Anna Stewart Memorial Project 2022 Report
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 127 No 7, 30 September 2022, page no. 20
Nicole Elkins and Madonna Johanson were the QTU participants in the 2022 Anna Stewart Memorial Project (ASMP), which encourages female union activists to gain knowledge and experience within their own union and provides the opportunity to work-shadow in another union.
The QTU participants in the project, affectionately referred to as “Annas”, were both elected at May State Council.
Nicole is an instrumental music HOD-C who teaches at Robina State School, while Madonna is a leading vocational teacher at Southbank and Logan TAFE campuses. She is the first TAFE woman to nominate and be elected as an Anna.
The 19 Annas participating in the 2022 project met on 18 July to begin the two-week internship project and meet their host unions, as well as attending the QCU Women’s Conference and the launch of “On her shoulders”, a multi-platform history project highlighting women’s contribution to the Queensland union movement.
Nicole was hosted by the Electrical Trade Union Qld & NT (ETU) and spent two days out on sites and in their South Brisbane office. In those two days, Nicole learned the importance of PPE (personal protective equipment), went out on site with the Queens Wharf organiser, learned about the challenges of renegotiating hundreds of individual site-specific enterprise bargaining agreements, visited a new sustainable training site, discussed plans to encourage growth of the female electrical trade workforce, attended training for site delegates and attended a “thank you” lunch for ETU members who volunteered their time and expertise as part of the “Operation Energise” effort to provide electrical services to the most vulnerable people in flood zones.
Madonna was hosted by the Australian Federated Union for Locomotive Employees (AFULE) and spent two days at their Southbank office meeting the State Secretary, office manager, and organisers and shadowing the Industrial Officer. This was the first time that the AFULE had participated in the project. Madonna sat in for discussions and meetings regarding unfair dismissal, long service leave, and the role of the Fair Work Commission, and proof-read the weekly communications to AFULE members. One of these communications involved a win for AFULE members. Following the death and injury of AFULE members, Queensland Rail had agreed to lower the maximum speed of trains engaging in controlled shunting and emergency recovery from 40kmh to 25kmh.
Nicole and Madonna also participated in various QTU events and training sessions. These included: workplace visits to Macleay Island and Russell Island State Schools, meeting with Officers and Organisers, a QTU Executive meeting, a TAFE Executive meeting, the United Leadership Conference, the Working Conditions Committee, Gold Coast Area Council, a legal seminar, an occupational violence workshop, and a lunch with the General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and Vice-President. There were also tours of the QTU offices. The EB10 ballot of school members was underway at the time of the internship and was raised in all meetings attended.
A highlight was a meeting in the office of Industrial Commissioner Pidgeon to discuss her role within the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. This was followed by a tour of the offices and the conciliation conference rooms and sitting in on a workers’ compensation matter that was being heard by the Commission.
Nicole and Madonna believe that this opportunity enabled them to better understand the democratic processes of unions, the governance involved and the focus on members to achieve goals that can only be accomplished as a collective.
Nicole said: “It was amazing to see how the democratic structures of the QTU ensure continued action enacted from the voices of grassroots members and strategic planning that is directly linked to QTU policy.”
Madonna said: “It was an absolute privilege to be the first TAFE Anna”, and she looks forward to more TAFE women participating in the future.