Workers Online
Workers Online
Workers Online
  Issue No 91 Official Organ of LaborNet 06 April 2001  

 --

 --

 --

.  LaborNET

.  Ask Neale

.  Tool of the Week


Letters to the Editor

Organising - Dools Causes a Storm


RE: ACTU Organising Conference

"If there is anything that can be said about the Australian Organising Conference, it is that a lot of people care about our movement, its future and what it stands for."

Chris Christodolou, NSW Labor Council - as printed in Workers Online

The ACTU Organising Conference was a great follow up to last years first real attempt in two decades to debunk the conservative view of Bill Kelty's union experiment.

The pushers of change at the conference were many of the delegates and speakers who said we need to challenge ourselves as workplace and union leaders. All those at the conference, selected by the leadership of their unions to be there, spoke about the desire to look, listen and learn how we can improve our members lot.

Greg Combet, Sharan Burrow's, Richard Marles and the ACTU Organising Centre needs to be congratulated on throwing the challenge out to all of us. For encouraging debate on how I, and other union leaders, approach our role, despite the risk of making some of us uncomfortable.

The cross factional groupings (at least in Labor Party circles) found a lot of reasons to feel confident that the conference "Love In" went further to breakdown barriers and difference and anything else organised this year.

650 people sharing a common goal is a pretty empowering event.

The workforce leaders from BHP telling their story of the Pilbarra dispute was a prime example of union disunity being turned around by the unifying challenge of organising realities.

The great glimmer of hope for us all is that the organising agenda now being adopted is not only giving the unionised workforce real hope but is shining as a beacon for unity in an increasingly competitive environment.

One of our delegation, himself a workplace leader, summed it up saying -

"I realised that the union is not just a pillow for me to rest my head on, but that I and my workmates are the union."

Unfortunately in NSW, the state with the largest workforce and largest potential membership base, we have suffered the greatest actual and real decline in membership numbers in recent years. Over the last ten years, despite having a State Labor Government, the greatest collapse in membership numbers has been in NSW.

Regardless of the "American Accents" the contribution of the Canadian speakers, though sort of sounding American, the "Pom", and the New Zealanders who maybe should be our "Eight State", was invaluable. I for one, and everyone I have spoken to so far, were inspired by their dedication, their campaigns, and their successes in trying new approaches to the old theme of Unionise, Organise or Perish.

Great care should be taken before criticising these success stories as mere Americania.

I am sure many of the 650 delegates at the conference have a very different view. Obsessive intellectualising is no substitute for the real substance of overseas experiences dealing with many of the same types of bosses and situations we have to deal with in Australia.

From the speakers and comments in the corridors I picked up the message I got from the Conference was that there are another 650 people out there united and proud to be in a union movement with a growing future.

Congratulations Michael Crosby.

I can't wait to next year.

Tony Sheldon

State Secretary

Transport Workers Union

************

I am writing to take issue with a number of points made in a recent article on Workers Online entitled "Unions: Organising Theory".

I too, attended the recent Australasian Organising Conference at Sydney University and I felt it was a stunning success.

The Conference certainly laid a number of challenges out before us, and as Union leaders, officials and activists, these are exactly the sorts of issues that we need to be facing.

I think it unfortunate that the article sought to criticize Michael Crosby for 'dividing' the movement. I don't think that's a fair reflection of what he's trying to do at all.

Michael's challenge to Union officials and activists to engage their leaders in a debate about the organising approach was just that. In the early days of this debate, I admit that I was an 'Organising model sceptic', but after considerable education and internal debate, our union is now well and truly committed to adopting an Organising approach.

In this period of declining union membership, I think it is critical that Union leaders are able to engage in a debate on new ways of doing things. Those who feel 'uneasy' or uncomfortable, or threatened by the prospect of change are ill equipped to handle the challenges facing us as a movement.

Far from being made to feel 'very uneasy', I felt the Organising Conference feeling inspired. Inspired that a majority of unions are committing resources to Organising and embracing this opportunity to rebuild the union movement.

Michael Williamson

***************

Having just read Labor Council's Chris Christodoulou's comments on the Organising Conference and in particular the non issue of Michael Crosby's "you need to challenge the Leadership of your Union" remark i felt the need to respond.

Whilst i agree with most of Chris's comments, i for one was not one of those "who felt uneasy" with the remark, and quite frankly don't know what all the fuss is all about.

In any democratic organisation, leaders are constantly being challenged by the rank & file in various ways, whether it be current thinking, policy debate, direction of the union and dare i say it, during elections.

If this is what made some feel uneasy then so be it, but i for one just see it as a sign of a healthy and democratic union movement. To not have such challenges would only lead to more pain for the movement then we are already experiencing, but are turning around,through new thinking, policy and direction.

To Michael and all the staff of the Organising Centre, all i can say is keep up the good work, and to those "who felt uneasy" get use to it.

>From a very at ease

Bob Hayden

Divisional President

Rail Tram and Bus Union

NSW Branch

ps - yes i am, an elected full time official and I have discussed this a number of my collegues who also attended the conference who agree with the above views.

Locomotive Division

Rail,Tram & Bus Union


------

*   View entire issue - print all of the articles!

*   Issue 91 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Costa on Compo
Labor Council�s secretary gives his take on the Big Stink over Della�s workers compensation package.
*
*  Politics: Della's List
All Labor members of Parliament were this week asked to indicate whether they would support injured workers. More than half said 'yes'. Here they are.
*
*  Unions: Picketing Joy
Rowan Cahill chronicled the definitive dispute of 2000 for Workers Online. He looks back on the battle and the lessons to be drawn from the workers at Joy.
*
*  History: Vale Tony Mulvihill
The environment, migrant workers and the hairy nosed wombat have reason to be thankful for the active citizenship of Tony Mulvihill.
*
*  Economics: Stopping the Rot
A national campaign is underway to persuade politicians from both the major parties that they need to be addressing the issue of poverty within Australia.
*
*  International: East Timor � Beyond the Headlines
It�s now more than 18 months since the violence and bloodshed following the popular consultation on the future of East Timor was front page news in Australia.
*
*  Technology: Online Breathing Space
The global collapse of faith in new technology has given journalists a chance to prepare themselves for the real revolution, writes David Higgins
*
*  Satire: Howard Cuts Beer Price to Get Voters Drunk
Prime Minister John Howard has agreed to cut the excise on beer, in the hope cheaper drinks will help get the country drunk enough to vote for him.
*
*  Review: The Battle for 96.9Fm is Over
What would you get if you crossed 2DAY FM, 2MMM, JJJ and MIX 106.5 FM? A fairly commercial radio station that wouldn�t know the difference between throwing up, stuffing up, growing up or breaking up.
*

News
»  Compo Wars: Week Two to the Workers!
*
»  Doctors Don�t Want to be Judges
*
»  Cops Eye Ball Compo Changes
*
»  Armoured Car Drivers To Consider Stop Work
*
»  IT Workers � We Need You!
*
»  Banks Workers Show They�re No Bunnies
*
»  English Teachers Ripped Off
*
»  Beazley Gives Boost To Bakery Workers
*
»  Employment, Environment Vital to US-Australia Trade Deal
*
»  Extra $1.37 Billion Needed for Unis
*
»  Campaigning Workshop Establishes Local Campaign Initiative
*
»  Activist Notebook
*

Columns
»  The Soapbox
*
»  The Locker Room
*
»  Trades Hall
*
»  Tool Shed
*

Letters to the editor
»  Organising - Dools Causes a Storm
*
»  Dools Replies
*
»  Singalong with Della!
*
»  Compo Forum - A Lib Responds
*
»  Like a Lamb to the Slaughter
*

What you can do

Notice Board
- Check out the latest events

Latest Issue

View entire latest issue
- print all of the articles!

Previous Issues

Subject index

Search all issues

Enter keyword(s):
  


Workers Online - 2nd place Labourstart website of the year


BossWatch


Wobbly Radio



[ Home ][ Notice Board ][ Search ][ Previous Issues ][ Latest Issue ]

© 1999-2000 Labor Council of NSW

LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW

URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/91/letters1_one.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005

[ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ]

LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW

 *LaborNET*

 Labor Council of NSW

[Workers Online]

[Social Change Online]