AMWU organisers from Queensland and New South Wales will be able to achieve better outcomes for members after graduating from the ACTU’s year long course, Organising Works.

The annual program designed to develop the skills and capacity of organisers from unions around Australia, concluded with a graduating ceremony in Melbourne last week.  

One of the program’s graduates, AMWU organiser Jason Lund from Mackay in northern Queensland says the course provided him with a new perspective on how to represent members.  

“The course included a thorough study of industrial relations Acts in Australia. We learnt how they work and what their limits are.

“Although I knew the Acts in detail already the training helped me understand how we can use them to get the best outcomes for our members.”

For Linda Everingham, an organiser from the Growth Unit in New South Wales, the course was an opportunity to learn from others.   

“It was fabulous to get the perspective of other unions. Meeting organisers from blue collar and white collar unions and hearing about what worked for them was invaluable.

“Being an organiser can be chaotic at times and is often reactive. The course enabled us to think proactively in all facets of our work.

“In particular it developed our skills in empowering our delegates and selling the union’s message to non-union members.” 

Along with monthly training sessions in capital cities, the course involved a week long intensive residency program in Sydney in which organisers were broken up into teams.

“The residency was one of my favorite parts of the program. It required us to work on a campaign that would typically go over 18 months to two years in the space of a week,” said Mr Lund. 

“The exercise was designed to train us for campaigns like ‘Your Rights at Work’. 

The program involved rigorous and ongoing assessment that combined a broad range of topics, from effective communication techniques to time management skills.

“Being a regional based organiser in Organising Works, meant lots of travel and time away from home. This was a bit taxing and my wife is now very happy I’ve graduate.

“That said, it was a great opportunity, one I’ve gained enormously from,” Mr Lund said.