day. Workers launched a massive campaign, Your Rights at Work, to protect their rights, resulting in the repeal of harsh anti-worker laws in 2008.

In 2011 after years of campaigning, Australian unions saw the creation of a national paid parental leave scheme.

In Queensland in 2009 union members won support for public sector jobs through the Fight4Jobs campaign, and fair wages increases that kept up with the cost of living through the Wage Balance campaign of 2008.

Nationally the ASU campaign for equal pay between women and men continues after several big wins at state and federal level. The Australian Council of Trade Unions is pushing for the rights of workers in insecure jobs.

Union members are at the forefront of building a clean energy future for Australia and the creation of sustainable Australian jobs.

The list of union achievements is long, but there is still more to do. Together members are a part of building a better future for our community.

For just a small sample of the many ways union members have brought about better lives in Australia for everyone, you can visit http://www.actu.org.au/About/Tradeunions/default.aspx u

Proud history of making life betterThroughout the history of Queensland and Australia, union members have made a difference to people’s lives. Campaigns by unions have helped to increase standards of living, uphold the rights of women, build opportunities for Australians to spend time with their families and give everyone the right to a secure retirement with dignity.

Industrial assistance for Together members

Thankfully most workers will go their whole careers without requiring industrial advice or assistance but if the unlikely occurs it’s important to know that there is someone you can contact.

The dedicated industrial staff at Together are available between 8:30am and 5:00pm weekdays by calling 1800 177 244.

When you call, you will speak directly with a professional who can advise you on:

• Rightsandentitlements;• Discipline;

•Workplaceinjuries;• Performancemonitoring;and•Otherworkplacematters.

We use phone and email to make sure we can provide you with assistance as efficiently and effectively as possible. We try our best to assist you on the phone at the first call or return email.

Before you call it is helpful to have your union membership number and any relevant documents with you to assist us in providing you with accurate advice as quickly as possible.

For ongoing assistance you will need to complete and return a copy of the Industrial Assistance Form, available on the Together website, www.together.org.au

Only Together financial members are eligible to be provided with industrial assistance. Industrial advice and assistance may only be provided in respect to matters that post-date the start of financial membership. u

When you are seeking industrial assistance, advice is only a phone call away.

For industrial assistance from your union1. Ensure you have your membership number and any relevant

documents

2. Call 1800 177 244 during office hours, or email assistance@together.org.au

3. For ongoing assistance, complete an Industrial Assistance Form available on the Together website.

PAGE 7PAGE 6

Almost every employee in Australia is covered by an award, either state or federal. Awards are referred to as a ‘safety net’ for workers. An agreement is tested against an award to ensure that overall workers are not disadvantaged in comparison to their award.

Working arrangements and conditions can of course be set by other things besides collective agreements and awards. In many public sector workplaces for example, working conditions are set

out in formal Directives. Union members work together to make sure that workers are treated fairly through these mechanisms as well.

Connect with current Together campaigns at www.facebook.com/togetherqueensland or www.twitter.com/togetherqld u

We work for a better life by creating more ways for workers and their families to enjoy the things that matter. Things like fair wages, fair treatment at work, time off and protection from being sacked are all things that workers have won by acting collectively.

Collective action and collective agreements

The principle of collective action is that everyone has a much better chance of reaching a strong agreement if they ask for improvements as a single united group. In recent successful campaigns, like the Health Professionals campaign, we won better wages and a better career path because the campaign got the involvement and support of more members. Bringing on board more members is how workers win.

The things that union members have won, like fair wages and conditions, are usually enshrined in formal agreements. These can have a variety of names but are generally known as collective agreements or EBAs (enterprise bargaining agreements). These agreements have a fixed term but they remain in place after the nominal expiry date until management and workers negotiate a new agreement. Union members are legally protected if they take industrial action while asking their employer for a new agreement.

Collective agreements can cover many different matters. Typically, they mention things like:

• payrates;• employmentconditionse.g.hoursofwork,mealbreaks,overtime;

• consultativemechanismsformanagersandworkers;and

• procedurestoallowworkersandmanagement to resolve or avoid disputes.

Collective agreements are not the only ways in which unions protect workers’ rights. Other important protections are contained in legislation, directives, or some other formal documents. Together Industrial Officers provide information to members on their rights and what they can do to ensure their entitlements are protected.

Award system

The most basic level of protection for workers is contained within Awards, which are registered in front of a tribunal.

The tribunal can be either a federal tribunal (Fair Work Australia) or a state Tribunal (the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission), depending on what industry a member is in. Different legislation covers different industries because of the constitutional separation of powers between state and federal governments.

Together is an organisation of

workers who work collectively to change

things we couldn’t change alone. We

work for better working conditions,

fair entitlements for employees, and stronger services in

our community.

Together at work

Paul works hard every day to assist the travelling public to make arrangements that work for them. He is part of a team dedicated to working through issues, like insurance and cars, with the travelling public. These include getting business people where they need to go and giving them accommodation options and a smooth journey.

“Our role is to assist the travelling public in setting this up smoothly so that they can get on with their business, travels or catching up with their families. “

Paul says that being union is really important. “It means that workers can talk about the things that matter to us here and educate our team about their rights at work and what we need to do to protect and improve on our

working conditions. If we can keep having conversations with our colleagues about building a better working life we can improve our working lives and the services that we provide.

“A better Queensland is possible when working people come together and talk to people in their communities about the things that are important to them. When it comes to our QANTAS community that means providing clear career pathways, safe workplaces, and wages that help us keep our heads above water so that the staff here can get on with the job of keeping Australia moving on the ground and in the air,” Paul said.

MEET OUR UniOn: PAUL, QAnTAs

PAGE 8

Unions Win

Australian union members have been working hard to build better lives for over one hundred years.

In recent years union members have won annual wage rises, recognition for qualifications, more rights for temporary workers, improvements to paid parental leave and many other things. Without coming together in their union, working people would not be able to spend time doing the things that matter to them, or provide for their families.

Stronger Together

Union members continue to have better wages and conditions because working people have more strength together than we have when we are isolated at work.

Union members work together on many campaigns: to support jobs, to stand for quality services, and to work with partners across our communities to build a better Queensland.

Unions are their members

At the start of every campaign for a new collective agreement members must decide how they want to improve their working lives and what they want included in the next collective agreement. This process normally involves members and delegates working to produce a ‘log of claims,’ which is what they want the employer to agree to. This is their ideal list of changes.

Collective Agreement

As union members we get a new collective agreement when the employer and members agree on what will go into the next agreement. The negotiations with the employer around the log of claims are led by our workplace union delegates.

Campaigning

If negotiations fail to reach an agreement with union members, then union members have the right and the ability to campaign for a better outcome.

These campaigns are designed to build public pressure on the employer to come up with an offer that supports services.

Together members can engage in campaign activity such as: wearing stickers, signing petitions, having marches or demonstrations, people making our campaign visible, advertisements, and talking

with other community groups to join with members to campaign for better services, including pressuring Ministers and employers.

Working as a union group in bargaining and campaigns Lisa gives advice to employers in dealing

with the difficult issue of workplace injuries. Lisa has been involved in her union, Together, since she started working at Workcover Queensland.

Lisa got involved because she feels strongly that the way to get a fair deal at work is by acting collectively in her union. It’s important to make sure that Workcover employees get a deal that means they can get value for money.

Standing together is also about getting our community to recognise the skills that workers bring to delivering fair outcomes for working Queenslanders and the families that are impacted when workplace injuries occur.

“I’m looking forward to working with my fellow members here to secure our next collective agreement”.

Zac works with the most at risk youth in our community as a Youth Justice Caseworker.

“One of the reasons I first got active in my union was when the government wanted to lay off Youth Workers, which would have a massive impact on young people and their families. By getting involved, union members were able to negotiate a new structure that works for staff and their clients rather than ill-conceived shortsighted cuts that hurt the people we work with up here.”

MEET OUR UniOn: LisA, WORKCOvER

MEET OUR UniOn: ZAC, COMMUniTiEs

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STRONGER TOGETHER

Voting to accept the agreement

Once our agreement is finalized, it must be implemented. The best agreement in the world will not mean very much if we don’t work together to bring it into effect in our workplaces.

Union delegates play an integral role in making sure that all of the parts of the agreement are implemented fully, and that everyone is aware of their rights.

In between campaigns, union members and delegates have to stay vigilant so that any problems that arise under the agreement can be properly dealt with. This means as a group members are ready to bargain around the things that matter to them when it comes time to begin the campaign for their next agreement. u

UNIoN

CoLLECTIvE

AGrEEMENT

For more information visit: www.together.org.au

PAGE 10

Union members build better lives for themselves and their workplace colleagues, but we also contribute to campaigns and activities to build better lives and communities everywhere.

Not every member of Together is affected directly by every collective campaign. But by being part of our union members have a chance to empower people in Australia, and around the globe, to live happier and more meaningful lives.

Through Working Together, we join forces with other unions and community groups to bring about positive social change in many different settings.

Activities in support of other campaigns can be online (for example, an online petition), or local (for example, knocking on doors, handing out materials, or engaging in community events).

It’s a model of engagement that has been successful

with other campaigns our members have been involved in, such as Your Rights at Work and Union Climate Connectors.

You can view our Working Together campaign website at www.together.org.au/workingtogether.

Secure Jobs. Better Future.

Around 40% of Australians are employed on a casual

or contract basis. While it’s true that not everybody is looking for a long-term job, many of these people have little or no job

security, have no rights to take holidays

or sick leave, are paid varying amounts each week

and often have little control over when they work and for how long.

These things affect family life and put additional stress on already stretched

households trying to keep on top of rent, groceries and electricity bills. Others struggle to be taken seriously when applying for a car or home loan, or can’t take up childcare due to the inconsistency of their hours.

Nationally, union members are supporting an inquiry into insecure work conditions. With more and more Australian jobs being created as ‘casual’ positions with few opportunities for stability and permanency, members are supporting a campaign to assist those people who are seeking more employment stability. Visit www.securejobs.org.au u

Working Together — building a better societyUnion members have always recognised that the project to create better standards of living and work for workers cannot be viewed in isolation.

SECURE JOBS. Better Future 1”

Insecure work, anxious lives: the growing crisis of insecure work in Australia

TUH is a health fund run to benefit members and we are focused on providing great value for money products and services tailored to you and your family’s needs.

As a member of Together you can contact TUH today for a free no-obligation comparison between your current health cover and TUH’s products.

TUH’s friendly staff can take the hassle out of comparing for you. They will look at what you are currently covered for and suggest the most appropriate level of TUH cover for you and your family.

Changing to TUH is as easy as ABC as we can organise your paperwork and cancel your existing health insurance cover on your behalf.

Contact TUH on 1300 360 701 for more information on how to make the switch today and get peace of mind for you and your family. u

Does your health cover fit your lifestyle?TUH is a not-for-profit health fund for members of Together and their families.

Last year Queensland custodial officers, like Jason, took action in

response to a sharp decline in the department’s respect of its workers that put worker safety in jeopardy.

Members demonstrated real commitment by meeting, passing motions, taking action

and then returning to work. This action attracted significant

media coverage and forced the department to change rostering

practices.

Talks then recommenced about the importance of correctional workers being part of the disciplinary process for prisoners.

To build a stronger and safer community it is vital that the number of staff in correctional facilities keep pace with the growing needs of our state.

By getting involved and getting active we can start setting the agenda for Queensland businesses and government to follow.

MEET OUR UniOn: JAsOn, CORRECTiOns

PAGE 13PAGE 12

The day to day operations of our union are overseen by paid elected officials, elected in ballots of all the membership.

Vivienne Doogan is President of Together. As President, Vivienne chairs meetings of Union Council, Union Executive, and the Annual General Meeting. The President also prepares an annual report to deliver at the AGM.

Vivienne has a long history of workplace activism as a delegate in the Queensland government’s Department of Primary Industries.

Alex Scott is the Secretary of Together. The Secretary is responsible for the management of the union office, the keeping of accounts, and official

communications on behalf of the Union. Prior to becoming Secretary of Together Alex was General Secretary of the QPSU, a role he has held since 2002. Prior to that Alex has worked for the union and its predecessors since 1989.

Julie Bignell is Assistant Secretary of Together. She has been Secretary of the Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union, Central and Southern Queensland, Clerical and Administrative Branch, Union of Employees since 2000.

She was a workplace delegate prior to becoming a paid official and has worked in a number of roles for the union.

Kate Flanders is Assistant Secretary of Together. Kate has worked within the union movement as an industrial officer, organiser, lead organiser, trainer and Director of Industrial Services before being elected as Assistant Secretary of the QPSU in 2010.

Kevin Place is Deputy Secretary of Together.

Elected officials implement the decisions of Council and Executive and supervise staff in day to day operations. The final say on our union’s industrial decisions belongs to members. u

Alex Scott — Secretary Vivienne Doogan — President Julie Bignell — Assistant Secretary Kate Flanders — Assistant Secretary Kevin Place — Deputy Secretary Sandy Donald — Senior Vice-PresidentRuth McFarlane — Senior Vice-PresidentPeter Cattach — Junior Vice-PresidentChristine Collyer — Junior Vice-PresidentPenny Toland — Junior Vice-PresidentAngela Walsh — Junior Vice-PresidentPeter Devey — TreasurerGordon Murray — Assistant TreasurerSharon Abbott — Executive MemberCameron Brown — Executive MemberRoss Buchanan — Executive MemberJanelle Comerford — Executive MemberJason Hunt — Executive MemberJulie Ivison — Executive MemberZoe Kennedy — Executive MemberMichael Markham — Executive MemberAnnalisse McHugh — Executive MemberRod Miles — Executive MemberGavin Neville — Executive MemberPaul O’Driscoll — Executive MemberJoanne O’Shanesy — Executive MemberBarry Stark — Executive MemberMark Starkey — Executive Member

Together leadership

Together is a democratic organisation. Members are in control of the union and

have the power to make decisions about our union’s future. The Together Union Rules

give direction to delegates and members and set out the formal representatives structures

and governance of our union.

Union Executive:

Gordon Murray

Peter Devey

Ruth McFarlane

Paul O’Driscoll

Peter Cattach

Barry Stark

Christine Collyer

Mark Starkey

Penny Toland

Kevin Place

Sandy Donald

Julie Bignell

Kate Flanders

Vivienne Doogan

Alex Scott

Angela Walsh

Rod Miles

Cameron Brown

Sharon Abbott

Joanne O’Shanesy

Annalisse McHugh

Michael Markham

Zoe Kennedy

Jason Hunt

Please note, not all members of Executive are pictured above

PAGE 15PAGE 14

Together Council is the supreme decision-making body for our union, made up of elected delegates from all areas of our union.

Council either makes or endorses key decisions in relation to union policy and activities, including union rules, fee structures, support for specific campaigns, and plans for future union growth.

The most important principle guiding our union’s democratic processes is that the delegates who are affected by a decision are the ones who should make that decision.

Collective agreement campaigns are led by delegates who consult with their members and make the key decisions relating to how the campaign will run. For example, delegates from the Core Public Service agencies will decide on the strategy for the collective agreement campaign for that area.

As a large body, Council elects committees to consider policy issues in depth and then report back with recommendations to the larger body. These include the Community Engagement Committee, the Regional Issues Committee, Finance Committee, and the Ombudsman’s Committee.

Under the rules of the union, different Council delegates are allocated weighted votes depending on the number of members they represent. Most decisions of council require a simple majority to amend, but decisions relating to the rules require a two-thirds majority and are conducted via postal ballot.

Meetings of Council take place in Brisbane. There are four Council meetings a year, chaired by the President. Elections to Union Council are held every four years.

For more on how union Council operates, you can read the Together rules, available on our website. u

Sharon Abbott

Martin A’Bell

Pat Adair

Dolores Adams

Kay Alexander

Steven Allen

Ole Andersen

Jeffrey Angel

Peter Ashby

Denis Auberson

Michele Bailey

Jennifer Bailey

Helen Bannerman

Yasmin Barber

Ian Barber

Rachel Barley

Chris Barrett

Leigh Barry

Kirrilly Belcham

Julie Bignell

Jennifer Bishop

Maree Bock

Helen Bodnar

Stephen Bonnick

Raymond Booker

Leonie Braund

Cameron Brown

Joan Bruce

Errold Bryant

Ross Buchanan

Stephen Buchanan

Adam Bulloch

Alan Burt

Ross Butler

Michelle Byard

George Byers

Sarah Carr

Phil Carswell

Peter Cattach

Carol Church

Craig Churchill

Lauren Clark

Andrew Coates

Lyn Cobb

Jamie Coburn

Sandra Cochran

Grant Cockburn

Phillipa Cole

Pam Coles

Tony Collins

Christine Collyer

Janelle Comerford

Simon Conlon

Stephen Cooke

Bruce Craig

Terry Crimston

Margaret Crowther

Sarah Crundall

Michael Cullen

Sean Curley

Alexander Cutts

Katherine Danby

Henk De Graaf

Dianne Degney

Christopher Delany

Justin Desmond

Peter Devey

Sue Dinning

Sandy Donald

Vivienne Doogan

Sallyanne Doyle

Michael Driscoll

Matthew Dunford

Marie Edwards-Giller

Peter Eickenloff

Teena Embrey

Ihab Erian

Robert Ettinger

Perry Faint

Janet Farley

Karen Faulkner

Debra Fennell

Struan Ferguson

Kelly Flood

Tom Flood

Eva Foster

Chris Fox

Dale Free

Jim Gannon

Madonna Gentry

Dominic Ginley

Diane Glen

Joanne Glinster

Mark Gordon

Carla Gorton

Paul Goulevitch

Amanda Graveson

Deborah Green

Andrew Grodecki

Judith Guley

Mitch Haggman

Miriam Haire

Mary Haire

Ron Hale

Kelleigh Hall

Gail Hamilton

Helen Hamley

Damien Hamwood

Glenn Hand

Duncan Harman

Rod Harris

Bill Harris

Jeanette Harvey

Edward Hayton

Gregory Heath

Michael Heffernan

Bradley Heilbronn

Stuart Henry

Glen Hewitson

Anthony Hickey

Bob Hill

Stephen Hinkler

Wayne Hinton

Simone Hitchcock

Janine Hope

George Horold

Avis Houlihan

Peter Hughes

Jason Hunt

Bernard Ivers

Julie Ivison

Norman Jacobsen

Geoffrey Jensen

Susan Johnston

David Jones

Graham Jones

John Jones

Bob Kelly

Zoe Kennedy

Lisa Kennedy

Peter Keys

Peter Knack

Vicki Koina

Philip Kyson

Keith Lamb

Vicki Larner

Colin Liddell

John Loane

Miriam Locke

Stephen Louwrens

Christine Lowrie

Brendan Lynch

Jenny Mace

Cate Mahoney

Michael Markham

Sharon Martin

Trish Martin

Andrea Maxwell

Wayne May

Mick McColl

Mark McCosker

Ian McCulloch

Kim McDavid

Thomas McDonald

Ruth McFarlane

Lindsay McFaul

Annalisse McHugh

Maureen McKirdy

Albert McLean

Rhys McMahon

Kevin McNulty

Gregory Medlin

Geraldine Mein

Barbara Melville

Judith Merari-Lyons

Bruce Mercer

Gregory Miles

Rod Miles

Sue Miller

Barry Millwood

Cassandra Milmlow

Cristelle Mulvogue

Zac Murphy

Gordon Murray

Kerry Muston

Patricia Neill

Colleen Neilson

Gavin Neville

Anthony Nicholls

Christina Nipperess-Sims

Paul O’Driscoll

Linda O’Gorman

Judith Oppermann

Susan Oriti

Joanne O’Shanesy

Jenny Papani

Scott Parrington

Lyn Payne

Barry Peacock

Karl Peeters

Manuel Pereira

Peta Perry

Alex Petrie

Rachel Phillips

Leigh Pickstone

Sagie Pillai

Kevin Place

Suzanne Price

Monique Prior

Gina Privitera

Mark Quinlan

John Quinn

Christine Radke

Cornelio Ramos

Paul Ready

Eileen Redmond

Glynn Rees

Lisa Reeve

Rod Reeves

Colleen Reisener

Robert Rigg

Stuart Roberts

Jill Roberts

Gary Roberts

Perry Robinson

Linda Robinson

Joseph Rocco

Peter Roche

Simon Ross

Jessica Rowles

Lynn Rowsell

Shirley Roy

Matthew Ryan-Sykes

Carol Rylance

Margaret Savic

Angie Saville-Balsamo

Michael Schubert

Debra Scott

George Seymour-Dearness

Robyn Sharpe

Ryan Sheedy

Toni-Louise Smith

Sylvia Smith

Gavin Solinas

Pauline Spackman

Harry Spiegler

Lisa Spiegler

Barry Stark

Mark Starkey

Lyn Stephens

Patrick Stevenson

Heather Stewart

Erica Summers

Daniel Sweeney

John Szandurski

Adrian Tantari

Graham Taylor

John Taylor

Shanti Thompson

Amanda Timmers

Penny Toland

Jeanetta Tolu

Trevor Toon

Klarika Tortely

Emma Tovell

John Treloar

Larry Turner

Ross Uhlmann

Kathleen Wacker

Kim Walder

Bob Walker

Angela Walsh

Gregory Walters

Lisa Wandrey

Matthew Weinert

Barbara Weir

Helen West

Paul Whitfield

Sylvia Whittaker

Rowena Wichman

Robyn Wilkinson

Storm Willett

Naomi Williams

Deborah Williams

Derek Willie

Brett Wines

Sara Wood

Linda Woodward

Geoffrey Wyvill

Peter Yates

Arthur Young

David Yusi

Bradley Zeller

How Union Council works

Members of Together Council & Executive

Vivienne Doogan — PresidentSandy Donald — Senior Vice-PresidentRuth McFarlane — Senior Vice-PresidentPeter Cattach — Junior Vice-PresidentChristine Collyer — Junior Vice-PresidentPenny Toland — Junior Vice-PresidentAngela Walsh — Junior Vice-PresidentPeter Devey — TreasurerGordon Murray — Assistant Treasurer

Alex Scott — SecretaryJulie Bignell — Assistant SecretaryKate Flanders — Assistant SecretaryKevin Place — Deputy SecretarySharon Abbott — Executive MemberCameron Brown —Executive MemberRoss Buchanan —Executive MemberJanelle Comerford —Executive MemberJason Hunt — Executive MemberJulie Ivison — Executive MemberZoe Kennedy — Executive Member

Michael Markham — Executive MemberAnnalisse McHugh — Executive MemberRod Miles — Executive MemberGavin Neville — Executive MemberPaul O’Driscoll — Executive MemberJoanne O’Shanesey — Executive MemberBarry Stark — Executive MemberMark Starkey — Executive Member

MEMBERS OF TOGETHER EXECUTIVE

MEMBERS OF TOGETHER COUNCIL

PAGE 17PAGE 16

Regional Organising Committees (ROCs) are open to all Together members in the local region.

Council Committees are elected by Union Council, but are open to participation from all members who have an interest in the relevant area.

The Regional Issues Committee helps co-ordinate the work of the ROCs and gives regional members a forum to discuss common issues.

The Awards Committee recognises the contributions of delegates and activists to our union by putting forward recommendations for grants of Life Membership and other union awards. The Community Engagement committee is focused on ways of getting the community on side and developing a pro-worker, pro-services message for the community.

The 2012 Committee is focused on ensuring that our members are prepared for the issues associated with a potential change of state government in 2012.

The committee looks at how a change could affect the ability of workers to build power and protect their working conditions.

A number of committees oversee the union’s internal operations, such as the Staffing Committee and Finance Committee. Matters pertaining to individual member representation come before the Individual Representation Committee. The Ombudsman Committee analyses cases that are referred to the union’s independent Ombudsman as they arise.

The Collective Issues Committee oversees the work of the Delegate Support Unit as they build power for workers on a collective basis.

The Rules Committee and the Council Size and Structure Committee deal with the functioning of Council and the Rules of the union. These Committees make recommendations to Council for future action. u

Members make the difference: committees

To reach outcomes quickly Together

members use committees to

discuss particular matters in depth.

The Together Women’s Network is open to the participation of all women members of Together. You can express your interest in joining this group by emailing our Women’s Officer Bec Nilon bec.nilon@together.org.au

Recently the Women’s Network have discussed and engaged in changes to policies including the extension of the National Employment Standards to recognize Carers’ Leave as a reason to request Flexible Working Arrangements and amendments to special leave provisions.

Other recent wins on a union-wide front have included the extension of paid parental leave, as well as the national equal pay case, strongly supported by Queensland union members and won after an enormous amount of support nationwide. These are a great sign of the strength of resolve of workers to achieve full equality.

The inaugural Together Women’s Conference is to be held November 2012. The theme for our first conference is ‘Leadership’ and delegates from right across the state will be attending to discuss matters from workplace policy effecting women to the impacts of superannuation and how our female members can become more involved in our union.

Anna Stewart Project

The Anna Stewart Memorial Project has been operative in Queensland since 1988. It is a mentorship and learning

program that aims to give women unionists avenues to become more involved in their union. The program operates as a union exchange where participants spend time both with their own union as well as another union.

Emma Miller Award

Emma Miller was one of the founding figures of the Queensland union movement – a champion of women’s suffrage as well as the rights of working women.

Emma Miller is remembered every year when we recognise up and coming women activists from across the movement for following in Emma’s footsteps.

The 2011 recipient is Chris Fox, a Social Worker from Townsville Hospital.

Chris is a delegate who is not only active industrially but also very active in creating links between the union movement and her community. During the floods and cyclones of early 2011 Chris and her fellow union members at Townsville Hospital raised nearly $3000 for those affected.

A long term project that Chris is leading is the facilitation and organising of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander members to develop their voice and gain recognition for Indigenous Liaison Officers in Townsville. u

Together’s Women’s NetworkWomen face many challenges at work and the Together Women’s Network exists to give women members a forum for their views and opportunities to build positive change in workplaces and the community.

GLAM is a network of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members campaigning on equality, gender and human rights issues. In particular, GLAM’s focus is centred on discrimination, harassment/workplace bullying and equality in superannuation benefits improving the rights at work of LGBT workers.

GLAM was formed nationally by a resolution of the ASU National Conference in 1998, being the first Australian union to establish a forum for the encouragement of lesbian, gay,

bisexual and transgender member involvement in the life of the union. Since then GLAM networks have been established in every ASU branch, and our presence has been felt across the country (and even the world!).

GLAM’s establishment within the broader labour movement has also provided a useful resource for the LGBT community. GLAM has worked with many community organisations over the years, lobbying, assisting on the ground and advertising educative and progressive community events. u

GLAM members working for equality

PAGE 18

www.facebook.com/togetherqueenslandwww.twitter.com/togetherqld

Brisbane

Toowoomba

Bundaberg

Mackay

Maryborough

Townsville

Cairns

Wherever you are in Queensland, you can contact your Together union office by calling 1800 177 244.

Contact Together:

•Online:www.together.org.au• OnFacebook:www.facebook.com/

togetherqueensland•OnTwitter:www.twitter.com/togetherqld• Viaemail:members@together.org.au

Together office locations:

• 27PeelStreetSouthBrisbane• 44MaryboroughStreetBundaberg• Shop4,25-29GraftonStreetCairns• 2/142-144BazaarStreetMaryborough• 110CampbellStreetRockhampton• ToowoombaTradesHall,

19/A Russell Street Toowoomba•60-62DenhamStreetTownsville

Together’s postal address is:

PO Box 3272 South Brisbane BC QLD 4101

Sharon works for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority as one of many Together members who have an important role in helping Queensland recover from recent natural disasters.

“When I was working at Grantham as an SES Volunteer in January this year, I was constantly amazed at the resilience of a community that had been totally devastated by flooding...The willingness of fellow Australians to leave their paid roles to work

voluntarily away from their families and sleep on a shed floor shows that endless Aussie spirit we are renowned for,” she says.

“As Public Servants we all play a very important role in providing a service to our community. An administration office or cleaner is just as valued as a Director-General and one can’t function effectively without the other.

MEET OUR UniOn: sHAROn, EMERGEnCy sERviCEs

Our union’s team of industrial officers build workers’ ability to overcome problems in the workplace by providing advice and assistance. Industrial staff are the point of contact for members who are experiencing individual workplace issues, or who want advice on specific questions of policy and industrial instruments.

You can contact the Together office by calling 1800 177 244 or emailing assistance@together.org.au

For collective issues, union delegates and activists are supported by the Delegate Support Unit (DSU). DSU staff help win for members through effectively dealing with collective issues, recruiting and developing new union delegates, and supporting delegate engagement with management so that workers have a voice in the workplace.

In particular, DSU organisers work with delegates to ensure that employer commitments and collective agreements are implemented.

The Campaign Team builds power for workers by asking members to join the union in their workplaces and working with delegates during campaigns. Campaign team organisers will help organise campaign meetings, morning teas, barbecues and other events that take place while union members are campaigning for a new collective agreement in their workplace.

As well as industrial staff, Together staff also include staff who process financial payments and deal with matters relating to fee payment, communications, administrative, media liaison and IT support. u

Teams to better support our goalsTogether staff are grouped into teams to help support members’ industrial and organising goals.

Australia’s industrial relations system is divided into state and federal jurisdictions. Many Together members, particularly state public sector workers, are covered by Queensland state industrial relations law and the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC).

Other members of Together, particularly those in the private sector, work within the Commonwealth industrial system, under the Fair Work Act.

The relevant tribunal for these workers is Fair Work Australia. In the federal system our union is a counterpart organisation to the Australian Services Union (ASU). Many members of Together are also members of the ASU.

The ASU national office co-ordinates the running of national campaigns like the recent campaign in support of equal pay.

Together staff members work for members in both the Queensland and Commonwealth jurisdictions. u

Federal/State branch relationship

IR System Tribunal Union nameCommonwealth Fair Work Australia ASUQueensland QIRC Together

Contact Together

PAGE 20

Union Shopper is all about ensuring members receive great value for money on whatever you are looking to buy. At no cost to you, we help save time and money, without the hassles and headache.

Be part of the savings and make the most of this valuable money saving service. Before you make another purchase, remember Union Shopper and challenge us to find you a better deal.

Step 1

Decide what you want to buy and be ready to purchase.

Step 2

Simply contact Union Shopper on 1300 368 117 with your Union membership details, or login/register at www.unionshopper.com.au.

For our best price on electrical products - have the product brand name, model number and description, and your best price (including delivery and extended warranty details, if required). Registered members can use our online Request a Quote facility – www.unionshopper.com.au/quotes

For our best price on new & used cars, motorcycles & more, call Motor Market on 1300 368 117 with the details of the vehicle you want to buy, including options for trade-ins, finance, etc. Or visit www.unionmotormarket.com.au and make your enquiry online.

For our best price on travel services, call Shopper Travel on 1300 369 336 with your travel itinerary, price and budget. Or visit www.shopper.travel for all travel

options.

For our best price on insurance services,

call Union Shopper Insurance Brokers on 1300 368 117 with

the details of your renewal notice, or for new cover we will discuss

your requirements and do the

comparison for you. Visit www.unionshopper.com.au/usib for all details.

For other services and products you will be referred directly to a preferred supplier at the time of your first call. When in contact with our preferred suppliers, be sure to mention you have been referred by Union Shopper at the start of your enquiry to ensure you receive their best offer for members.

Step 3

Let us shop for you!

For electrical products - your Union Shopper price will be available in approximately 2-3 business hours. Once you place your order with Union Shopper, our electrical supplier will contact you to arrange payment and pick-up or delivery terms.

For new & used cars, motorcycles & more – your Motor Market consultant will contact you back usually within 24 hours to discuss your purchase and delivery options.

For travel services – your Shopper Travel consultant will contact you back as early as possible to discuss pricing for your travel itinerary, with any suggestions or options for your journey.

For insurance services – in most cases we will assist you at the time

of your first call, or you will be advised of any need for

follow-up.

Happy shopping! u

Saving with Union Shopper is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!Union Shopper is a 100% union-owned service that provides members with discounts on a wide range of products and services.

Among the many advantages of being a Together member is being able to access simple, low-cost and flexible home loans with ME Bank. With a range of home loan options available, members can receive a competitive interest rate as well as personalised service from a local Mobile Banking Manager who will come to you to discuss your requirements at a time and place that’s convenient.

Through ME Bank, Together members receive a discount of up to 0.45% p.a. off the ME Standard Variable Home Loan* - plus further interest rate savings on packaged loans with an ME Bank Member Package.

ME Bank’s all-in-one home loan package was recently awarded a Gold Medal in Your Mortgage Magazine’s 2011 Mortgage of the Year Awards.

The Member Package was recognised not only because of the low variable interestrate;italsotookintoaccountthetransparency of the loan, low fees and flexible features such as redraw facility, 100% offset account and the ability to make extra repayments at no additional cost.

These combined features could potentially save members thousands of dollars and cut years off their home loans and offers the ease of having all your main accounts with one bank, working together to save you money and time.

ME Bank was created for one reason – to offer members a genuine banking alternative with better value banking and real service. From the beginning ME Bank has been about banking that’s simple, low cost, fair and transparent.

It’s not surprising then, that compared to other banks, people who bank with ME Bank are consistently more likely to be satisfied, and more likely to promote their bank to others.^

To view ME Bank’s current interest rates or arrange an appointment for a Mobile Banking Manager to come to you, visit mebank.com.au or call 13 15 63. u*The Super Members Home Loan standard variable interest rate is up to 0.45% p.a. less than the Members Equity Home Loan Standard Variable rate. Fees and charges apply. Terms and conditions are available on request. Applications are subject to credit approval. ^CoreData brandmanagement Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey December 2010. The NPS of customer satisfaction is determined by taking the percentage of “promoters”, those who are highly likely to recommend the product or service, and subtracting the percentage of “detractors”, those who are unlikely to recommend. Members Equity Bank Pty Ltd. ABN 56 070 887 679. Australian Credit Licence Number 229500.

ME Bank Home LoansBuying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions a person will make in their lifetime, so it is important to know that you are dealing with a bank that will take the time to understand your own unique financial situation and home loan needs.

Michelle is a Social Worker at The Prince Charles Hospital working in the Cardiology, Heart Failure and Heart Transplant wards.

“My role is to assist with the psychological and social issues impacting patients’ health and

wellbeing.

“I care for my patients and I also care for my colleagues who I work beside. If

conditions at work are good then it helps us all to provide a great service and enjoy our job.

“We have a really positive union culture in our workplace which saw a growth to over 90% membership in my area by the end of our latest EB agreement campaign.

“We managed to get a much better result because we all stood united with our claims.”

MEET OUR UniOn: MiCHELLE, HEALTH

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