About: Union Solidarity

Union Solidarity aims to build a mass based united front campaign on the ground to defeat the repressive IR laws. Union Solidarity is a wide network of affiliated community and welfare organisations and unions with the single aim of building a broad people’s movement to beat back attacks on workers, unions and communities.

union solidarity: Union Solidarity
Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Oakleigh NUW EB fight

SKF members maintain campaign for union agreement Monday June 26, 2006

NUW members at SKF in Oakleigh continued their campaign for a union agreement today (June 26), with a barbeque outside their workplace.

The members ate together, ensuring the company knew they would not give up their efforts to secure a union agreement. The warehouse workers have been pressing for a union agreement since first joining the NUW back in February.

However, the company has so far only been willing to offer a non-union agreement.

more info: http://www.nuw.org.au/articles/vic/news/skf

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Monday, June 26, 2006

Help build June 28 National Day of Action

Below is a list of areas being leafleted to build the June 28 National Day of Action. If you can help leaflet contact the numbers below. Lisa Darmanin 0407 308 503 from Trades Hall and Dave Kerin 0412 484 094 from Union Solidarity are helping coordinate leaflet distribution. Also you can contact your union and download leaflets for June 28.

Regional: Events on June 28

Download: Union Solidarity Contact Form | June 28 flyer & Mitcham action June 29 | Stickers for June 28 | more leaflets

Northern Suburbs
Saturday leafletting of shopping centres
Broadmeadows Shopping Centre: 10am-12noon. Wayne 0438-304-326
Campelfield Shopping Centre: 9am-12 noon. Sean 0418-328-883
Craigieburn: 10am-12noon. Wayne 0438-304-326
Greensborough: Debra 0408-033-337.

Sunday leafleting:
Broadmeadows: 10am-12noon. Wayne 0438-304-326

Monday Train Station leafleting:
Broadmeadows: 7-8.30am. Sue 0413-377-978
Essendon: 7-8.30am. Sean 0418-328-883
Gowrie: 7-8.30am. Vincent 9357-3269

Tuesday Train Station leafleting:
Glenroy: 7-8.30am. Sue 0413-377-978

Shopping Centres
Leafleted Sat June 17 & 24 between 11am - 2pm.
Airport West: 24th meet at McDonalds 11.15-11.30 for leafleting 11-45 -1.45pm Kassey 0400 669 303
Altona Gate: Warren 0419 357 695
Boronia Mall: meet outside Kmart 10am-12 noon David 0408 998 849
Chadstone: Lisa 0407 308 503
Doncaster: Peter 0425 755 932
Fountain Gate: Maree 0417 553 869
Highpoint: 24th 1-4pm meet at Myer entrance, Justin 0417 896 297, Chris 0425 784 819, Jorge 0431 720 787
Knox City: Chris 0425 784 819
Northland: Joe 0402 679 201
Southland: Greg 0438 631 003
Werribee Plaza: 24 June 10am - 2pm. Alan 0431 423 230, Fergie 0425 796 167, Shirley 0417 456 001
Vic Market: Dave 0412 484 094
Moreland (Barkly Square, Brunswick Market, Coburg Mall): James 0405 309 283
Northern (Craigieburn, Cambellfield, Roxburgh Park, Glenroy, Gladston Park): Wayne 0438 304 326
Lalor: David 0419 873 847
Watergardens: Greg 0425 790 676

CBD Train Stations
CBD train stations usually leafleted in the morning more info Lisa 0407 308 503 all dates are in June.
Parliament: Warren 0410 402 437 22nd; Vic 0407 512 494 26th & 27th.
Melbourne Central: Christian 0439 388 809 23rd; Daryll 0409 099 558 26th & 27th.
Southern Cross: Warren 0410 402 437 23rd; Vic 0407 512 494 26th & 27th
Flinders Street: Elaine 0403 067 087 23rd, 26 & 27
North Melbourne: Vic 0407 512 494 23rd.
Suburban Train Lines
leafleted various mornings June 19 -27. Call area contact below or Lisa 0407 308 503
Belgrave: Jim 0425 772 753
Epping: George 0418 442 240, Joe 0402 679 201
Hurstbridge: Lisa 0407 308 503
Lilydale: Lisa 0407 308 503
Broadmeadows: Wayne 0438 304 326
Cranbourne: Mon 26, 11am-7pm & Tues 27 morn Philip 0401 670 350
Upfield: James 0405 309 283
Werribee: Alan 0431 423 230, Warren 0419 357 695
St Albans, Sunshine, Watergardens: Ken 9311 3349
Tottenham, West Footscray, Yarraville, Footscray: Justin 0417 896 297
Sandringham: Kassey 0400 669 303
Frankston: Trish 0425 784 820 (Mordialloc area Alan 0419 313 801),
Highett/Moorabbin: Greg 0428 631 003
Cranbourne: mareec@irprimus.com.au
Caulfield: Jane 0418 106 739
Glen Waverly (Syndal, Jordanville): Malcolm 9214 5716
Williamstown: Alan 0431 423 230, Warren 0419 357 695

Suburban Train Stations
Richmond: Elaine 0403 067 087, Monday
7.30am-9am
Clifton Hill: Christian 0439 388 809
St. Albans, Sunshine, Watergardens: Ken 9311 3349
Eltham, Heidelberg, Greensborough, Ringwood: Christian 0439 636 012 
 Tuesday: 7.30am-9am, Cranbourne, Berwick and Dandenong Stations, Philip 0401 670 350

Letterboxing:
Blackburn, Nunawading, Mitcham,  Ringwood or Heathmont: Linda 9320 6711 or Brent 0418 513  127.
Maribyrnong: Justin 0417 456  001
Hobsons Bay: Alan 041 423 230 or Warren 0419 357  695
Brimbank: Ken 9311  3349 

Western Suburbs
Shopping centres, train stations & letter boxing
Coordinators Shirley 0417 456 001, Justin 0417 896 297. More details.

Football Matches
Kangaroo v Carlton: Docklands Fri 23 June,  6.15pm-7.30pm Andy 0419 551 730



			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
Sunday, June 25, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						South West Community Solidarity
					
				
			

		
		

				
Next Meeting

7pm Wednesday, 
August 2nd
Trades & Labour meeting room
Rear of 31 Percy St

more info: Margret 0439 593 916

Successful rally outside ABCC hearings
On Monday 24 South West Community Solidarity organised a successful community outside the ABCC hearing in Portland. Around 60 members of the community assembled to show solidarity to the union members being "interviewed" by the ABCC. The following day another assembly was organised attracting up to 20 people. Given the conservative nature of the electorate this is an amazing result, congratulations to all who participated.

==========================================================
Portland Portland - A group of 30 people met at South West Trades Hall on June 21 to set up South West Community Solidarity.

In Liberal Party heartland, this is no small thing. As one activist said, “At the moment we are dealing with people who will cross the road to avoid meeting union activists. But that just means we need stalls on both sides of the street.” Several activists talked about the bullying and scare tactics used by the bosses in their attempt to stop unionists attending the June 28 rallies in Warrnambool, Portland and Hamilton against the federal government’s anti-union legislation. more...

more info: Pablo 0409 513 332

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
Sunday, June 18, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						June 28 National Day of Action - Regional Events
					
				
			

		
		

				
North East & Border Trades & Labour Council
Rally in Wodonga 12 noon; march to the Wodonga Civic Centre

South West Trades & Labour Council
Warnambool - Temperance Hall 11:15 am; march to Vogels office
Portland - Angling Club, Foreshore 10 am
Hamilton - Melville Oval 12:30 pm; march to David Hawker's office

Geelong Trades & Labour Council
Meet at three locations at 1pm:
       
  1. Geelong Trades Hall, 127 Myer Street
    2.    
  2. Geelong Hospital, Bellarine Street
    3.    
  3. Gordon Tafe, Johnston Park
    4.  
 March into the CBD for community rally

Ballarat Trades & Labour Council
Community cavalcade: Cars assemble in Victoria Park (Sturt Street side) at 11am sharp.
Final destination and speakers at 12 noon Wendouree Village, Gillies Street.

more info: Victorian Trades Hall

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
					
				
		
			

				
					
						Deakin Community Breakfast in Mitcham
					
				
			

		
		

				
Deakin Community Breakfast in Mitcham outside Federal Liberal Member for Deakin Phil Baressi’s office.

 7.30am June 29 
5/602 Whitehorse Road, 
Mitcham

Government IR laws push down workers’ wages and cut conditions while prices, petrol and interest rates are all going up.

Download leaflet

more info: www.rightsatwork.com.au | ACTU hotline 1300 362 223
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Saturday, June 17, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						Setting up a Union Solidarity group
					
				
			

		
		

				
There is a growing number of Union Solidarity and community groups currently active in Melbourne and beyond. However if there isn't a group near you and you wish to be involved in starting a group, email or contact the Union Solidarity coordinator.

davekerin@unionsolidarity.org | Dave Kerin  0412 484 094

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
Wednesday, June 14, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						Eastern Community Action Group
					
				
			

		
		

				
Formely known as: Knox Community and Union Solidarity

Next Meeting
Wed July 26, 6pm 
Knox Community Centre
Cnr Mountain Hwy & Scoresby Rd, Bayswater

more info: David 0408 998 849 | dleydon@asupsvic.org | Josh 0416241763 | jcullinan@nteu.org.au


Update: Action outside Spotlight was a success with 150 members of community attending
Vigil Outside Spotlight Bayswater

Saturday July 22 11am.  
224-234 Canterbury Rd Bayswater

Download leaftlet

more info: Sarah 0425 784 817 | list of other Spolight stores

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
Friday, June 09, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						Community pressure needed at council meeting
					
				
			

		
		

				
Community pressure needed at council meeting

7pm Wednesday
14 June
Coburg Town Hall
Bell St Coburg

Last night (Tue 8/6) YMCA management at Coburg Leisure Centre gave 3 weeks notice its staff. Moreland City Council, dominated by ALP councillors, awarded the operation of the Leisure Complex to another company.

The Council on May 22 directed the CEO to negotiate with the preferred tenderer:

"Guarantee that existing employees engaged by the incumbent service provider... retain their existing wages, terms and conditions of employment"*

However at late this stage the situation is fluid, with only 3 weeks before the change over. Workers on Tuesday (13 June) will attend a meeting with the new company. It is assumed that existing staff will be re-hired, however there are no iron clap guarantees.

There is no guarantee that all staff will be re-hired, also no guarantee that existing programs will remain in tact or that existing conditions enjoyed by staff but not captured in the current EBA will be protected.

If the council do not ensure existing services then there a danger that the new tenderer could simply retrench workers by cancelling or rearranging programs. Workers at the leisure centre are proud of their efforts of delivering a service to the community. Many elderly residents and individuals with special needs use Coburg Leisure Centre. We cannot let the integrity of these services be undermined by the tender process.

We need your assistance to guarantee existing services and hard won working conditions. Please come to the Moreland City Council meeting.

May 12, 7pm, Coburg Town Hall.

*After years of being a non-union centre the ASU have organised the workplace and won an EBA.

more info: Contact details of local councillors | Council resolution

background: Community Pressure on Moreland Council |   Greenleft Weekly article | Motion passed at public IR meeting

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
Wednesday, June 07, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						WorkChoices or Justice at Work?
					
				
			

		
		

				
Communities, unions and churches creating a fairer future 7 June - Melbourne Town Hall
6.30pm for 7.00pm-9.00pm (close 10pm)

A range of informative speakers discuss:
     
  •   The new workplace and welfare laws
  •   The moral dimension - impacts on the most vulnerable
  •   Building solidarity in the community.
    •  
  MC - Father Bob Maguire
more details.
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Tuesday, June 06, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						June 15 - Clean Start for cleaners
					
				
			

		
		

				
International Justice for Cleaners Day

1pm June 15
St Francis Church Hall
Corner of Lonsdale & Elizabeth St 
Melbourne CBD

Download poster

International Justice for Cleaners Day is set aside each year to bring attention to the conditions cleaners face across the globe. The annual rallies around International Justice for Cleaners Day grew out of an ugly incident on June 15, 1990, in Los Angeles when police beat immigrant cleaners protesting the way a multi-national cleaning company was treating them in a CBD office block.

This incident provoked public outrage in the USA and abroad. Pressure from cleaners who belonged to unions in other countries helped force the contract cleaner to finally sit down, negotiate and show some respect and decency when talking with their workers.

Since then - for nearly two decades now - June 15 has become a focal point for organising cleaners in campaigns and celebrations across several continents. Nominations for a CBD office block which deserves our Golden Toilet Brush Award, for property owners that do not ensure the highest-standards of cleanliness in their buildings, are open.


more info: Lisa Chesters 9235 7777 | http://www.lhmu.org.au/lhmu/campaigns/Clean_Start/
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Monday, June 05, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						Political & Industrial Protest at Preston Motors
					
				
			

		
		

				
Workers and Locals set to show Unity and Solidarity !!

10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Sat  10 June, 2006
Preston Motors Mitsubishi
1551 Sydney Road Campbellfield
Melway Ref:  7  F7

Workers at Preston Motors Mitsubishi are set to get a significant boost in their campaign to maintain wages and conditions with the AMWU - Vehicle Division (Vic. Branch) setting up a political and industrial protest on-site in Campbellfield this weekend.

State Secretary Gayle Tierney said
“We invite workers and their families to drop-in and show support for the 23 workers who are on the frontline in this battle against the Work Choices legislation. These workers and their families do not deserve to have their wages and conditions placed under attack. However, it is clear that the Company want to impose a wage freeze and to remove important conditions that have been in existence for a number of years. This is simply unacceptable.”.

“With this dispute we are in it for the long haul. We apply the principle that no worker will lose a single cent or have a single condition abolished as a result of the Work Choices legislation. Our job is to ensure that what we have today we will have tomorrow.”. said Union Official David Nunns.

more info: AMWU Official David Nunns 0425 784 812
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Sunday, June 04, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						Sucessful SUWA show benefit
					
				
			

		
		

				
The SUWA Show, a 3CR radio show, held a benefit on Friday June 2 at the Trades Hall Bar. $500 dollars was raise on the night with a special contrabution from Food Not Bombs who made great tucker. Patrons enjoyed door prizes and funny but radical films. The SUWA show is on target to raise $1500 for the annual 3CR radionthon.

more info: (03) 9419 8377 | www.3cr.org.au

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
Saturday, June 03, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						Moreland council sells out leisure centre workers
					
				
			

		
		

				
Despite pressure from the local Union Solidarity group and other residents, and opposition from its two Greens’ members, Moreland City Council voted on May 22 to put control of the Coburg Leisure Complex into the hands of Belgravia, a company with a bad record on workers’ wages and conditions.

Two months ago, the 90 casual, part-time and full-time workers employed at the leisure centre negotiated an enterprise agreement with the YWCA, the centre’s management. Australian Services Union industrial officer Igor Grattan is concerned that Belgravia will push the introduction of individual contracts (Australian Workplace Agreements). According to Grattan, only the YWCA and council-managed leisure centres across Melbourne have union agreements.

more info: Greenleft Weekly article | Council resolution
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						A new union for fast food and retail workers
					
				
			

		
		

				
A new union for fast food and retail workers has been launched in Melbourne. The union grew out of the UNITE campaign for casual workers rights. This is the most exciting development in the fight back for young workers rights in many, many years.

UNITE first started in 2003 as an organisation fighting for low paid and casual workers. Its most notable campaigns were the ‘name and shame’ campaign on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and the campaign to unionise Boarders Books on Lygon Street in Carlton.

more info: UNITE 03 9639 9111 | info@unite.org.au | http://www.unite.org.au

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
			
Thursday, June 01, 2006

					
				
		
			

				
					
						Banyule: Citizens Against Social Injustice
					
				
			

		
		

				
Letter Boxing
9.30am Saturday
 30 September
 Carpark 
 Watsonia Library (next to train station)
Ibbottson St, Watsonia
Melway reference: 20E4

A big effort is required to distribute as many Banyule leaflets we can to the local area.

Next meeting
Tues 19 Sept
5.15-6.15pm
Watsonia Library (next to train station)
Ibbottson St, Watsonia
Melway reference: 20E4

Meeting held every second Tuesday same time and venue.
September 19 | October 3, 17, 31 | November 14, 28

Banyule covers Melbourne's north eastern suburbs, Ivanhoe, Heidleberg, Watsonia.

more info: touchonetouchall@hotmail.com | Gary 0415 103 375 | Paullie 0402 273 677

			

		

	
		
   			 
      	
	
		
		
 

	
	


	
 










Disclaimer: Articles appearing on www.unionsolidarity.org come from a wide variety of sources. Opinions expressed and reportage of events do not necessarily reflect the position of Union Solidarity or meant to imply endorsed by any group Union Solidarity is supporting at the time of publication.