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Autumn 2005

Cliona Changes her Menu

Twelve months ago, Cliona Kennedy, a chef who has worked with the Hobart Private Hospital for eight years, decided to take a more active role in union affairs. She joined the Worksite Committee at Hobart Private in 2004. Cliona's journey since then has been a revelation. After several months working in the HACSU's Hobart Office as an industrial organiser, Cliona now has a taste for working in a paid union position and wants to become more involved. Here's Cliona's story.

Question: So you decided you would get more involved in the union?

CLIONA. Yes. I was nominated to the Hobart Private Worksite Committee, and elected chairperson. Towards the end of last year HACSU asked if I wanted to be seconded for a few months to fill in as a full time industrial organiser. It was brilliant. I got great support from all the other HACSU staff, who were very encouraging.

Question:. So how did you find the job? What did you get out of it?

CLIONA. Well, it deepened my appreciation of the wider role of unions in social and industrial issues. I developed a more pragmatic view of how we can implement changes and empower workers. I learnt to get issues resolved through the use of industrial knowledge.

Working with HACSU has been one of the most challenging and positive experiences of the last eight years.

I lived in Ireland where I joined my first union when I was 16. In Ireland living with social justice ideals is the norm and looking after each other is a way of life. I believe the modern union concept has really grown and progressed and it is now very empowering for workers who over the term of the Howard Government will face one of the biggest struggles that the union movement has faced.

HACSU has given me the skills to survive and to see both sides of issues. Workers should not see management as the enemy but come to an understanding that working collectively with management can achieve the outcomes that are mutually beneficial. I believe the collective is going to become more important to workers to be able to secure good outcomes in the future.

If workers do not become active then they will lose what benefits they have already fought for and won.

I have come to recognize the benefits of having a worksite committee, where you have people with different skills and abilities, which can be harnessed to deliver successful outcomes. What we hope to do is build a group of union activists who can unite and work together to best reflect the ideas and issues within the workplace and empower the workforce to act collectively.

Question: So how is the worksite committee at the Hobart Private going? Where is it at?

CLIONA. The worksite Committee has made progress but we still have a way to go. We are now dealing with more issues on the ground ourselves, with the knowledge, confidence and skills that we gained through the support and encouragement of our local organiser.

But there are a lot of issues to deal with. There have been restructures to almost all areas, orderlies, CSSD, admin, ward clerks, front office, the sessional suites, pantry staff, hospital care assistants and kitchen areas. That means there are tremendous amount of issues that have to be tackled.

I believe a good indication of where we are at the moment is an incident that happened at work recently. This may seem petty to some people, but I think it shows a much deeper understanding of unions emerging.

Management posted a notice saying there was to be a meeting and management, employees and the union would be in attendance.

Members of HACSU approached management and asked them to change the wording of the notice because it gave the impression that members were separate from the union. The members are the union they insisted and the union is always here. I believe this was a turning point for members as they now understand that they are the union.

Question: So what is the next step for you?

CLIONA. I really enjoyed working with HACSU. I would like to be able to work full time with the union if I possibly can. I believe that the
skills I have learnt will be useful to me in my role in the worksite committee as well as being able to use them to benefit workers to build a collective that will be active and successful in the workplace.

I will also look forward to taking on any other role that the union thinks that I am ready for.
I now look forward to concentrating my knowledge and skills in building a worksite committee that will in the future be able to function on its own with support supplied by the local union organizer when and if required.