banner
Home >News >HACSU & Ballarat Trades Hall

HACSU & Ballarat Trades Hall

2020-07-29

This month, we’re interviewing HACSU Organiser Lisa Andrew about her recent election to the Ballarat Trades Hall Council. Lisa has been a HACSU Organiser for several years and is a strong, capable, and compassionate unionist both at work and in her personal life, taking on activist roles in her community.

 

 

Tell us Lisa, what does your new role on the Ballarat Trades Hall Council involve?

My role involves things like lobbying State parliament on legislation that affects the lives of regional workers, coordinating regional campaigns on industrial, political and social issues and in pre-COVID times, organising large rallies, marches, protests and other public events. I am also there to provide strategic advice and support for unions, particularly for local union members on individual campaigns and let the local general public media know about trade union issues.


 

How did you get involved as part of Ballarat Trades Hall?

Through my work as the area Organiser for HACSU in Ballarat, I’ve become involved in many local industrial issues. This lead to me to build relationships and get involved with the team at Trades Hall, and then to becoming a member of the Ballarat Trades Hall Council. An important part of being union is having strong relationships with local people who organise workers, so that we can all come together to create relevant change for workers and the community.

 

Why is it important for unions like HACSU or union members to be part of a local trades hall?

The trades hall in any region links various unions together and is important in bringing local matters to the attention of the union movement. Involvement at this level also keeps pressure on local councils and governments to act on the issues important to our members at a local level
 

HACSU Delegate Cam is also involved in the Ballarat Trades Hall, can you explain his role and how he got involved?

Cam is a HACSU Delegate and lived experience workforces member who first became involved in the union movement when trying to gain support for issues that were troubling him at work. He became active in numerous union activities after quickly building a support network at the Ballarat Trades Hall.

Recently Cam was nominated for Young Activist of this year in the region and was elected to Ballarat Trades Hall Council. Cam’s an asset to the union movement, and to HACSU and we’re really proud of members like Cam who are out in communities fighting the good fight.
 

What can members do to get involved in these types of roles?

HACSU members wanting to get involved in their local union networks should find out when meetings are held by contacting their local Trades Hall. You can trying searching in Google you’re your local trades hall, contacting your HACSU Organiser. Once you are involved, you can expect meetings to occur around once per month. You will be provided with multiple opportunities for involvement and you can learn more about being a local union activist in your community, supporting workers and their families.

 

Get involved today! Contact us on 1300 651 931 or hacsu@hacsu.asn.au