Deb honoured with Emma Miller Award
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 127 No 7, 30 September 2022, page no. 4
The annual Emma Miller awards were hosted by the QCU at Southbank Emporium, Brisbane on Friday 9 September. These awards celebrate the outstanding contribution of women union activists at a grassroots level, across the state.
The QTU nominated Deb McPherson as the 2022 recipient of the Emma Miller Award. She was recognised for her commitment and dedication in supporting activists and improving outcomes for QTU members across the state.
Deb is the founder of the QTU All Abilities and Allies Special Interest Group, a group aimed at providing support for QTU members with a disability. This group recognises a section of the QTU membership with diverse needs and little voice. Deb got organised and is now ensuring that their voices are heard.
Deb is a tireless activist and respected teacher in North Queensland. She has been a Workplace Rep for more than 16 years and is a Lead Union Rep, Branch President, and State Council delegate. She is also a member of the QTU Women Teachers and Girls Education Committee. Deb, along with QTU Vice-President Leah Olsson, founded the Cairns Women’s Network to provide QTU women teachers in North Queensland with support and connection.
Deb is a respected teacher and Union Rep whose colleagues regularly seek her out for advice and advocacy, and she is recognised in the QTU as a hard worker and staunch activist. Deb is a trusted colleague and her dedication to unionism is unwavering.
The awards are held in honour of Emma Miller (26 June 1839- 22 January 1917), a women’s rights activist, union organiser and suffragette. If you would like to find out more about Emma Miller and the awards' past recipients, visit https://www.qtu.asn.au/women/emma-miller-recipients.