FRONT PAGE

RALLY for a decent EBA

2008-07-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

RALLY for a decent EBA
9:00am Tuesday
13 May 2008
front of Epworth Hospital
Bridge Road Richmond

EXCELLENCE EVERYWHERE EVERY DAY EXCEPT IF EPWORTH HAVE TO PAY

Epworth Dieticians, Sleep and respiratory Scientists and Psychologists have not had a pay rise in 18 months and have been in active negotiations with Epworth Healthcare since September 07 over wages and conditions. more details

PROTEST UNJUST WAGES & ANTI WORKER BEHAVIOUR BY:
Join us in protest by emailing the CEO: Alan.kinkade@epworth.org.au

Labels: Community Prote

Upcoming Events and Actions

2008-06-19T01:35:00.000-07:00

Support Your Local Postie!!
Rally and cavalcade
10am Saturday
May 10
Footscray Post Office
182 Barkly Street,
Footscray

11 am at
Williamstown Post Office
70 Douglas Parade
Williamstown
Download Leaflet

Western Suburbs Community and Unions Coalition supports the local posties' campaign to protect their jobs and conditions. Australia Post is closing our Delivery Centre and shifting us to West Sunshine in July, this year. It will mean a cut in full-jobs, reduction of hour and pay.
more info...

Defend Dave Kerin

2008-06-18T02:55:00.000-07:00

Union Solidarity coordinator Dave Kerin addressing a mass meeting at Boeing.

Union Solidarity Coordinator Dave Kerin is now facing up to 6 months jail for supporting striking workers at Boeing.

The Australian Workplace Ombudsman has issued Dave with a “Notice to produce documents” order in relation to the recent strike at Boeing.

We are asking you to indicate your public support for Dave Kerin and Union Solidarity. Go to Defend Dave Kerin Sign Up form

More info: Boeing Archive | Notice to produce documents

Fair Deal for Solar Power Rally

2008-05-20T01:23:00.000-07:00

8.30am-9.30am Thursday
May 8
Parliament House
Spring St
Melbourne
Download Rally Leaflet

This coming Thursday tell Premier John Brumby and the Victorian Government that we want a REAL Feed-In Tariff for Victoria's solar future.

The Victorian Government is about to make a decision on the price of energy generated from renewable sources (called a feed in tariff). This will greatly influence the uptake of solar and other renewable energy technologies. The Governments decision is expected to be unfavorable.
more...

Community Assembly at Visy in Coburg

2008-03-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

A Community Assembly was held 20th March between 6am - 10am at Visy in Charles St, Coburg [Melbourne].

The action was in support an AWMU member who was unfairly dismissed by Visy. The community assemblies could escalate if Visy do not reinstate the sacked worker.

Vale Sid Spindler

2008-03-01T03:29:00.000-08:00

It is sad news that former Victorian Democrat Senator Sid Spindler has died after a fairly long battle with cancer.

Sid was 75. He was born in Poland, experiencing the horrors of Nazi occupation and World War II. He came to Australia as a seventeen year old in 1949 – yet another example of the immense benefit Australia has gained from migrants.

He was heavily immersed in Indigenous issues during and after his time in the Senate. Sid Spindler also worked on child labour issues and conditions faced by outworkers and people in industries affected by tariff cuts.

He was the pioneer of legislation aimed at removing discrimination on the grounds of sexuality from our federal laws. He was successful in the 1990s in changing our laws to make it unlawful to discriminate in employment on the grounds of sexual preference.

He also strongly defended the rights and value of migrants and refugees, and stood up against those who opposed migration.

His wartime experiences undoubtedly influenced his strong passion for justice and against war, and made him starkly aware of the dangers of racism and demonisation of others. He stated that his early days were also responsible for his “suspicion of chauvanistic prejudice masquerading as patriotism, and for my intense opposition to all forms of totalitarian compulsion.”

source: http://andrewbartlett.com/blog/?p=1953

Many in the union movement remember Syd as a strong supporter of workers rights.

The right to strike

2007-12-18T03:44:00.000-08:00

Union Solidarity’s goal is overturning all anti-union laws especially the harsh laws facing building workers under the ABCC.

Strikes will always be a feature of an advanced economy. While repressive laws seek to stop workers fighting we will cite our right to rebel and support those workers even if that activity is deemed illegal...more...

Constructing Fear

2007-12-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

Constructing Fear is a documentary exposing the activity of an industrial inquisition targeting building workers across Australia [the ABCC]. “Constructing Fear” shows how these workers are the front line in an attack on civil liberties that has implications for every Australian.

Libs defeated by community outrage over Workchoices

2007-12-03T02:26:00.000-08:00

The fantastic November 24 federal election result is definitely worth celebrating. It’s now time to reflect on the significance of the victory and face the challenges ahead.

Firstly the stunning swing to Labor was the product of mobilising the community. The huge nation wide Your Rights at Work rallies, public meetings, community protests, strikes and pickets against unfair dismissals all played a role in stopping the worst excesses of Workchoices being carried out. They also demonstrated the unfairness of the legislation and the power of the union movement. more...

Council drops charges against Ken Mooney

2007-12-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

Brimbank Council has dropped charges against community activist and key Union Solidarity supporter Ken Mooney.

Ken was contesting a fine imposed by the Brimbank Council for allegedly interjecting from the public gallery during a meeting considering the future of the site of the Sunshine Swimming Pool.
more...

Stop the attacks on building workers

2007-07-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

The CFMEU and other construction unions are under enormous pressure from the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC). more

Today (Fri 13 July) the Uniting Church issue a press release about safety standards and anti-union policies at Woodside gas plant in Port Campbell.

In August there is planned public meeting Melbourne raising concerns about ABCC and the harsh laws facing building workers. Details soon.

New Warrnambool Group:
Warrnambool Solidarity group has started in Warrnambool Victoria.

Rally Save Posties Jobs

2007-07-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

download leaflet

4.30pm Wednesday
August 1
Crn Exhibition & Latrobe Sts
Melbourne.

Australia Post wants to close the Fitzroy Mail Centre. Management has informed staff many with several year service that:

* they are no longer required
* that they are splitting their jobs and
* replacing them with new people (on less wages) to do their work.

17 jobs are on the line, rally to defend jobs, working conditions and decent postal services in the inner city...more.

Defend Our Rights at Work! Tear up all of Work Choices!

2007-06-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

Union Solidarity has endorsed the following motion and petetion:

We [therefore] call on the ACTU and state, territory and regional labour councils to immediately call a day of protest that demands:

The full repeal of the Howard government’s Work Choices and Workplace Relations Act (including the abolition of all Australian Workplace Agreements in whatever form and the immediate dismantling of the Australian Building and Construction Commission), the abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission) and;
The enshrining in Australian law of the internationally recognised right of workers to take industrial action in defence of their economic and social interests.

more info: Victorian Petition | National Petition

IR Questions for Candidates

2007-06-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

As part of its social justice campaign the Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church has set up an Industrial Relations group. They plan to develop seven questions on IR to ask our federal candidates for the up and coming election. They plan to publicise their responses (or lack of) as widely as possible.

Some questions that come to my mind are:

Will you support the removal of legislation that has given the building industry task force such extraordinary powers.
Will you support the right for a worker to withdraw his labour as a form of protest. (right to strike) Etc.

more info: Donna 9417 4178

Looking the other way

2007-06-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

Woodside and safety at the Otway Gas Plant construction site

United Church: June 2007
Since December 2006 the Justice and International Mission Unit has been in dialogue with Woodside Energy regarding serious allegations that employees at the Otway Gas Plant construction site in Port Campbell, Victoria, have been fired for raising safety concerns at the site, on suspicion they have raised safety concerns at the site and for union membership...more

more info: Write a protest letter to Woodside | Community Assembles against Woodside's action in Port Campbell

OK fellas, let's go home

2007-06-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

ONE of the Latrobe Valley's longest running industrial protests has ended. Former employees at Mechanical Engineering Corporation's (MEC) Yallourn workshop left the site at the weekend after a 277 day protest.

The protest ended when the AMWU and 32 former MEC workers last week commenced legal action against their employer, Mechanical Engineering Services (MES), to secure their full redundancy entitlements. more...

Community Assembly to Save Seafarers Jobs.

2007-06-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

This morning’s community assembly was held in solidarity with the crew of the Ormiston, who expected to be told this afternoon that their boat is to be decommissioned, and replaced by a ship bearing foreign flags, crewed by foreign workers.

About 100 supporters assembled around 11am this morning, Tuesday June 5th, outside the CSR property on Lyell St, Yarraville, where the Ormiston is docked. The crew were notified during the morning that they were expected to bring the boat to Webb Dock at 3pm this afternoon. more...

We stand in open rebellion

2007-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday 14th of November 2006 the High Court of Australia ruled that the Workplace Relations Act, as amended by Workchoices, is constitutional. Unionists in Australia can now be jailed for six months for refusing to attend a hearing; six months jail for refusing to answer questions at that hearing...

Given that such abuses of our human rights are now legal, Union Solidarity stands in open rebellion. more...

We are Union

2007-02-15T00:52:00.000-08:00

"We Are Union" A collection of inspiring union songs by Union Maid.

Union Maid is Lita Gillies
Lita was born in Melbourne in 1969, and grew up in a family of strong personalities with strong political views.

Her CD, We Are Union, is her way of vocalising her protest against governments who don't listen and greedy employers who treat workers badly.

It is also a celebration of workers who understand that unity brings strength and the capability to fight injustice.

“Fighting the IR laws and the Building Industry Imporvement Act is the only way we can ensure that our children, or future children, have the same working rights and conditions as the ones we were born with.”

Proceeds from We Are Union will go to the CFMEU fighting fund and Union Solidarity.
You can buy the We Are Union at:

CFMEU offices | The ASU shop
By emailing contact@unionmaid.com.au | contact@unionsolidarity.org

Preview: mp3 samples > Union Solidarity | ABCC misery | Kiss your memory | more...
more info: www.unionmaid.com.au

Warrnambool Solidarity

2007-01-22T02:08:00.000-08:00

Next meeting:
Tuesday July 31, 2007

contact: Gary 5565 8723(h) | 5560 3712(w) | glucas@comconnect.com.au

Important Forum
Latest Developments in Human Rights
8.00pm Tuesday
24 July 2007
Vision Australia Building
Moore St Warrnambool
Download leaflet

KURT ESSER Chair of The Justice Project (TJP) is conducting this informal talk for Amnesty International. Prior to that talk, TJP also wants to engage with local community organisations concerned with Social Justice in order to plan two very important Human Rights Public Forums later in the year

Community Planning meeting
7.00pm Tuesday
24 July 2007
Vision Australia Building
Moore St Warrnambool

more info: Toni 03 9654 4778 | Warrnambool leaflet

Right to strike

2007-01-18T03:40:00.000-08:00

Union Solidarity’s goal is overturning the current repressive Industrial Relation laws. At the moment that means the Liberal Government’s Workchoices and the harsh laws facing building workers under the ABCC. We are also vitally concerned with other attacks on working class communities such as Welfare to Work.

In the short term we hope to see the defeat of the Howard government and the election of a Federal Labor government.

In the long term we are committed to seeing the full realisation of worker rights in this country. Most importantly this means the “right to strike” and the ability for workers to freely organise in the workplace.

We are committed to overturning laws that attempt to make it illegal for workers and members of the community to support each other when they are on strike or in dispute. Workers should also have the ability to bargain and campaign across workplaces to obtain industry agreements.

Strikes will always be a feature of an advanced economy. While repressive laws seek to stop workers fighting we will cite our right to rebel and support those workers even if that activity is deemed illegal. We believe that workers and unions have a moral right to protect each other. Therefore any unionist and concerned citizen have every right to attend and support any action when the situation demands it.

Union Solidarity Supporters Card

2007-01-17T04:21:00.000-08:00

Become a financial supporter of Union Solidarity for 6 months.
Cost $20

The supporter’s card will raise much-needed funds to continue the vital work of Union Solidarity. We aim to start with 1000 financial supporters. To become a financial supporter of Union Solidarity purchase the supporter’s card from AAWL (Australia Asia Workers Links)#.

Distribution Point
Jiselle Hanna - Mobile: 0411054859 | Email: aawl@aawl.org.au | Landline: 9663 7277
Website: www.aawl.org.au
AAWL Office: Victoria Street Wing, 1st Floor, Victorian Trades Hall, Corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton.

Renewing your card
Each card has been given a unique number so we can remind you when the next card is due. Please take the time to register your card number online.

Go to contact.unionsolidarity.org
Fill in your personal details
Add your supporters number

When the next card is due we will get back in contact with you.

# We wish thank Australia Asia Worker Links for their kind assistance in distributing the Union Solidarity Supporters card.

Link Union Solidarity to your site

2007-01-15T01:54:00.000-08:00

Home page
http://www.unionsolidarity.org

SMS alert list
http://contact.unionsolidarity.org

Write for the website
http://publish.unionsolidarity.org

Network pages:
Community sector solidarity
http://community.unionsolidarity.org

Darebin Workers Rights & Social Justice Campaign
http://darebin.unionsolidarity.org

Western Suburbs Community and Unions Coalition
http://western.unionsolidarity.org

Pictures
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4k

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more info: contact@unionsolidarity.org

Community Solidarity [Western Australia]

2007-01-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

Community Assembly at National Foods
Friday 6am
October 19
86 Radium St
Bentley

20 - 40 people stopped milk trucks both supply and Woolworths delivery at National Foods. The action organised by Fremantle Community Solidarity included rank and file AMWU and MUA members. Members at the site got a great boost from the action and all involved were happy it went well.

Background
Workers employed by National Foods (Pura Milk, Yoplait, Berri and other brands) are negotiating their EBA and are locked in a struggle over their wages and conditions. A particular sticking point has been the employer’s refusal to meet workers’ demands for income protection insurance should they fall sick or get injured outside work hours.

The Community Solidarity group is organising a community picket in support of the workers’ claim. Under the WorkChoices regime struggling workers need to support each other in order to defend and extend their rights at work. Your attendance at the picket will help turn the tide against Howard’s anti-worker laws.

more info: Sam 0412 751 508 | wasolidarity@yahoo.com.au | www.unionsolidarity.org/2007/01/community-solidarity-western-australia.html

Contact Details

Fremantle: Dave 0410 410 592 or Craig 0409 100 989
Kwinana-Rockingham: Terry 0417 095 665
Peel: Coral 9535 9127

wasolidarity@yahoo.com.au | PO Box 1379 Fremantle WA 1379

Downloads

Download Leaflet

Past Actions
Community action targets Alcoa
Building work at Alcoa’s new aluminium processing plant at Pinjarra in WA was halted Wednesday and Thursday morning (Nov 1&2) by the Peel Community Solidarity group. The community action, which involved holding mass meetings in the middle of the road, is the first of its kind in WA.

On October 31 thirty building workers were sacked after Alcoa cancelled a building firms contract. C.E.C.K, the new contractor, indicated that the workers would be re-employed under AWA’s (individual contracts) resulting in a 25% reduction in conditions.

Alcoa refused to negotiate in good faith with the union representing the workers, the Australian Workers Union (AWU). In response the community decided to discuss the issue on the main access road into the plant during a shift change. As Alcoa employs about 2,000 employees the action caused a traffic gridlock.

After Alcoa continued to hold out the action was repeated on the morning of November 2. Alcoa attempted to divert traffic along back roads. However the community decided to have a meeting in the middle of the new access point to the plant. At its peak traffic was banked up for 10km.

Only after the community was informed that Alcoa would negotiate with the AWU was the action adjourned. Alcoa have been warned to expect future “road meetings” if they are not serious about resolving the issue.