2018 to 2019 Triumphs to Triumphs


2018 was a huge year for our union. Not only did we see some great industrial wins, but we celebrated some huge milestones and won some massive political victories. Here are just some of the key wins of 2018 as we look towards another huge year in 2019.

WE Step it Up


  • We held the biggest Shop Stewards Conference we have ever had, with  more than 350 delegates in attendance.
  • We participated in two massive Change the Rules rallies which saw 120 and 170 thousand people hit the streets of Melbourne.
  • Our Union has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to turn the volume on the Change the Rules campaign right up to 11.
  • We appointed our first ever woman to our State Council.

Industrial Wins


  • Wins have stacked up in the Lift Industry. Kone & Schindler both have new EBAs with huge pay rises. 
  • Tip Top workers had it out with management over a drawn-out period of stoppages and rallies. Eventually the workers won 
the day.
  • We added more workplaces to our contracting EBA. Tens of thousands of electricians across Victoria are now covered by this agreement that offers some of the best living standards to tradies in the world.
  • While RCR was falling apart before our eyes, the union was taking action from the get-go. While it was corporate greed that saw RCR go bust, the union was there to pick up the pieces. 
  • We launched a massive legal challenge against the Westgate Tunnel Consortium to successfully block the approval of non-union enterprise agreement.

 

Politics 


  • We helped elect a true blue unionist to federal parliament in March. By backing ACTU President, Ged Kearney, in her by-election campaign for Batman (now Cooper), we ensured that working people have a passionate voice for their rights in parliament.
  • We affiliated with the Labor Party. After a near unanimous vote at our Shop Stewards Conference, we are now back in the ALP tent. We are now working side-by-side with our fellow unionists to ensure the ALP remains the party of working people and puts our issues first.
  • We smashed it at the state election. Victorian Liberals have become a national joke after they were demolished last November. The Labor Party was so successful because of ETU members stepping up and making their voices heard in the election.

2019 & beyond


  • Change the Rules Rally #3. On April 10th we will hit the streets for a third time. Just weeks out from the federal election our voices will echo across the country – change the government, and change the rules.
  • A history-making federal election. The ALP are taking their most progressive and worker friendly platform in decades to the May federal election and they are going to win. We will once again demolish the Liberals in Victoria and across the country. This is a once in a generation opportunity to see the union agenda at the forefront of politics and sure up the future of our movement.
  • Centre for U - in August the Union will open up our new training centre that will deliver an unprecedented amount of training and support services to our members.
  • Our contracting EBA meets its halfway point. Expect to hear more about that soon.
  • We'll celebrate 100 years of our national organisation. While ETU Victoria has proudly been representing electricians in our state for 117 years, the National Branch will celebrate its centenary later this year. Stay tuned for more information about the celebrations.
  • We will continue to be one of the best unions in the country. We will continue to fight and deliver for you. No matter what is thrown at us, we will always stand up for our membership. ETU for life!