CFMEU Victoria Worker Spring 2017

MILY FA UR YO R FO G IN ID OV PR D AN NG TI EC OT PR N WHE ...

EN OK BR IS EM ST SY E TH E, IM CR A ES M CO BE

S E L U R E H T E #CHANG

Journal of the CFMEU Victorian and Tasmanian Branch, Construction & General Division

Cover Stand up Fight Back Over 20.000 hit the streets to stop the war on workers.

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04 - 10 EXECUTIVE COLUMNS 09

PHOTO COMPETITION

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BUILD POWER

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SAFE BET AT CROWN

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NEW VENUE FOR PICNIC

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Walk the Walk to End Homelessness

Workers won’t be VConned

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RIGHT OF ENTRY

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NO TO GENDERED VIOLENCE

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FEBRUARY

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RDOs

hour week

RDO Calendar Pullout Poster

Aussie Made Utes

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48 Hooked and Cooked

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Public Holiday

Picnic Day

Westgate Memorial

Rostered Day Off

Annual Leave

Branch Meeting

Lockdown Weekend

School Holidays

vic.cfmeu.org.au 03 9341 3444 facebook.com/CFMEUVic youtube.com/CFMEUVic @CFMEUJohnSetka

1 March - 5% wage rise 1 July - CBUS Increase 1 October - Allowances Increase 3 December - Eureka Rebellion Anniversary Xmas Shutdown - 22/12/2018 to 7/01/2019

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CFMEU Training Unit

CFMEU Victorian and Tasmanian Branch, Construction & General Division Executive

Organisers and Specialist Staff Field Officers

Secretary John Setka

Gerry Benstead Nigel Davies Steve Long Ian Markham Malcolm Smith Billy Beattie Mark Tait (Fozzie) Theo Theodorou Mark Travers John Ayers Drew McDonald Adam Hall Toby Thornton Mark McMillan Gerry McQuaid Brendan Pitt Joe Myles John Perkovic Peter Booth Richie Hassett (TAS) Fergal Doyle Dean Dando Lisa Zanatta Kane Pearson Adam Olsen James Simpson Nick Vamvas John Thomson

Assistant Secretaries Shaun Reardon Elias Spernovasilis President Ralph Edwards Senior Vice President Derek Christopher Vice President Robert Graauwmans

Volume 23 Number 2

Wage Claims Officer Frank Akbari Training Unit Coordinator Anne Duggan Teachers and Trainers Karen Odermatt Mark Devereaux Jacky Gamble Barry Kearney Jennifer Pignataro Rose Nechwatel Paul Allwood Owen Waiomio Craig Lynch Sue Bull Lorella DiPietro Dorothy Saristavros Tony Minchin Andy Duff Dan Phelan Robert Rowan Communications Officer Jon Stanger

Offices Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety Unit Manager Gerry Ayers Safety Officers Alex Tadic Christine Thomas Peter Clark Steve Roach WorkCover Legal Officer Neil Browne Industrial/Legal Officers Amanda Swayn Jean Maloney Kristen Reid India Shearer Boyd Apprentice Liaison Officer Liam O’Hearn Research & Campaigns Officer Clancy Dobbyn

Melbourne 500 Swanston St Carlton South 3053 T: (03) 9341 3444 F: (03) 9341 3427 Morwell Wing 5, Lignite Court Morwell 3840 T: (03) 5134 3311 F: (03) 5133 7058 Geelong 78 Fyans St Geelong Sth 3220 T: (03) 5229 8921 F: (03) 5223 1845 Bendigo Bendigo TLC 40 View St Bendigo 3550 T: (03) 5443 5173 F: (03) 5442 5961

Wodonga Shop 3-4, 22 Stanley St Wodonga 3690 T: (02) 6024 1099 F: (02) 6056 5565 Portland South West TLC 31 Percy St Portland 3305 T: (03) 5523 4272 F: (03) 5523 3358 Hobart 33A New Town Rd New Town 7008 T: (03) 6228 9595 F: (03) 6228 9594

vic.cfmeu.org.au Authorised by John Setka, Secretary CFMEU Victoria. CFMEU Worker is proudly designed by union members.

Senator Derryn Hinch Senator for Victoria 1 Queens Road Melbourne 3004 Dear Senator, listening to the For more than 10 years I have been work. I’ve met from e hom gs brin and husb my stories walked with I’ve site, on been I’ve s, with his colleague rals. him at rallies and I’ve been to fune

My husband had a close frie nd crushed when a crane collapsed in 2001. He has counted 463 deaths on construction sites in Austral ia since.

n of the ABCC 330 deaths How is it that during the last reig te any of these stiga inve to d occurred and they faile d about what the union erne conc e mor e wer they ad inste lities? presence was on site after the fata

Surely Builder s and the Gove rnment shou focused on sa ld be more fety than if a CFMEU logo is sticker or hard on a flag, hat or if a CF MEU official is coffee with a having a cup delegate on si of te!

has worked 7 days On so many projects my husband lines. The risk of dead t mee to push the er a week und fatigued. Penalty are kers wor accidents is higher when employers think es mak ’s RDO and days Sun on rates twice before rostering work.

Last time I contacted your electorate office I was very emotional and very distressed after the death of 5 construction workers in 3 weeks (4 having occurred at non-union worksites).

all wives, mothers, children, I write to you now on behalf of of the men and women bers mem ily fam grandchildren and who work in construction. my family and more As a senator I ask you to think of tion workers that truc importantly the families of cons your ABCC vote. cast you n whe k wor at d have been kille it.

I’d like you to vote against

I know of no other indust ry where workers are so generous in looking after each other.

Senator Hinch, las t October I invite d you to speak w husband and ot ith my her workers. Th e invitation still husband is a fath stands. My er of 3, a grandf at he driver, an OHS re r of 3, a husband, presentative an a crane d a CFMEU deleg currently workin ate. He is g on a Federal Go vernment job.

Hear his stories. Hear the issues workers face chasin g pay, chasing superannuation etc and hear their views to balanc e this debate.

I urge you to please schedule time to meet with us both.

Kind regards, Natalie Duffy

Derryn Hinch ignored this family and sold out construction workers and their families.

Read the full letters: vic.cfmeu.org.au/dearderryn

FROM THE SECRETARY

UNION PRIDE ABCC SHAME John Setka Branch Secretary

On 15 February 2016, Bobby Hetherington was tragically killed after falling twenty metres down a lift well.

He died in the arms of his shop steward and in the company of CFMEU organiser Theo Theodorou. As with all deaths on site, everyone was deeply affected by the tragedy. Some days afterward, and in a very honourable and generous gesture, management sent Theo a letter thanking him for his assistance and efforts:

“It has been an incredibly difficult time… the CFMEU have provided unequivocal support to all the companies and personnel on the project.

Your effort to focus on not only workers’ welfare but that of the subcontract companies and also management is very much appreciated. You have shown throughout this time a high level of leadership and emotional support for all involved in the project which I personally will never forget.”

THE DAY FOLLOWING THE TRAGEDY, ABCC INSPECTORS ARRIVED AT THE SITE. They didn’t ask about the wellbeing of management or staff. They didn’t show any concern for Bobby’s family or provide any form of support to anyone on site. All they wanted to know was if the CFMEU organiser had given 24

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hours notice to go on site? What was the union doing on site? Did the official have a permit?

We currently operate under a set of bad laws that are deliberately structured to stop us from doing our job.

The ABCC is a political police force that has been constructed to do two things: firstly their day-to-day job is attempting to prevent CFMEU official from doing their jobs. Secondly, through the legal system, they gather evidence to convict and charge construction unions and officials with substantial fines in an attempt to bleed us into bankruptcy.

On the ground, ABCC inspectors police a set of laws that put workers’ lives at risk.

They use surveillance, intimidation, lies and corporate collusion in a campaign to deny workers the industrial rights that should be taken for granted in this day and age. At a political level, they assist the Liberal Party in their concerted and ongoing campaign to destroy the union movement.

The job of construction industry union officials is to protect the lives of construction workers and the community, while ensuring the workers get paid properly and work in reasonable conditions.

SUCCESSIVE LIBERAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE PASSED NUMEROUS LAWS THAT EFFECTIVELY MAKE ORGANISING ILLEGAL. How is it possible for a union official to do their job in an industry as dangerous as construction if they’re required to give 24 hours notice?

WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WRITES LAWS THAT MAKE UNION ORGANISING ILLEGAL, THEN FOR UNIONS TO DO THEIR JOBS THEY HAVE TO BREAK THE LAW.

But they go much further than that.

ABCC inspectors have frequently visited the homes of construction workers and the homes of their relatives. Not only have they personally threatened workers with fines and jail terms at their doorstep, they level the same threats at relatives.

THE WORK OF ABCC INSPECTORS IS SHAMEFUL. THAT THEIR BLOOD-SOAKED PAY SLIPS ARE FUNDED

BY THE TAX PAYER IS DISGRACEFUL. I stand by my belief that these people should be ashamed of their work and themselves.

In contrast, I look at the work of our officials, like Theo, and our delegates on jobs across the state and I’m proud to call myself CFMEU.

SPRING 2017

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SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

05

FROM THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

OUR FIGHT IS THE FIGHT FOR ALL OF US Elias Spernovasilas Assistant Secretary

I’ve been an organiser and official now for 21 years. I’ve seen a lot and I’ve seen the CFMEU go through some very tough times, but we’ve kept boxing and we’ve kept winning.

WE’VE WON BECAUSE WE WON’T BLINK AND THE BOSSES KNOW IT.

The logic behind the campaign to break the CFMEU is that if we fall, that’ll leave few other unions willing to go head to head. Construction unions remain the spear tip of the union movement.

Our victories and our set-backs have implications for more than just those of us lucky enough to work in this proud industry.

Today, many of the bosses now know that the best results in our business are achieved when they work with us and not against us. Contrary to what the papers like to report, the Victorian construction sector is the most productive and profitable in Australia and the Australian industry is one of the most productive in the world. If you build it here, it’ll be built on time and on budget.

This is now a generational problem.

Those of my generation now have a responsibility to hand on what we’ve learned through all the bitter lessons of many battles to the next generation.

However, you wouldn’t know it if you read the Herald Sun or listen to the real enemies of the CFMEU: the zealots at the big end of town and their political wing, the Liberal Party. They are committed to a war against the CFMEU.

leaders of the entire union movement.

We’ve got a Federal government that wants to destroy us. They’re prepared to rig the system against workers as they go. They want to use the system against us and in the process attack the rights of all workers. But we can see that for what it is and we won’t take a backwards step.

THIS WAR IS ABOUT MAXIMISING PROFITS AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL WORKERS. THAT MEANS CUTS TO PAY AND TO SAFETY. EVERY TIME THEY GET A CHANCE, THEY ALTER THE SETTINGS TO TAKE MORE OF THE WORKERS’ SHARE – ALL WORKERS.

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CFMEU WORKER

This difference between my generation and the next is that our fight isn’t just a fight about OUR wages and conditions.

THIS FIGHT IS ABOUT THE WAGES AND CONDITIONS OF EVERYONE WE KNOW – OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OUR FRIENDS, MANY OF OUR PARENTS, AND OUR KIDS.

That’s why I keep banging on about this; the truth is that the next generation are the future of the union movement. It’s the next generation who will grow to lead the CFMEU and it’s the next generation who will in turn grow to be

SPRING 2017

UNION TRIBUTES

TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE WELDON Union stalwart and activist Charlie Weldon passed away peacefully on July 9, 2017. Charlie was the loved husband of Emily and father of Cathy, Charles, Marie, Joanne and Gerard, along with their partners David, Mandy, Peter and Jacqui and his fifteen grandchildren.

Charlie's large extended family and many friends and colleagues in Australia and Ireland included many in the union movement and the construction industry. We have all lost a good man, a committed trade unionist, dedicated republican, and an indomitable character.

Charlie came to Australia with his family on a ship called the Northern Star in 1971. He married Emily Lowe in Belfast before coming out. Emily came from a family of seafarers and her brothers Frankie, Danny, Gerry and Tom all went to sea on the Australian coast and were proud and active union members.

Charlie, Emily and the family settled in Broadmeadows and he found work in the construction industry until December 1974 when he got away to sea.

Sadly missed by all who knew him and worked with him in both the maritime and construction industries, Charlie has gone too early and may he Rest in Peace, as the world is made poorer for his passing.

R.I.P. WAYNE MORRIS The Branch remembers and celebrates the life of Wayne Morris, Contract Scaffolder and CFMEU Member.

Wayne passed away quietly surrounded by his family, after losing his fight with cancer. Working in our industry as a Contract Scaffolder for some 36 years, he first started with Tubeway all those years ago. Wayne grew up in Braybrook and the construction industry, and his sons Matt and Justin have maintained the family tradition as Contract Scaffolders.

Wayne Morris will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him, as was demonstrated by the many people from the industry who joined family and friends at his funeral.

Our condolences and sympathy to Tracey, Matt, Justin, Shaun and Wayne’s family and many friends.

SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

07

FROM THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

UNIONS THE KEY TO FIX INEQUALITY Shaun Reardon Assistant Secretary

In construction, our primary focus is on safety. We’ve learned through many tragic deaths that if we give an inch when it comes to safety, they’ll take a mile, and workers will die as a result.

But the Australian union movement means much more than just the safety of construction workers. The Australian union movement is essential to a fairer Australia.

In the most basic terms:

COMPANIES WANT TO MAXIMISE PROFITS. UNIONS WANT TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE PROFITS MORE EVENLY AMONG THE WORKERS THEY REPRESENT. UNIONS MAKE SOCIETIES MORE EQUAL. Those are the facts.

Over the last twelve months we’ve started to see the language of inequality become more mainstream. The reality is that inequality has always existed in Australia, but it’s over the last few years that we’ve really started to see inequality, at its worst, on our streets. Most working class families are feeling it in a range of ways: they’re feeling the pinch when paying the power bills; they’re feeling the pinch when trying to cover the mortgage; most importantly, they’re feeling the pinch because in real terms, wages have been flat lining.

The construction sector has bucked this trend. In the current round of EBA negotiations we’ve won decent wage rises over three years. We won these increases because of our high union membership

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CFMEU WORKER

density and the fact that as a union, we’re strong and willing to stand side-by-side to take on the bosses.

It’s because of this that the CFMEU remains the focus of the Liberal Government’s attacks.

WHEN WE WIN DECENT PAY INCREASES, WE MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE RICH AND POWERFUL THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO LET STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY BECOME THE NORM IN OUR INDUSTRY. They hate us for it.

In Australia and across the Western World, you can’t talk about inequality without talking about the role unions play.

There is a direct link between the decline in union membership across Western countries and the reduction of wages in real terms.

In Australia, union membership has gone from around 45% in the mid-1980s to around 15% today.

Australia has some of the most anti-union industrial relations laws of any comparable Western country. Make no mistake, these laws are designed to destroy our union movement and increase inequality.

UNDER CURRENT IR LAWS, THE RICHEST 1% OF AUSTRALIANS HAVE ACCUMULATED MORE MONEY THAN 70% OF THE REST OF US PUT TOGETHER, YET UNION OFFICIALS HAVE TO GIVE 24 HOURS NOTICE JUST TO VISIT THEIR MEMBER IN A WORKPLACE. Malcolm Turnbull has a personal wealth of $133 million. He’s demonstrated that he’s happy with corporate wages in Australia.

Yet the moment construction workers fight for and win a fair share of the massive profits being made in our sector, then he, and the rest of his Liberal Party mates can’t condemn us quickly enough.

Increasingly, low-income Australian workers are being paid close to or less than the cost of living. This impact is being compounded by increased casualisation. More and more people are sleeping rough or families are being forced to choose between paying the power bills and putting food on the table.

You know there is something wrong in our society.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus has called it out: the system is broken, we need to change the rules.

IN AUSTRALIA, THE CEO OF THE COMMONWEALTH BANK EARNS $235,374.96 A WEEK MORE THAN AVERAGE WEEKLY TOTAL EARNING, YET THERE IS NO LEGAL RIGHT TO STRIKE.

SPRING 2017

C

O

M PH P OT ET O IT IO

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A GOPRO SEND US A PHOTO THAT SHOWS PRIDE IN OUR WORK AND YOU COULD WIN! Construction workers don’t get a lot of love in the mainstream media, so we have to tell our own stories.

Take a photo of your work, the people you work with or something that makes you proud to be CFMEU. Send your best photos to the CFMEU Vic-Tas Facebook page (facebook.com/cfmeuvic) or email viccomms@cfmeu.org Include your CFMEU MEMBER NUMBER with your photo and you could win a GoPro Hero Black 5 worth $570.

Winner to be decided by the CFMEU Victoria Executive and announced in the Summer 2017 Worker magazine and CFMEU Vic-Tas Facebook page.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

A ROAD & RAIL CRASH …

COMING FOR YOU Ralph Edwards President a week. Then add all the other trucks and construction vehicles bringing in concrete, crushed rock, plant and equipment etc, etc.

As the Andrews Government tries to catch up on all the transport infrastructure projects that should have been dealt with, in the last forty years, workers and their employers will face massive disruption.

In the rush to achieve targets, Inner Melbourne will be choked by construction activity, people trying to get to work, to shops and school. This problem will then radiate outwards through the road and rail systems.

This is an issue that will take up to ten years to be resolved. Metro Tunnel will finish in late 2024 if everything went better than the best estimates, but 2026, is considered a safer estimate.

If we think about the works that are currently under way – Tulla upgrade, Skyrail, Swan Street Bridge, Level Crossing Removals, Mernda Rail Line and all the private developments going on across Melbourne.

AND GIVEN HOW DIFFICULT IT IS ALREADY FOR WORKERS AND SITE DELIVERY VEHICLES, THEN THE MASSIVE METRO TUNNEL AND WESTERN DISTRIBUTOR PROJECTS WILL QUADRUPLE THE DISRUPTION. Many will remember the disruption that occurred with City Link, Monash Freeway Upgrade, Regional Rail and Geelong Road Upgrade. Metro Tunnel alone will not only disrupt inner Melbourne, but will also have a direct impact on the CBD and St Kilda Road, where commercial construction is busy and getting busier.

Hundreds of tippers removing tunneling spoil, twenty-four hours a day, seven days

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CFMEU WORKER

YES, THESE PROJECTS WILL SOLVE MANY TRANSPORT PROBLEMS AND WILL CREATE JOBS OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD. BUT WHAT OTHER EFFECTS WILL ALL THIS HAVE ON WORKERS IN THE INDUSTRY AND THOSE COMING INTO THE INDUSTRY? Will employers simply accept the disruption and therefore the delays?

If construction projects cannot get deliveries during the day, they will increasingly look at permanent night works, more weekend work and, just maybe, RDOs? Workers might simply say ‘double time, what is the problem?’

Indeed, it may sound like a wages bonanza, but if it goes on for years and maybe becomes the norm, does Melbourne become Dubai on the Yarra?

THIS INDUSTRY IS ALREADY BE SET WITH PROBLEMS – MARRIAGE BREAKDOWNS, ACCUSATIONS OF MISUSING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, STRESS AND MENTAL ILLNESSES INCREASING, AND PHYSICAL INJURIES. THESE AND OTHER SIDE EFFECTS OF A TWENTYFOUR HOUR WORLD IN CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR WORKERS AND MANAGEMENT.

Even those working days will not have it easy. Think about how many hours people put in getting to and going home from work. Then maybe add 50%, 100% on top? Public transport is already under stress. Therefore these infrastructure projects, will not be fixed until the infrastructure is built and operating. With so many residents coming into the CBD, the Council will come under pressure to disallow weekend work and/or alter start times, all of which will affect day works.

I believe anyone should be able to see the problems, but I do not think I have the answers. Nor does any level of government.

There seems to be a government attitude/ policy of “people will adjust”, ”people forget it once the projects’ finish” and so on.

WITH PRIVATE INDUSTRY TAKING THEIR LEAD FROM GOVERNMENT, WORKERS AND THEIR UNIONS WILL HAVE TO TAKE UP THE ISSUE AND CHALLENGE THIS APPROACH, IT WILL BE OUR WORKING AND PRIVATE LIVES WHICH WILL SUFFER. As usual, it will come back to the basic question – Do we work to live, or live to work? Talk to your workmates and family, and think about the future of our industry and help develop a strategy to defend ourselves. Change cannot be avoided but should be properly negotiated, not just handed down from those at the top.

SPRING 2017

Y U G E WIS

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Matthew Guy is..

ri: Opposition Leader fe af ad M d an ew th at M leged mobster al h it w ed in d y u G ew Matth tion own “Mr Madafferi was “a kn minal cri nt ne mi pro associate of o have a entities and persons wh minal conduct history of significant cri ndering and that includes money lau drug trafficking”.

Lamattina “Tony Madafferi and Mr donations were involved in a 2006

nned deporta scandal in which the pla r, Francesco, of Mr Madafferi’s brothe ed after a Mafia boss, was overturn and ing a long campaign of lobby liticians. po l donating to federal Libera and nal Francesco, a violent crimi jailed in drug trafficker, was later biggest connection to Australia’s ecstasy importation.”

INSERT COPY

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CFMEU WORKER

SPRING 2017

SOLIDARITY FOR THE WIN

Industrial and political power is a muscle, you have to exercise it to build your strength and you have to keep using it to stay strong.

At the 2014 state election campaign we exercised our political muscle. More than 2000 unionists hit the streets and the phones talking to voters about their own experiences. Our authenticity and our strength meant for the first time since the 1950s, a one-term Liberal government was defeated in Victoria. It was a massive win for working people. That result showed the power of Victorian union members working together.

When we talk about our own experiences, driven by our values of fairness, justice and equality, we change governments.

“WORKERS IN UNION STANDING TOGETHER IN SOLIDARITY WILL ALWAYS WIN.” The rights that union members have fought for and won are continually under attack. Every day, big business comes up with new ways to dodge and manipulate the law. They use labour hire, sham contracting and other forms of insecure employment. Labour hire companies have led the charge in the exploitation of workers, but Victorian unionists have flexed their muscle and are fighting back. The Victorian Government, as a result of tireless union campaigning,

has committed to introduce a labour hire licensing scheme to crack down on the crooks and shonks. Victorian Trades Hall is currently in discussions with the government’s consultants on the appropriate design of this vital scheme.

We have other big battles ahead of us though. The Liberals with the help of their cross bench cronies, One Nation, Xenophon, Liberal Democrats and Derryn Hinch have reinstated the ABCC. The ABCC strips rights from construction workers and their unions. CFMEU figures show, the last time it was around 330 workers were killed. Put simply the ABCC kills working people.

We have no choice but to defeat the government that put it in place and abolish it once and for all.

The attack on workers extends beyond our industry. At a time when wage growth in Australia is at an all-time low, the liberals, their big business mates and the Fair Work Commission have teamed up to slash the pay of our lowest paid workers. At the same time they’ve come together to give multinational corporations a tax cut. It seems the sole intention of the Liberals is to boost the bank balances of their rich mates off the backs of working people.

This shows how important it is to have governments standing up for workers both in Victoria and around the country. By the end of 2018 we will have fought a state election and probably another federal election. After smashing the Liberals at those elections we can kill the ABCC, crack down on dodgy labour hire companies, protect penalty rates, make sure Victoria gets its fair share of infrastructure

funding, and start fixing our broken industrial laws.

To win these elections we have to organise and mobilise. Now is the time for us to once again begin exercising our political muscle. We will need to have thousands of conversations, union member to union member, worker to worker, telling our stories. The campaign team at Trades Hall with four campaign organisers is already hitting the streets with volunteers every week. Volunteers are the key to our campaigning.

Our strength is in our authentic voices, and it’s a strength the Liberals will never be able to match. 2017 is the year to make sure we’re fighting fit. 2018 is the year we use our strength to smash the Liberals and take back our country for workers everywhere. So, let’s hit the gym and build that muscle.

“I KNOW I CAN COUNT ON YOU TO BE WITH US BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON’T FIGHT, YOU LOSE.”

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE WE ARE UNION CAMPAIGN YET? GET INVOLVED AT WEAREUNION.ORG.AU/VOLUNTEER SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

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MARK GEPP was sworn in as Labor’s newest state MP in the upper house seat of Northern Victoria on 8 June, replacing Steve Herbert who resigned earlier this year.

Gepp is former official (Asst National Secretary, National President) and life member of the CPSU and recently spent 5 years as an official with the FSU. We caught up with him to find out how the transition to parliament is going.

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CFMEU WORKER

Firstly, how did you come to be preselected to go into parliament?

What will be your focus in parliament?

When the vacancy arose it was the unions, particularly the CFMEU, RTBU and FSU who thought we need more people in parliament who instinctively think about workers and their families. Once they had reached that conclusion, they approached me and said they would support me for preselection if I wanted to have a go. I discussed it with family and friends and here I am. John, Shaun, Clancy and everyone at the CFMEU were fantastic with their support and I am very grateful.

I will look at every piece of legislation through the eyes of a trade unionist, it’s who I am. The test for me will be to ensure that legislation helps workers and their families and as many of them as possible. Being a product of housing commission life in my early years, I am also acutely aware of the different ways inequality manifests itself and I will always fight against any form of inequality.

How have the first couple of months been?

Hectic! Since the swearing in, I have racked up 8000 kms driving around my electorate meeting people and introducing myself. If you basically draw a line across the state from Bendigo, everything above the line from the SA border to the alpine region is part of my electorate.

Have you spoken on any bills yet?

I just spoke on the Disability Services Act amendments. The bill strengthens the rights of people with disabilities and their families and protects them from abuse. We must protect the most vulnerable people in Victoria and it was an honour to support these new laws.

Best moment so far?

Every time I get up and speak in the House, the Opposition interject with things like “here’s the unions’ boy”, “has Shaun Reardon approved your speech”. Makes me feel good whenever they acknowledge I am union. The best moments I have in my electorate is when I meet someone and they tell me they are a union member. Don’t believe the papers, we are not on the nose!

SPRING 2017

COPY This letter is intended for you and for all theINSERT members of the CFMEU and trade unions. I want to express my heartfelt thank you to you all.

As you know I have an 11 year old son, Sam, who is severely afflicted and at times cruelly trapped by his Autism. Sam had all of the default therapies offered by the government as a pre-schooler and the road we found ourselves down years later made us all the more fearful when Sam’s younger brother Jackson was also diagnosed with Classic Autism and a severe developmental delay.

from

Blind fear and panic is the only way I can describe it; we love Sam so much but with the potential future of two full grown men dependent on us for everything, forever! - We had to do something different. Seeing a therapist once a month and being sent home with ‘homework’ was not an option this time around.

Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention is incredibly expensive, $1500 a week expensive! But it sounded amazing; 26 hours a week, 50 weeks of the year of 1 to 1 therapy and the very real possibility of preparing Jackson for a mainstream primary school.

Without the help of all of you we couldn’t have done this for Jackson, we couldn’t have provided him with what he needed to get the best start in life. As parents that is a hard thing to admit.

Jackson has been going to the Little Learners Centre here in Geelong now for 9 and a half months, while we contributed what we could, and also applied for various crisis payments, asked for personal donations through media exposure exhausting every avenue we could, you all raised for us over $69,000! How can I ever say thank you enough for that, I don’t think I can.

We continued during this time to try and get the NDIA to fund Jackson’s therapy but it was a real fight. Originally we were offered $12,000 and appealed the decision, it was a long drawn out process, all while Jackson continued his day to day therapy without disruption because of you.

The earlier you start this treatment, the more it will work. There is no time to sit and wait with no help while you fight for this - every day that goes by the older they get, the less chance there is of real change.

We really had to prove how far Jackson has come this last year and had to show how much he has learned, this is what finally won our appeal and it wouldn’t have been possible without your assistance.

I am still so surprised and relieved to say that we now have $73,000 of NDIA funding for the next 12 months and we no longer need to worry or to worry any of you with fears of needing to stop Jackson’s therapy because the money has run out.

I pray next year we will again be adequately funded to continue this life changing therapy. These crucial few years to come will determine where Jackson goes to school and what supports he will need moving forward with his life and his education.

Thank you so much again.

Jackson is now talking! He is a cheeky, curious little man who is learning more and more every day.

Please know how grateful we are, thank you to all of you, those selling wrist bands, those who bought some - all of you.

Thank you for changing Jackson’s future and the future of our whole family.

KRISTY COOPER SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

015

“Thank you for changing Jackson’s future and the future of our whole family.”

INSERT COPY

Y T I L A U Q E MARRIAGE

Throughout the equal marriage campaign, we’ve had quite a few comments asking us why the CFMEU is talking about marriage equality, so let us be clear: EQUALITY IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO AS A UNION. If just one Union Member was facing discrimination and prejudice, we would fight to defend them. But by denying anyone the right to marry the person they love, the truth is thousands are currently unequal before the law.

Turnbull’s pathetic, expensive and pointless postal survey on marriage equality is making life tougher for gay and lesbian people and their families.

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AS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE TREATED AS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS AND JUST AS WE FIGHT THE LIBERAL PARTY’S ANTI-WORKER LAWS, WE WILL STAND WITH GAY AND LESBIAN AUSTRALIANS IN THEIR FIGHT FOR EQUALITY. When greedy companies stand over workers and try to bully them into accepting less than they are worth, the CFMEU are there. When bosses lock the gates on workers and try to starve them into accepting a bad deal, the CFMEU will be there. When the Government decides that people who give up their weekends no longer deserve penalty rates, the CFMEU are there.

So when Malcolm Turnbull tries to tell us that a certain group in our community, a group that includes our members, should have to fight for a right that is freely available to the rest of us, you better believe the CFMEU will be there.

Equality is union business, and while we respect that not all of our members share our views, we make no apologies for standing up and speaking out.

INSERT COPY

The CFMEU Members who do the maintenance work down at Crown Casino are out to bring a little reality to the fantasy lives of the casino’s high rollers and rich corporate clients.

We’re gambling on getting 16 casino technicians reinstated after they were sacked and had their jobs outsourced to a business run by none other than Jeff Kennett.

He wants to reduce the wages and conditions of the techies who maintain the Casino’s 2600-plus pokie machines.

No way, say the CFMEU Casino crew.

“If they do that to the techs and get away with it, next they’ll come after us or the sparkies or the plumbers,” says CFMEU Shop Steward, Paul Sticca.

“That’s why we have to organize and make sure we stop this outsourcing in its tracks,” says CFMEU member Darren Frigo.

“It’s all just a simple case of Touch One, Touch All.” If Crown Casino management and their rich, high-flyin’ mates are betting on the outsourcing protests drifting off, well, you can tell ‘em they’re dreamin’.

SOLIDARITY!

is

Find out more and show your support: frown.com.au

SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

017

INSERT COPY

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CFMEU WORKER

SPRING 2017

NEW

VENUE

!

MON 4 DECEMBER MELBOURNE SHOWGROUNDS TIX: $50 (AVAILABLE SOON THROUGH SHOP STEWARDS AND THE CFMEU OFFICE)

The 2017 annual Building Unions Picnic is moving from Caulfield racecourse to the Melbourne Showgrounds, Epsom Road Ascot Vale.

Event planning is already underway and the picnic committee is extremely excited to be working alongside the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) team to deliver a positive and memorable family fun day out!

You can expect a new, exciting and rejigged event!

Food vans with experience in handling large audiences, performances for all ages and new exciting attractions - just to name a few.

T

here is a long history in Australia of trade union officials having a right of entry to the workplace. There are very important reasons for this, but the way the laws are evolving in Australia it seems these reasons are being intentionally and strategically forgotten.

The Turnbull Government’s Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), appears determined to ensure that no CFMEU official will be able to enter a worksite to access union members.

They are in the process of manipulating an industrial-legal landscape where union officials in the construction industry are no longer, by any means, able to reach and influence the workplace.

A union official cannot do their job from outside the gate.

In 1919 the High Court of Australia stated that “if the employer uses the services of any member he shall not only observe certain conditions of labour, but he shall enable the union to which the employee belongs, to see that any agreement or award is being obeyed… and that the union [through entry onto site] shall be able to carry out its functions effectively.”

One hundred years ago the High Court got it right.

AN ESSENTIAL RIGHT It is essential that trade union officials enter a workplace to ensure that workers are not being exploited and are being paid as per their employment agreement. That they are safe.

Right of entry was pivotal in eradicating child labour and the creation of the 8 hour work day. The fact is, without their union the worker is vulnerable. The balance of power sits firmly in favour of the employer.

We’ve all felt it; we feel beholden to the boss. Trade unions ensure that the employment relationship is not one of master and servant.

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CFMEU WORKER

Union officials organise the workforce so that as a collective we have strength in numbers. Right of entry is an essential part of this. It’s not rocket science. For the system to work a union official has to be seen on site, to speak with members and to resolve issues with the employer.

ABCC WASTE NO TIME Two new CFMEU officials Gerry McQuaid and James (Simmo) Simpson have obtained right of entry permits. They have both lawfully entered site to access and assist members.

• Permit system introduced, whereby only a permit holder can exercise right of entry.

Within a few months the ABCC had issued the CFMEU with two notices to produce.

This is a legislative power compelling the CFMEU to hand over documents or face penalties of up to $18,000. The notices relate to Simmo and McQuaid alleging misbehaviour on site. The allegations are thinly veiled attempts to have the union officials fined, meaning they fail the fit and proper person test and have their permits taken away.

• ‘Fit and proper person test’ is introduced.

If a union official does not meet this test they will not be issued a permit.

Simmo was on site inspecting a faulty crane and McQuaid was assisting a health and safety representative.

• Further restrictions only allow access to trade union officials for particular purposes.

THE LIST

How Right of Entry has been attacked: • Howard Government introduced the Workplace Relations Act imposing stricter new requirements affecting a union official’s ability to exercise their right of entry.

• 24 hours written notice has to be given to the boss before entering site.

Twenty-four hours. A member raises an issue and their union official has to stay outside the gate for 24 hours.

The ABCC creates an abundance of legal cases against union officials alleging misconduct so that union officials are fined and their permits are stripped away.

They know a union official cannot do their job from outside the gate.

A recent ABCC prosecution has had the effect that, where previously an official could enter site at the request of an elected health and safety representative, the official is now prohibited from entering site if they don’t hold a right of entry permit. A member of the general public can enter a site at the request of the health and safety representative without a permit, but a CFMEU official cannot. How can that be right?

If Simmo and McQuaid lose their permit they will be added to the list. Turnbull’s ABCC website contains a ‘No Permit List.’

It is a list of current union officials who do not hold a right of entry permit.

This is essentially a blacklist. Turnbull’s ABCC makes the list. The ABCC is an arm of the Government. If this sounds like the Government lists of alleged communists in the 1950s and 1960s or the late 1800s blacklists of employees who supported trade unions or criticised their employers, there’s a reason for that. They are lists of people to be discriminated against, to be censured, or worse.

Where else in the civilised world does a government create a list that publicly names individuals? The sex offenders’ list?

The list of suspected terrorists?

The officials on the No Permit List are not convicted criminals, they are workers trying to organise the workforce. Out of the 33 people on the No Permit List, 31 are CFMEU officials. It is clear. It is the intention of the Australian Government’s ABCC that no CFMEU official will ever be able to enter site to access members.

SPRING 2017

ABCC BLACKLIST

CAN’T WE GET ALONG? Say a union official has a productive and amicable relationship with a major builder commencing a new government project.

The official and the builder’s Head of Industrial Relations have a conversation.

There’s an understanding that each person will respect each other’s agenda: one is representing the interests of the workers; the other is representing the interests of the builder.

They both want the same thing. They want the employees to work. This job will get completed without disputation or disruption. The workers will be given the respect they deserve and the work will get done. At the end of the conversation the IR man says to the organiser, “Can you just do me a favour mate? Can you please stay away from the site? The ABCC are breathing down our necks. If they see you around we’ll be dragged into court for letting you on site.”

SPRING 2017

Does the government want an industry where unions and employers get along?

Where, through cooperation and respect, buildings get built and workers are happy?

Where a CFMEU union official can freely and without unnecessary delay, enter the construction site to see their members?

Unfortunately as it stands, they cannot.

The Government made it illegal.

CFMEU WORKER

021

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Brendan Nottle,

Commanding Officer, Salvation Army Melbourne Homelessness is a crisis confronting not just our city, but our state and nation. People often say that there seems to be far more people sleeping on our streets than ever before. And they are right.

In June last year, the City of Melbourne conducted its bi-annual street count of rough sleepers. It found that there were 247 people sleeping rough on that particular night. This was a 74% increase on the number of rough sleepers counted during the last street count, which was held June 2014.

One of the issues that is often overlooked is that a person’s homelessness 022

CFMEU WORKER

very rarely starts in the city.

It often commences in the suburbs and regional and rural areas and it often starts many years earlier. Family violence and child abuse are some of the key issues that can cause trauma in kids. If these issues are not addressed, then the person can easily find themselves also having to deal with a range of complex issues, including homelessness.

Rough sleeping in the city has gained enormous focus in recent times, as it should.

But we often forget that there is more to homelessness than people that sleep on the streets. There are over 22,000 Victorians who are sleeping on someone’s couch or who can only access accommodation for a few nights. There are also 33,000 people currently on the public housing waiting list.

You would think that in a country such as Australia, access to safe, affordable housing would be a given.

It is not, even though it is a basic essential of life.

The even greater tragedy is that this issue, which touches so many people, wasn’t mentioned by any politician during last year’s federal election.

That’s why I’m walking to Canberra.

I’m frustrated that an issue that impacts so many barely rates a mention in our national corridors of power.

SPRING 2017

I’m leaving on September 7th and I’ll be walking for 40 days. I’m keen to hear the stories of people in suburbs, regional and rural areas whose lives have been damaged by homelessness. I want to take these stories to Canberra.

We want to call on our national leaders to provide the nation with a long term, bipartisan national strategy that addresses the issues that lead to homelessness.

The website for the walk is: www.walkthewalk.org.au

INSERT COPY

If you can help by walking, donating or some other way, I’d love to hear from you.

We run a café for homeless and vulnerable people at 69 Bourke St, Melbourne. We are open during the day and every night of the week. We see over 100 people a night who come and crash on the floor of the café.

We also have teams out on the streets every night, trying to connect with rough sleepers.

HOMELESS PERSON ON SITE? WHAT CAN I DO? If you see a person that is homeless and you are concerned about them, feel free to call 1800 COMMUNITY (1800 2666 86489). We will get a team out to them as soon as possible to help get them back on their feet.

1800 COMMUNITY: a 24/7 telephone response line for people in need on the city streets.

SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

023

RADIO FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

CONCRETE GANG

ANNUAL FUNDRAISER The longest running radio show in Australia - The Concrete Gang - celebrated their 41st year on Monday 10th July with a great crowd at The Palace Hotel in South Melbourne.

A big thank you to everyone who helped make it a successful and entertaining event, especially the Palace Hotel.

The Palace Hotel always puts on a great event and if you’re ever after a great meal, nice drinks and good old fashioned quality service, you can’t do better than the Palace Hotel in City Rd, South Melbourne.

The Jaded Cats returned and impressed the crowd again with an excellent live set of rock hits of the last five decades.

A great meal, a well-run bar, a crowd of friends and the all-important raffle draw made it a successful event. Money raised keeps 3CR Community Radio running for another year and that means another year for The Concrete Gang.

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CFMEU WORKER

rete Gang Listen to the Conc u like podcast anytime yo g cretegan 3cr.org.au/con

SPRING 2017

THE DAWN REHAB

ADDICTION REHAB AND WELNESS CENTRE Described as one of Asia’s finest addiction rehab and wellness centres, The Dawn rehab Thailand is an effective inpatient addiction treatment and holistic wellness sanctuary.

Located in Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand, The Dawn boasts a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility with immaculate grounds and buildings. The centre is a quiet and peaceful sanctuary that provides an ideal setting for people to heal and recover.

They offer holistic, comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment, as well as behavioural addiction treatment, such as sex, gambling, internet and food.

The Dawn seeks to offer a wide range of top quality facilities and services, while trying to ensure that their rates are affordable. They offer no obligation assessments to start your or your loved one’s path to a healthier life today.

At The Dawn rehab Thailand, we believe that everyone should be able to afford the treatment that they need, which is why we offer affordable high-quality treatments that cost only a quarter of the price of Western centres. We even provide online aftercare support at no additional cost.

Getting a place in an Australian rehab or treatment centre is too often impossible or unaffordable. The Dawn rehab Thailand offers an affordable high-quality treatments that cost only a quarter of the price of some Western centres. They even provide online aftercare support at no additional cost.

The Dawn is staffed with some of Asia’s most renowned addiction treatment counsellors and healthcare professionals, who are available 24/7 to assist in making your stay comfortable and successful.

“In my personal experience, I wanted to get as far away from my environment as I could and Thailand couldn’t have been a better place for me. It’s a journey to find yourself and the beautiful climate and facilities in Thailand were great.”

“My main aim is to help CFMEU Members and their families who are suffering from addiction problems like I was and to get the best possible treatment for the best possible price.”

Mark Dryden, CFMEU Member

SPECIAL MEMBER OFFER

30% off for CFMEU Members and 50% off for the first 5 clients referred!

Contact Mark, who can connect you straight to the centre and get you the member discount.

SPRING 2017 m. 0423479825 e. markdryden@y7mail.com 100% CONFIDENTIAL REFERRAL

CFMEU WORKER

025

Element Five/Vcon bosses take home big profits while workers are killed, hospitalised, underpaid and even have their families threatened.

BROTHERS ROB AND ANTHONY MORTON, DIRECTORS OF ELEMENT FIVE/ VCON, MADE $16.8 MILLION OF PROFIT IN JUST ONE YEAR. Clearly no amount of profit is enough for these greedy bosses and there’s no level they won’t sink to in pursuit of even more.

Just this year we have seen:

When asked to pay wages, insurances and superannuation to industry standard, Rob Morton’s response was:

• 22.2.17 Worker killed by 4m fall while working alone

“THE BLOKES AREN’T WORTH IT.” Instead, here’s the shameful damage Element Five/Vcon have done to families and our industry: In just 2 years, WorkSafe Victoria have recorded

well over 100 serious safety incidents on Element Five/Vcon sites.

• 11.1.17 Worker falls 3.8m through a penetration onto scaffold stillage

• 15.5.17 Worker suffers two broken wrists and head injuries from fall • 19.6.17 Worker’s thumb de-gloved by scaffold incident • 23.6.17 Site manager arrested and charged over abuse and threats to young female • 28.6.17 Worker suffers broken wrist from fall • 4.7.17 Worker suffers serious back injury • 12.7.17 ‘Safety officer’ on edge of 10m drop with no protection

ELEMENT FIVE/VCON 2017 >> 1 WORK

•

THIS IS HOW THE BOSSES RESPOND. 026

CFMEU WORKER

SPRING 2017

INSERT COPY

JUSTICE/WORKSAFE IN VICTORIA? Element Five/Vcon site manager is arrested and charged over abuse and threats made to a young woman employed by Victorian Trades Hall Council and her family.

Rather than investigate Element Five/Vcon for making a unionist feel unsafe in her workplace, WorkSafe have initiated an investigation into the CFMEU and an Organiser because the alleged perpetrator has made allegations of bullying or harassment!

IT IS UNDERSTOOD THE SITE MANAGER IS CONCERNED THE LOCATION OF HIS SEX DOLL COLLECTION MAY BE EXPOSED.

Rather than fix their safety issues, Element Five/Vcon bosses call the police, waste taxpayer resources and continue to put lives at risk

KER KILLED >> 4 IN HOSPITAL >> YOUNG WOMAN’S FAMILY THREATENED

$16.8 MILLION PROFIT FOR . TWO BOSSES IN ONE YEAR SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

027

GENDERED VIOLENCE?

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WHAT IS

G

endered Violence is actions and behaviours which express power inequalities between women and men and cause physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm to women.

Gendered violence is violence perpetrated against women because they are women. It also includes violence perpetuated against those who do not conform to dominant gender stereotypes or those who do not conform to socially accepted gender roles.

The violence that Victorian women report experiencing includes: • Stalking • Intimidation • Threats • Verbal abuse • Ostracism • Rude gestures • Offensive language and imagery • Put downs • Sexual innuendo/insinuations • Sexual suggestions or unwanted advances • Sexual assault • Rape

Gendered violence is pervasive in Australian society, and is a serious every day health and safety issue for many Victorian workers. It is a workplace hazard with specific causes. By understanding the root causes of violence in the workplace we can more effectively prevent violence and protect workers.

There is a link between gender inequality and women’s experiences of violence at work.

Too often the violence perpetrated against women because they are women is overlooked and under investigated. Women report they have no confidence that their employers or the workplace health and safety regulator (WorkSafe) take this matter seriously or are prepared to take action to prevent or stop the violence we are experiencing.

THIS MUST

CHANGE

A Victorian Trades Hall Council Research study, Women’s Rights at Work (WRAW) Chats 2016, indicates that the problem of gendered violence is endemic in our workplaces.

60% Report having felt “unsafe, uncomfortable or at risk” in their workplace.

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19% Cited “unsafe work environment” as a factor in their decision to leave paid work.

CFMEU WORKER

64% Experienced bullying, harassment or violence in their workplace.

23% Don’t feel that they are treated with respect at work.

44% Report having experienced discrimination at work.

SPRING 2017

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Lisa Zanatta, Organiser The CFMEU is continuing their Campaign to eradicate Gendered Violence from the Workplace. The CFMEU, Trades Hall and other unions recently rallied outside the offices of Element Five/Vcon to protest the company’s total disregard for Workplace Safety and in particular their support for Gendered Violence on their sites.

Element Five/Vcon employ a Site Manager by the name of Ben Hudson. This manager wrote an absolutely disgusting email to a female campaign organiser from Trades Hall.

This woman, who was only doing her job, received an email that called her a “scum cunt”. She was threatened: “I will track you down and attack you and your family!!” he wrote.

The perpetrator publicly posts an image of himself at the pub performing a sex act on a female blow up doll.

This behaviour is sexist and is demeaning towards women and girls and it is these sorts of attitudes and behaviours that are then bought into our workplaces, making it unsafe

for women at work. This sort of unacceptable behaviour DOES NOT advance women’s equality in our workplaces nor in our communities.

Element Five/Vcon think this behaviour is ok, because after the Victorian Police arrested and charged this Site Manager, they allowed Ben Hudson to return to work to manage the safety and work of construction workers without disciplinary action.

The CFMEU take Health and Safety seriously and we have real concerns for any of our members, especially construction women, who may end up working on Ben Hudson’s job.

Element Five have an appalling employment and safety record.

They are a company that are constructing buildings using unsafe work practices and are putting the lives of workers at risk.

Despite their appalling record (see page 26) and plenty of photo and video evidence, Worksafe has not managed to pursue even one prosecution under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Is this what we expect from a Government agency whose main purpose is to protect and enforce the OHS rights of workers in this state? NO.

SPRING 2017

This is why the CFMEU are calling Element Five/Vcon to account.

The CFMEU is taking a stand against Gendered Violence and are calling on Element Five/Vcon to do the same.

Gendered Violence is union business and as a movement we are committed to making every workplace safe for women.

The CFMEU have a message to ALL employers like Element Five/ Vcon and the same message applies to Worksafe: Gendered Violence is an OHS issue.

Gendered Violence in our workplaces must STOP. The CFMEU supports the Trades Hall to Stop Gendered Violence at Work.

CFMEU Women are STANDING UP, SPEAKING OUT and we are FIGHTING BACK.

GENDERED VIOLENCE

HAS GOT TO GO

CFMEU WORKER

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NEW PRECAST ORGANISER

A PRE-CAST ORGANISER NEW ORGANISER >> NICK VAMVAS

T

he newest addition to the team of CFMEU Organisers in Melbourne, Nick Vamvas seems to have been built for the job.

As a young kid growing up in Carlton, Nick says he looked at the construction sites around him and said “one day I’m going to work on one of these sites.”

Like many others, Nick left school early but his old man, of European background, wasn’t going to have him staying at home. So it was into work, starting out as an apprentice jeweller, then mechanic, spray painter, panel beater and textiles worker.

None of this was where his heart was, “I wanted to work in construction”, he says.

“A friend offered me a job, if you want it you start tomorrow,” is how it started. It was a labouring job, but it got him into all aspects of precast – caulking, patching, concrete, welding.

Straight away, there was a boss who would push Nick towards the Union and his current job and passion. “We were in the AWU, we’d never seen them though.”

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CFMEU WORKER

“The boss would throw a rock at us, call us ‘asino’ - donkey in Italian,” says Nick. “I wrote everyone’s names on the concrete panels and I said “next time you throw a rock and call a worker an asino, we’re going in the sheds.”

The boss kept it up. “One week we were in the sheds 4 days in a row.”

“He was a working boss, he was dangerous. He hit someone with a gantry so we stopped work until he got off the floor and we won.”

An incident in 1992 almost took Nick’s life and proved to be a turning point.

“I got an electric shock, 415 volts 3 phase, 8 metres up in the air. I landed on the gantry beam, if I had missed that I would have died. There was no first aider, nothing. The boss put a garden hose on me and brought me back to life.

Chucked me in the back of the ute and tried to find a clinic.”

The incident resulted in burns on his hands. “I was young and fit back then, didn’t smoke and drink – the doctors reckon that’s what saved my life.”

Shortly after the incident, John Lowe and Tommy Watson came in. They handed out the application cards and they joined the CFMEU/FEDFA.

“They pointed their finger at me and said “you’re Nick, you’re the shop steward. I thought it meant I bought the lunches!”

“They told me what it was and with Pat Preston and John Cummins they educated me, put me through all the courses and made us feel like human beings again. That comes from my heart.”

It was with Pat and John that they started work on a code of practice for precast panels and concrete elements.

“I’ve always had a passion for precast and for the safety and wellbeing of workers. A family friend of mine died from a precast panel on a worksite.”

The next challenge is Silicosis.

“It’s the next asbestos, there hasn’t been enough done on it in precast,” says Nick.

“Without the support and help from the CFMEU, this wouldn’t be possible, what I’ve achieved over the years. The CFMEU has made me who I am today.”

SPRING 2017

FIND A CURE

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S

BIGGEST KILLERS DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE? Would you like to know how to reduce your risk of this potentially deadly disease?

One of Australia’s leading medical research organisations, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, is calling on people aged 40-70 years to take part in an innovative research study that aims to advance the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease.

Baker Institute Director and cardiologist, Professor Tom Marwick is investigating the use of coronary scanning to identify people in high-risk groups before they develop serious symptoms.

Professor Marwick is leading a national study of over 700 people who haven’t experienced a cardiovascular event themselves, but have immediate family members or relatives who have had a heart attack, stent or surgery. The aim is to find the

disease in the early stages, before it narrows the arteries, and initiate treatment to stop it progressing.

You may be eligible for a free coronary scan if you are; •

Between 40-70 years of age

•

Have an immediate family member (parent or sibling) who has had a heart attack, stent or bypass surgery under the age of 60, or nonimmediate family member (grandparent, uncle or aunt) under the age of 50

•

Do not take cholesterol lowering medication (statin drug)

For more information about the study, please contact Jo Harris on 03 8532 1511 or baker.CAUGHT@bakeridi.edu.au

NEXT ISSUE: How one member saved another’s life.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Cardiovascular disease (CVD) describes a range of illnesses that involve the heart and blood vessels. Despite, huge advances in the treatment of these conditions, the problem hasn’t gone away. In Australia, CVD kills one Australian every 12 minutes, causing around 50,000 deaths per year; more than any other disease group.

One of the most common types of CVD is coronary artery disease.

This occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed due to the build-up of fatty deposits known as ‘plaques”.

These are present for many years before they cause narrowing of the arteries, resulting in restricted blood flow to the heart, which can lead to an event such as chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.

UTE REVIEWS

e oes th How d tough as but Maloo older FMEU C st s l i na the la are to e 2017 p m o c th e? e ute, Aussi VFII Redlin n e d Hol .com.au GoAuto

Independent review by Daniel Cotterill from GoAuto.com.au

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here’s a dilemma facing many buyers of Aussie cars right now.

Say you have a really good example of an Australian-made car. You just love driving it around and are happy that you spent your money on an Australian-built vehicle that helped keep some other Aussies in good manufacturing jobs.

Now, with the local car-makers all shutting up shop to become importers you soon won’t be able to do that any more.

Let’s bring that dilemma a little closer to home. The CFMEU has a pretty handy 2009 Maloo ute. It has a thumping great 6.2-litre V8, goes like shit off a shovel, and boasts just about all the handling, braking and comfort features you could ask for.

The sign-written and reasonably well-used Maloo has done just over 70,000km, and it’s seen a few building sites in its day so it’s not quite pristine.

It’s still a good ute by any measure but nothing lasts forever.

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It’s nearest new equivalent, at least for the next few months anyway, is probably the Holden VFII SS-V Redline.

I have driven a couple of them recently, and also had a steer of the CFMEU’s Maloo and let me tell you – utes have come a long way in the past eight years The Maloo is much more of the oldschool muscle car experience; it’s manual, has very stiff suspension, firm steering and instant throttle response.

I drove it slowly in the city, briskly on a freeway, and gave it an absolute belting transiting an on-ramp from rolling speed to the 100km/h limit in just over nothing flat (check out youtube.com/ CFMEUvic for the video).

THE OLDER MALOO IS VERY MUCH A UTE THAT YOU AIM AND FIRE.

The new VFII is a fair bit lighter over the front axle than the older ute and this, along with better developed suspension, gives a nicer ride and better handling, at least on public roads – the Maloo’s stiffer race bred suspension would make it a weapon on a track.

The engine in the VFII is a standard 6.2 litre LS3 V8 as opposed to the Holden Special Vehicles’ enhanced unit in the Maloo. Other than being a little quieter you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in city driving – they both go hard but the Maloo felt like it would just keep on going.

It’s inside where the biggest differences are. The standard seats are much improved in terms of comfort and adjustability, and the gauges are much easier to read than in the Maloo.

The electronics are worlds ahead in the newer ute. The VFII’s reversing camera and parking sensors front and rear are a great aid to safety and make parking a breeze. The central touchscreen that runs the audio, sat-nav and other vehicle controls is easy to use and

SPRING 2017

UTE REVIEWS

responds to inputs much faster than earlier versions.

The later ute seems the more practical and versatile option to me. It’s auto transmission makes it a better bet for towing, and much less work to hustle around a big city like Melbourne. It doesn’t have quite the same edge to it as the Maloo, but once you’d driven the VFII for a week or so I don’t think you’d miss it.

It was the VFII’s head-up display that was a revelation to me. Having previously dismissed such things as a gimmick, I was pleasantly surprised just how much easier driving became when using it. I could keep my eyes on the road and the powerful ute under the speed limit at the same time, even while being able to access information from the trip computer on the head-up display via the steering wheel controls.

Holden is ceasing local car production on October 20 and that will be a sad day in the history of Aussie workers and Australian manufacturing. The country that invented the ute will then have to import them.

THE NEWER VFII JUST SEEMS TO DO EVERYTHING A LITTLE BETTER, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT WHEN THERE’S BEEN ANOTHER EIGHT YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT PUT INTO WHAT WAS ALREADY A PRETTY GOOD PRODUCT.

RIGHT NOW IS THE LAST CHANCE TO BUY A WORLDCLASS UTE DEVELOPED AND ACTUALLY BUILT BY AUSSIES IN THIS COUNTRY. With the budget and the opportunity I would buy the VFII SS-V Redline in a heartbeat. If I lacked the money or missed out on one of Holden’s last production slots (and they are filling fast), I would still be happy driving around in a hard-working 2009 Maloo.

SIDE SIDE by

2009 HSV MALOO R8 Engine: 6.2-litre LS3 V8 (HSV Enhanced)

2017 HOLDEN VFII REDLINE UTE Engine: 6.2 litre LS3 V8

Power: 317kW

Power: 304 kW

Torque: 550Nm

Torque: 570 Nm

Transmission: Six-speed manual Consumption: manual 15.1L/100km Price New: $64,550 plus on-roads

Transmission: Six-speed Automatic Consumption: 13.0L/100km Price: $57,190 plus on-roads (if you can get one)

Price Now: $25,000 to $30,000 depending on condition and kms

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Jason also received a custom hard hat to welcome him back to the site.

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hen Jason ‘Jizza’ Berry had skin taken off his shin by a forklift tine he didn’t just lose time at work, he lost a tattoo that had been done just the weekend before the incident.

CFMEU first aiders handled the incident well and got Jason to an Alimak for quick treatment.

Recovering from an injury is a difficult time for

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anyone and Jason says he found it “mentally difficult to be at home”, but of course CFMEU Members look after our own and Jason was feeling the support: “Coming in today knowing everyone’s got my back, it’s good,” he said.

Members at The Fifth organised a raffle with donations from High Rise Carpentry, Hickory and Member Steve.

A total of $1250 was raised to support Jason and ensure he can get his tattoo redone on his skin graft.

“I just want to thank everyone,” said Jason.

“Words can’t explain it, I didn’t expect anyone to donate. It’s been good to know everyone’s there for me.”

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THE HEALTHY BRAIN PROJECT The Healthy Brain Project seeks healthy adults aged 40-65 years for a study that investigates memory and thinking, lifestyle and psychological markers of a large cohort of middleaged adults, in relation to genetic factors that are consistently shown to increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease dementia.

The researchers aim to determine when the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease

dementia appear. The ultimate long-term outcome from our findings is to inform primary and secondary prevention measures (both pharmacological and behavioural).

The CFMEU was asked by the University of Melbourne and its Florey Institute to assist and we encourage members in the 40-65 age group to participate in the project.

To participate or for further information please go to this website: healthybrainproject.org.au Or contact the ‘Healthy Brain Project’ team by email: thehealthybrainproject@gmail.com

40-65 YEARS OLD?

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PARTICIPATE HERE: healthybrainproject.org.au CFMEU WORKER

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vic.cfmeu.org.au 03 9341 3444 facebook.com/CFMEUVic youtube.com/CFMEUVic @CFMEUJohnSetka

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1 March - 5% wage rise 1 July - CBUS Increase 1 October - Allowances Increase 3 December - Eureka Rebellion Anniversary Xmas Shutdown - 22/12/2018 to 7/01/2019

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Shepparton Villages

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Shepparton Law Courts - Adco

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SPRING 2017

CIVIL RAIL ORGANISER

GETTING CIVIL RAIL BACK ON TRACK NEW ORGANISER >> JOHN THOMSON

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carpenter by trade, starting as a 16 year old apprentice, John ‘Thomo’ Thomson has nearly 40 years of construction and civil construction experience.

From subbying around to develop skills and experience in the early days to becoming a delegate in the mid-90s, Thomo has worked across the domestic, commercial, civil and industrial sectors of the industry.

There was no one moment that made Thomo a unionist, his father was a unionist and he’s always known the important role we play in today’s society.

“It was just something I was brought up with, not that it was just instilled, but it’s from where I’ve been, where I’ve worked, what I’ve seen.”

Thomo gives great credit to the people he’s met, the organisers he’s worked with and the education he’s benefitted from over the years.

“It just comes from the knowledge, experience, people and the benefits that I’ve seen.”

“If you didn’t believe in it, you wouldn’t do it.”

A significant moment for Thomo was during the Burnley Tunnel rectification works, after the failure of the tunnel.

“We went in to do the anchoring

and rectification work. It wasn’t a good environment: the noise and the conditions - basically an AWU environment.”

“It was the mid-90s, Ralph Edwards came in and had a meeting with the workers.”

There was an opportunity, a need for someone to step up and represent the workers for better conditions and entitlements.

That was when Thomo decided to step up into the role of delegate.

“I enjoyed the role, but the satisfaction that came out of it was being able to represent the blokes that were working in there, find out what their issues were and support them to get the conditions and entitlements they had rights to.”

Since then, Thomo’s worked on a variety of projects, mainly civil construction projects and multistorey jobs, including a lot in the civil rail sector.

He worked on the fast rail in Gippsland and Bendigo lines, Craigieburn electrification and the desalination project.

“Every job is different and you learn from different people on each job. People like Ralph and John Parker have been influential for me.”

“You learn from every organiser, you adapt and learn something in the process. You use those skills as a delegate and now I bring them all into my role as an organiser.”

“It’s like a game of chess where the aim is to get the outcome for

SPRING 2017

the members that they want.”

“Along the way, you’re passing on that education so Members can get those outcomes for themselves.”

A lack of investment in rail infrastructure has meant that a lot of the old organised structures we had for civil rail aren’t there anymore.

“Now we’ve got some real investment, we’re rebuilding and re-educating people who haven’t always had the representation they should have had over the years.”

Members now who are working on these jobs are seeing the benefits, getting paid right, rebuilding the sector. “It will take time, it won’t happen overnight,” says Thomo.

“We’re rebuilding the confidence, the support from people who haven’t been represented as they should have been.”

“Workers are smarter now, you can’t just demand things, it’s about explaining the benefits, getting them on side.”

‘Thomo’ is organising Civil Rail, predominantly in the South Eastern Suburbs.

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PFIGHT BACK

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Over 20,000 unionists flooded the streets of central Melbourne in June to protest the establishment of the ABCC and the Turnbull Government’s wider war on workers.

After almost 30 years of uninterrupted economic growth we are seeing unprecedented attacks on working people. Malcolm Turnbull and his government have: • Brought back the ABCC to cut wages, conditions and safety for construction workers

SPRING 2017

• Allowed exploitation of overseas workers to continue unchecked • Allowed rampant wage theft by employers • Slashed Sunday penalty rates for retail and hospitality workers.

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AUSTRALIA STANDS UP Around Australia, thousands of unionists, led by the CFMEU, took to the streets on June 20 with rallies against Turnbull’s ABCC, attacks on penalty rates, wage theft by employers and exploitation of migrant workers.

More than 10,000 marched in Sydney, 4,000 in Brisbane, 5,000 in Perth and hundreds more in Adelaide for a national total well over 40,000.

PERTH

BRISBANE

ADELAIDE

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The ABCC – how did we get here?

The ABCC (Australian Building and Construction Commission) was established in 2005 under the Howard Government as an independent statutory authority “responsible for monitoring and promoting workplace relations in the Australian construction industry”.

In reality the ABCC harassed and intimidated construction workers, stripped them of their right to silence and prevented unions and workplace representatives from acting on health and safety concerns.

During the period of John Howard’s ABCC, deaths on construction sites were at the highest level in the past decade.

The ALP abolished the ABCC in 2012, but it remained a key priority of the Liberal Party to bring it back. They have made several attempts to pass legislation reviving the ABCC, each of which was blocked by the Senate – until now. In February of this year, the ABCC legislation passed into law thanks to the backing of Senators Derryn Hinch, Nick Xenophon and the One Nation Party.

The rules are broken and need to be fixed The following examples demonstrate how our workplace laws are broken and need to be fixed: • CUB brought in a labour hire company, they colluded with that labour hire company and they

demanded that the labour hire company initiate an agreement with a 65% cut to wages. Then, for 185 days they tried to starve that workforce out, under Turnbull’s green light.

The unions stood strong, remained disciplined and we won that fight. Had we blockaded the Brewery, CUB would have had the right to sue us out of existence. Yet there have been absolutely no repercussions for CUB for their thuggery against their own workforce.

• For 27 years, MUA members crewing the MV Portland have been running the route from Melbourne to Perth, picking up alumina and delivering it to Alcoa’s Portland smelter. A little over 12 months ago, Alcoa hired a security firm to remove the crew from the ship in the middle of the night. They were Fatalities in the construction industry peak at 51.

TIMELINE 1996 FIGHTING 2 Mar THE FIGHT Howard Government elected.

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1998 8 Apr Patricks Stevedores sacks and locks out all its employees triggering the landmark waterfront dispute.

2001 2003 Cole Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry (recommended creation of the ABCC).

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Unions launch Your Rights At Work community campaign.

ABCC established.

WorkChoices changes to industrial laws come into effect.

Rudd Government elected.

END OF 2007 Your Rights At Work campaign wound down.

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ns ge the rules immediately replaced with a foreign crew paid just $2 per hour.

• In an echo of the CUB dispute, maintenance workers at Esso’s Longford Gas Plant are resisting an attempt by the company to cut their pay by 30% by forcing them to sign up with a new contractor.

Under the deal on offer they would also face reductions in offshore allowances and annual leave, cuts to loadings and harsh antifamily shift rosters.

• Crown Casino is sacking their gaming machine technicians and cutting the pay of their replacements by 50%. The replacement workers will be pushed onto the award and forced to work for outsourcing firm Amtek. The workers will cop a $46,000 pay cut to less than $38,000. These

2009 1 Jul Fair Work Act begins operation.

20122013 Government increases number of temporary workers granted a 457 visa.

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workers make Crown rich, and thought they could rely on their EBA until at least its expiry in 2019.

Documents reveal that Jeff Kennett, the former Liberal Premier of Victoria, is a major shareholder in the outsourcing firm. Kennett granted Crown their licence when in power, and opened the Casino.

This time we’re getting what we want

will abolish the ABCC. But it’s about so much more than the ABCC. We want to fix the rules that allow corporate power to grow while ordinary people and their unions have our hands tied. Fixing the rules means a complete re-write of the Fair Work Act. It means introducing principles to the law that make wages go up – not down. It means bringing back the right to organise, to strike, to stand up when we need to.

The secret to any lasting change is getting the people on side and then keeping the politicians accountable to the people. We’re up for the fight.

In 2007 unions in Australia made the mistake of winding down the Your Rights at Work campaign. The result was the Rudd Labor Government passing work laws that didn’t go far enough – and have major loopholes for the bosses.

Bill Shorten has said the ALP

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Heydon Royal Commission established.

First major termination of Agreements (Aurizon in Queensland).

Malcolm Turnbull becomes prime Minister.

China-Australia Free Trade Agreement enters into force.

CUB dispute begins.

ABCC reestablished with support of Senators Hinch and Xenephon.

SPRING 2017

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GONE FISHING

WITH MATT SEADON IN THE FIRST OF OUR NEW SERIES HOOKED & COOKED, CFMEU MEMBER MATT SEADON SHARES SOME FISHING TIPS ON PEAK SNAPPER SEASON AND LETS US IN ON HOW TO NAIL THE PERFECT BEER BATTER.

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n Victoria, the snapper season all depends on the weather and the water temperature. The water temperature is important because that dictates when fish come in from off-shore to spawn in both Western Port and Port Phillip Bay. In the lead-up to spawning, the fish are in a feeding frenzy.

As a general rule, the Melbourne Cup weekend is the busiest weekend for snapper fishing in both bays, but that’s mostly because of the public holiday and RDOs. And while it’s usually at this time that the water temperature is just right, there’s a lot of fishers who’ll start heading out in late September and October.

The best bite times are dawn and dusk and the ideal water conditions are at the change of tide (where the movement of water slows down).

If you get these two to align with a

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rising barometer, you’ve nailed the perfect trifecta for snapper fishing.

When you’re out on the water, you want the following: •

A decent sounder to find the fish

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Good bait presentation – fresh is best

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Good quality fishing gear is an advantage (but not essential)

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And patience is the key.

Sometimes you just gotta sit it out for a bit. The more you’re on the move, the less time you’ve got bait in the water.

Burley can be an advantage, but you’ll find it’ll be more effective in Port Phillip with the slower moving water. Often in Western Port, by the time it hits the bottom, it’s moved so far you’re laying burley for the next boat along.

Because of the different movement of water in the two bays, it’s important to know the difference between the rigs you’ll need. When the tide goes, Western Port moves a lot quicker. In Western Port, you’ll need heavier rigs, generally a running bomb sinker on an easy rig, while in Port Phillip you’d run your regular running ball sinker to the hook.

Keep your ear to the ground. The fish move around a fair bit and can travel long distances fast in one day. They could be biting off Black Rock one day and off Altona the next.

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MATT’S BEER BATTER Ingredients: • Good quality light beer, (though some people would argue there is no such thing!)

• Self-raising flour • Vegetable oil

1. Mix the beer and self-raising flour together until the blend is a bit lighter than a pancake mix. The key is that this batter needs to be cold, so store it in the fridge before you dip the fish.

2. Then you want your vegetable oil to be very hot, but not so hot that it starts to smoke. To test this, get the handle of your wooden spoon, put that in and when bubbles form, then you’re good to go.

3. Don’t just plonk the fish in, sweep it from side to side as you’re lowering it in. This will stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan and it’ll give it a crisper finish.

Salt, pepper and lemon, and enjoy!

SEND IN YOUR PHOTO S!

OF THE Send in photos of your best catch in your CFMEU fishing gear and you could feature in the next magazine and on our Facebook page!

Send photos in a message to the CFMEU Vic-Tas Facebook page: facebook.com/CFMEUVic Or, email to: viccomms@cfmeu.org SPRING 2017

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NATIONAL STANDARDS A CFMEU action plan to improve the fire safety of buildings

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he recent fire tragedy in London has led to increased focus on the use of cladding in the building industry. But the risk presented by these products was not unknown, and CFMEU has been calling for government action for years.

Recent fires in Docklands, Melbourne - Australia and London - England of combustible cladding

THE HISTORY n Australia Icomposite aluminium panels

with a polyethylene core have been widely used for 25 years.

A fire at the Lacrosse Building in Melbourne’s Docklands in 2014 raised concerns about the use of the cladding.

THE PRODUCT Aluminium Composite Panels Aluminium composite panels (ACPs) are used to “clad” the outside of buildings.

Use of similar products have exacerbated the spread of fire in high rise buildings in fire incidents around the world.

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“Cladding” of this type is a building material used world-wide. The panels are made up of two aluminum sheets which generally have a polyethylene (PE) or plastic core.

In addition to ACPs with the PE core there are more ‘fire resistant’ (FR) products on the market which have either a 70% noncombustible mineral fibre core (B) or a 93% noncombustible mineral fibre core (A2).

Literally thousands of buildings around Australia are clad with PE ACPs.

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IS THE PRODUCT I’M USING SAFE?

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The developer on your project and your employer have an obligation to ensure that the materials used in construction are safe for you to use, and safe for the general public.

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he critical questions to ask about the aluminium composite panels (ACPs) you may be asked to install are: 1. WHAT IS THE CORE OF THE ACP MADE FROM?

If the core is made from any other material the potential fire risk would probably be unknown and you should seek the immediate assistance of your Delegate/Shop Steward or Organiser.

2. HAS THE ACP BEEN TESTED AGAINST THE CRITERIA If the core is made from SPECIFIED IN AS1503.1-1994 polyethylene (PE) or plastic AND AS 1530.3-1999 AND then the panels are a potential THE RESULTS CERTIFIED BY A fire risk and you should seek the NATA AUSTRALIA ( NATIONAL immediate assistance of your ASSOCIATION OF TESTING Delegate/Shop Steward AUTHORITIES) ACCREDITED or Organiser.

LABORATORY? If the core is made from a minimum of 70% noncombustible mineral fibre then it may be fire resistant but further checks should be made (see Q2 below).

If not the panels may be a potential fire risk and you should seek the immediate assistance of your Delegate/ Shop Steward or Organiser.

If they have been certified, ask the next question.

3. HAS THE ACP BEEN TESTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AS 5113-2016 (THE NEW AUSTRALIAN STANDARD) AND THE RESULTS CERTIFIED BY A NATA AUSTRALIA ( NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TESTING AUTHORITIES) ACCREDITED LABORATORY? If not the panels may still be a potential fire risk and you should seek the immediate assistance of your Delegate/ Shop Steward or Organiser. All the above tests should be done to ensure the safest possible ACPs are installed on your site.

All installation of ACPs must be done in accordance with the safe work method statements appropriate for the work and any requirements stipulated by the fire safety engineer responsible for the project.

CFMEU

AN IMPROVED FIRE SAFETY ACTION PLAN

THE CFMEU DEMANDS: 1. A National Audit of Buildings be immediately commenced to ensure any external cladding used meets all relevant Australian Standards; 2. Federal government action against all unsafe and non-compliant building products; 3. Revise and review the Building Code of Australia to include mandatory testing on all external cladding products to all Australian Standards requirements includding AS5113.

SPRING 2017

UNSURE? GOT A QUESTION?

Speak to your Health & Safety Rep, your CFMEU delegate or shop steward, or go to cfmeu.org.au for more information.

CFMEU WORKER

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MEET THE TEAM

YOUR CFMEU EDUCATION AND TRAINING UNIT WORK BACKGROUND

WORK BACKGROUND

Clerical staff in pre-vocational school & primary school overseas, CFMEU since 1996.

Administration with employment services, human resources & registered training organisations.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

Watch movies and cook

Ka Wai Chau

Cycle, play basketball and spend time with family and friends.

April Clayton

Administration Team

Administration Team

WORK BACKGROUND

WORK BACKGROUND

Previous jobs are in hospo, retail and being the door chick at a nightclub.

CFMEU since 2004

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

Spend time with my boy, husband, family and I love going to the gym

Nita Christopher

Go to gigs, listen to podcasts and travel.

Natasha Medina

Administration Team

Administration Team

WORK BACKGROUND

WORK BACKGROUND

Been at the training unit 7 years now, before that brickies labourer, dogging and rigging, OHS Rep.

Union movement and education for most of my working life. 10 years at the CFMEU teaching OHS and human rights.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

Travel as much as I can. I’ve also been lawn bowling for 20 years and watching my beloved Chelsea Football Team.

Andrew Duff

High Risk Work team

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Spend time with family and friends.

I also love watching films and keeping fit.

Lorella Di Pietro OHS team

CFMEU WORKER

SPRING 2017

MEET THE TEAM

WORK BACKGROUND

WORK BACKGROUND

Background in Horticulture, and Agriculture. Various roles gardening and on vineyards, tobacco and dairy farms. A badly managed workplace injury led me to get involved in safety.

For most of my working life I’ve been a teacher in high schools, community centres and now CFMEU for 13 years.

I was a union organiser with a public sector union for some years.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

Sue Bull

I’m an activist and you’ll see me at most progressive, pro-people rallies, meetings or campaigns.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

Rose Nechwatal OHS team

OHS team

WORK BACKGROUND

WORK BACKGROUND

Hairdresser, worked in a butchers shop, qualified carpenter worked on the tools the last 20 years.

Shop steward, OH&S rep and now apprentice officer for the CFMEU.

Training Unit since 1993. I specialize in OH&S training and education from White Card to certificates III, IV and diploma.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

Do the garden and travel

Jenny Pignataro

Spend time with family and friends, gardening and music. I am involved with some animal rescue groups and I love dogs!

Fish, ride motor bikes and get involved in my kids sporting activities.

Liam O’Hearn

OHS team

Apprenticeships Officer

WORK BACKGROUND

I’ve worked in education for nearly 20 years at both the CFMEU and Textile Clothing and Footwear unions.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO

Follow the mighty Pies, play sport, keep fit, go to gigs and spend time with my family, friends and dog.

CONTACT 9341 3444

vic.cfmeu.org.au/training

Jacky Gamble OHS team

SPRING 2017

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING UNIT NEWS It’s been a busy year so far in the Education and Training Unit with loads of High Risk courses, a new intake of WHS certificate III and IV courses and another group of pre-apprentices and apprentices coming through. We’ve also offered lots of training to retrenched workers in the LaTrobe Valley and continue to run our specialised courses to sites, councils and government authorities such as WorkSafe.

pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships Our fourth intake of pre-apprentices finish in August with many already interviewed and ready to start with employers in spring. This has been one of our best groups yet and employers that have seen them in action have been impressed with their work ready skills and knowledge.

Our carpentry apprenticeship program which commenced in 2015, continues to grow from strength to strength with our first intake of apprentices about to enter their 3rd year and a steady flow of first and second year apprentices coming through. It is a small program as only those young people who complete our pre-app go on to do their apprenticeship with us.

With lots of time and attention in the workshop with Craig (our carpentry trainer) it is no wonder that CFMEU apprentices look and act like fully fledged commercial construction carpenters.

It is a shame that more employers are not stepping up to employ our

apprentices. Some of the largest commercial construction companies employ no apprentices at all, despite having the capacity to lead the way.

They think it’s okay not to and argue that because they don’t employ workers directly they can’t assist apprentices. That’s not true. We have a program that enables major construction companies to assist in the employment and upskilling of apprentices.

So if you know of an employer who needs a first year apprentice with a love of carpentry and a good basic knowledge of the commercial sector then send them our way. We have the apprentices for them.

And for those who think our pre-app would be good for someone they know we will be interviewing for our 2018 intake in late November. Those interested should contact the Unit or Liam O’Hearn (CFMEU Apprenticeship Officer) by end of October 2017.

PRE-APPRENTICESHIP IN CONSTRUCTION (CARPENTERY)

Do you like working outside?

Working with your hands?

Want to get a ticket into the construction industry?

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CFMEU WORKER

SPRING 2017

TRAINING NEWS

gippsland trades and labour council We have been working closely with CFMEU organizer Toby Thornton and the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council through the year to provide training to retrenched workers in the LaTrobe Valley. Heaps of confined space, traffic T control and safe work at heights courses have been completed and we are looking at offering a broader range of courses in the future. At this very difficult time for the workers, it has been encouraging that so many are coming into the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council offices in Morwell for assistance in training and to find work.

Another happy customer: Colin Vernon, Geelong Trades Hall Secretary and ex FFPD official with his Diploma in Work Health and Safety.

tiltup and precast course Almost 100 OHS representatives have completed the safety competency for working with tilt-up and precast. The course covers information on risk management and safe work practices during the manufacturing and erection of precast and tilt-up concrete.

This one day course is now available to anyone working with tilt up and precast construction who needs to know more about OHS requirements.

advanced scaffolding Get your advanced scaffolding at the CFMEU Education and Training Unit. Coupled with your on the job experience the course is run over 5 days for scaffolders with the intermediate licence. Combining the old and essential skills of tube and coupler and the latest Layher gear you can learn the ins and outs of hung scaffolds. The course also covers construction of swing stages.

Well hung scaffold at the CFMEU

to participate in a carpentry pre-apprenticeship.

What? Certificate II in Building & Construction (carpentry) Pre-apprenticeship 22216VIC

This could then lead to a full carpentry

When? Course commences February 2018

apprenticeship. This is a fantastic opportunity

How? Interviews will be held late November / early December 2017

Right now, the CFMEU is recruiting young people

for you to get a taste of the industry and is ideal preparation for a fulfilling career in the dynamic construction industry.

You don’t need to have a job in the industry to get started, you just need to sign up with CFMEU.

How long? 20 Weeks full time (4 days per week) Where? At the CFMEU’s state-of-the-art training facilities in Port Melbourne with some project work done on commercial sites.

Who? Contact Liam O’Hearn on 0425 792 522 or the Training Unit on 03 9341 3444.

THIS COURSE PROVIDES A GREAT PATHWAY INTO THE CONSTRUCTIONCFMEU INDUSTRY WORKER

SPRING 2017

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ASBESTOS EXPOSURE Your rights and entitlements The ongoing tragedy of asbestos related disease in our community is a continual reminder of one of history’s most shameful periods of corporate greed and negligence.

The impact of asbestos exposure and disease is particularly high in the construction industry, given the nature of the work performed. Most CFMEU members have had to deal with asbestos in some way, either through direct exposure, concern about exposure, or by knowing someone who has suffered from asbestos related disease.

Asbestos products have been extensively used throughout Australia since the 1950’s, rising to a peak usage in the late 1970s when it could be found in over 3000 products.

By the late 1980s the use of asbestos had declined, although Australia continued to import asbestos until 2004. Even though it is no longer legal to import asbestos products into Australia, vigilance is still required to ensure that dodgy and dangerous products don’t slip through the net.

Whilst working on site, 056

CFMEU WORKER

particularly in and around any demolition work, constant vigilance is also required because asbestos is still present in many buildings and sites across the country. Dodgy and illegal demolitions such as what occurred at the Corkman Hotel in Carlton last year remind us of the ongoing risk not only to workers on site but to local residents and passers-by.

Slater + Gordon a long history of fighting for asbestos victims Since conducting the first successful asbestos litigation in 1984, Slater + Gordon has acted for thousands of people with asbestos related disease.

We have built up extensive knowledge and expertise during this time, which is supported by a detailed database containing the many different circumstances of our clients’ exposure to asbestos. This database is of critical importance in assisting new clients to identify the likely time and place of their asbestos exposure years after the event.

What to do: diagnosis and/or exposure Diagnosis If you or someone close to you have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or any other asbestos-related condition it is important to know that you may be entitled to compensation.

You should seek legal advice even if: • You are uncertain where you were exposed to asbestos • You were exposed many years ago • You have been a smoker • Your employer is no longer in business Our experience has taught us that no two cases are the same. We investigate each case on its merits and advise you of the likelihood of success and the value of your claim.

SPRING 2017

Your claim will be for a lump sum, ‘one-off’ payment which includes compensation for: • • • •

pain and suffering past and future medical expenses loss of earnings where relevant the cost of your care

A Slater + Gordon asbestos lawyer experienced in asbestos litigation will provide you with free advice on a confidential no-obligation basis. Our asbestos lawyers come to you.

We regularly see clients at their home or in hospital.

Slater + Gordon conducts asbestos related claims on a No Win - No Fee™ basis to ensure that people can have access to legal representation regardless of their financial circumstances.

We work with our clients and their families to ensure that their cases are treated with compassion and speed to ensure the legal process is as unobtrusive as possible.

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Exposure If you have been exposed to asbestos, or are concerned that you may have been exposed, it is important to register the nature and circumstances of the exposure on an established database, in case you develop an asbestos related illness in the future.

Slater & Gordon works closely with the OHS Unit at the CFMEU. Both Slater & Gordon and the CFMEU maintain detailed databases of persons who have been exposed to asbestos. If you are worried about actual or potential exposure it is important to always contact the CFMEU immediately.

For further information on asbestos and asbestos related diseases, call Slater + Gordon via the CFMEU Legal Service on 9341 3444.

SPRING 2017

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Now there’s a quiz you can take to find out.

Like most Victorians, you probably like a drink or two and there’s no doubt alcohol plays a big role in our lives. By taking a short online quiz you can find out what kind of drinker you are and what this might say about you.

People who like to go with the flow and find it hard to say no.

Usually looking out for others when socialising.

Those that are happy to drink less than most people.

The party animal who always loves to drink and always makes sure your drink is topped up.

TAKE THE QUIZ, YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED...

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CFMEU WORKER

SPRING 2017

OHS ALERT

THE REAL DANGERS OF SILICA DUST

By Dr Gerry Ayers, CFMEU Safety Unit manager.

 cleaning up of dust and debris created by the above activities Other building and excavation workers in close proximity to these processes for long periods of time are also at risk.

Equipment used for cutting, grinding, drilling, sweeping, etc. should be fitted with extraction devices to eliminate the dust.

Where dust extraction is not possible, wet methods should be used. For many jobs, some form of respiratory protection will also be needed, especially chasing work.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have now classified Crystalline Silica as a Group 1 Carcinogenic.

Epidemiologic studies from around the world have shown an increased risk of lung cancer among workers exposed to silica.

Emerging evidence also suggests that silica may also cause renal (kidney) disease.

Even at levels of exposure that appear not to “cause” overt silicosis, a condition that badly affects and restricts the normal operations and functions of the lungs, silica dust can still cause chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive airways disease.

Unacceptable levels of Silica dust occurs far too often during construction and demolition work.

Our Hazardous Substances Regulations (OHS Regs 2017 Reg 169) states that employers must ensure health surveillance is provided to workers who are exposed to crystalline silica. This health surveillance includes chest x-rays, standardised respiratory function tests and records of personal exposure.

The medical examination should be done at least every five years and if there are any abnormal findings they should be reported to the employer so that control measures can be checked. A final medical should be done on termination of employment and the reason for termination should be noted.

We often underestimate the dangers of exposure to silica dust because we are so used to it. But not anymore!

CFMEU and the Victorian Cladding Taskforce Inquiry

The CFMEU now has a seat at the table to assist the Victorian Cladding Taskforce. The Taskforce is being cochaired by former Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu and former Labor deputy Premier John Thwaites.

We will assist and guide the taskforce in their roles including:  reviewing the Victorian Building Authorities audit;  developing a process for prompt rectification where and when identified;  review and recommend enforcement and or disciplinary action when and where appropriate;  make recommendations to improve the current system for compliance, certification and enforcement;  provide advice to the Minister for Planning and Government and review and recommend improvements to the existing Victorian system for fire safety in buildings.

This won’t be an easy task nor is there an easy fix to the issues of cladding and fire safety to high rise buildings. But rest assured, the CFMEU is out there doing what we do best – protecting our members, their families and the public.

Safety is Union business.

Some examples of jobs that can create dangerous levels of silica dust are:  brick cutting and chasing  angle griding on concrete or masonry  concrete cutting  jack hammering and chiselling of concrete, masonry, sandstone, etc.  scabling  ceramic tile cutting  drilling of concrete or brick structures  hand stoning concrete surfaces  excavation

SPRING 2017

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CBUS IS MAKING YOUR SUPER WORK AS HARD AS YOU DO

W

hile you’re on the tools working hard, so is your super. And there’s some good news: Cbus’ Growth (Cbus MySuper) option has delivered a great return for members of 11.85 per cent after taxes and fees for the 2016-17 financial year.

This takes the average yearly return over the past 33 years to 9.24%.*

While generating the best possible retirement outcomes for their members should be what super funds do for their members, Cbus achieves that as well as going the extra mile by investing back into the construction industry.

Cbus, through its wholly owned property arm Cbus Property, are a leading provider of high quality commercial and residential developments that have so far created more than 75,000 direct jobs**. It’s a key point of difference for the fund.

And Cbus property has delivered outstanding returns boosting members’ retirement balances.

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CFMEU WORKER

* Based on the crediting rate. Since inception to 30 June 2017, the crediting rate is the return minus investment costs and taxes, the Trustee Operating Cost and reserves.

Excludes administration fees. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. ** Estimated jobs since 2006 to June 2017 based on inductions for completed and committed developments.

SPRING 2017

GOOD RESULTS

Over the past year Cbus Property achieved a return of 24.3% net of fees.

Cbus is uniquely positioned to deliver value from property and infrastructure because we can leverage the development expertise of Cbus Property into infrastructure investments such as affordable housing, schools and hospitals.

challenging year to generate returns”, said Mr Fok.

Trish Donohue, Group Executive Investment Services & Solutions According to Kristian Fok, said that Cbus’ funds under CBUS Chief Investment Officer, management have grown 2016-17 has been a much significantly from $34 to close better year for member returns. to $40 billion over the year. This “It proves our investment strong growth has reinforced the Cbus already has more than 10 strategy delivers dividends per cent of the funds we manage strategic decision made to bring for members today and into greater investment expertise invested in infrastructure such the future. An important in-house to better manage as airports, seaports, toll roads differentiator for Cbus is our investment decisions and the and energy infrastructure. strategy of long term innovative long-term performance of the investment especially in the real Our future investment strategy economy and built environment.” will focus on the development of Fund’s investments.

“During the next year we will quality greenfield infrastructure Mr Fok said Cbus Property’s increase the allocation of funds in Australia ensuring assets are competitive advantage as an being managed in-house by our sustainable through a longerarm of a $40 billion super fund investment team. This will help term investment lens. enables it to be one of the few keep downward pressure on property sector participants with The differentiator is our investment fees for members strategy of long-term innovative capacity to develop large-scale and open up even more investment in the real economy quality projects that align with investment opportunities,” Ms and built environment. property market cycles, and in Donohue said. the case of commercial office “While we’ve had a great year buildings, be able to retain these and the overall global outlook is It’s yet another initiative aimed as long term investments. more positive than a year ago, it at improving the super balances of Cbus members.

“Cbus members build our nation does change when you look at If you have any questions about specific countries or regions. It so there is a natural symmetry your super, get in touch with a with their superannuation being will be a bit of ‘wait and see’ for Cbus workplace coordinator or what the next year holds, but invested into their industry ring 1300 361 784 we’re expecting it to be a more that that creates jobs today and strong returns for a secure retirement into the future.”

SPRING 2017

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F OR THE VETERANS

75

th

C

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R

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ANNIVERSARY ARMY AIR DISPATCH AIRBORNE

Victorian Veteran's Welfare Fundraising Event Funds raised are to assist Veterans & Family for the 75th Anniversary.

Kokoda - Myola - Port Moresby Project

Olympic Hotel 31 Albert Street, Preston Saturday 11th November 2017 7pm - 10pm $50 per person (includes finger food) Bookings Essential - Contact Alan 0410 328 295 or Graeme 0434 231 124 or email: info@legendsandheroes.com.au

Door Prizes 1. $2000 Flight Centre Travel Voucher Donated by CFMEU Construction & General Division Vic/Tas Branch

2. Sony 49” Smart TV Valued at $1200 Donated by Form 700

3. Collingwood Guernsey Donated by Brian Chapman

4. AFL Grabs & Goals 2001 Framed Poster Donated by Graham Papworth

Special Guest Speakers LtCol Derek Snipe CSM

Silent Auctions and Auctions of sporting and military history memorabilia during the night.

Mr Kevin Sheedy

Special Guests Capt Kade Alexander Groat RSM WO Class 1 Sean Smith

Proudly Supported by

OLYMPIC HOTEL 062

CFMEU WORKER

PLENTY VALLEY PRINT COPY DESIGN

SPRING 2017

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That’s good for all of us because lower costs mean more jobs.

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Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia on Facebook & LinkedIn

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INDUSTRIES PTY LTD Established 1985

Industry Leaders in Asbestos Removal MGR Industries is the oldest and most experienced asbestos removal company in Victoria.

1/50 Hudson Street Spotswood, Vic. 3015

MGR is committed to: • • • • •

Safety Professionalism Integrity Quality Reliability

Phone:

(03) 9041 1490

For our clients and our workers alike.

E: office@kospolinteriors.com.au Phone: +61 3 9580 9499 Email: mgr@mgrindustries.com.au PO Box 83, Braeside VIC 3195

SPRING 2017

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CLASSIFIED ADS

FALL PROTECTION & TEMPORARY GUARDRAIL SYSTEMS FOR COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL BUILDING SITES.

(03) 8773 7255

industrialsales.vic@scopesafety.com.au

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Supporting the CFMEU Bishony Nominees Pty Ltd t/as COMPOSITE SUPPORT SYSTEMS VICTORIA * Metal Formwork & Stud Welding PO Box 106, Vermont, Vic. 3133 Mobile: 0417 583 383 Phone/Fax: (03) 9874 1108 Celtic Glass Pty Ltd 10 Pride Street, Hamilyn Heights, Vic. 3215 Mobile: 0415 550 233 Email: celticglass@yahoo.com.au EARTHBOLT VIC PTY LTD Factory 1, 14 Bate Close, Pakenham, Vic. 3810 Phone: 1300 800 595 Website: www.earthbolt.com.au

Post Tensioning & Suspended Concrete Slab Design Contractors T: (03) 9702 4557 W: www.auspt.net.au E: tenders@auspt.net.au

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EURO

2-10 Arkwright Drive, Dandenong South, Vic. 3175 CW 23/2

COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL & RETAIL BUILDERS & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

22 Blackwood Street North Melbourne Victoria 3051 t 03 9329 2166 f 03 9329 2188 CW 23/2

SLH INDUSTRIES PTY LTD 3A Jayne Court, Dandenong, Vic. 3175 Mobile: 0477 889 989 Email: info@slhindustries.com.au STILCON SCAFFOLDING PTY LTD 134-140 Fairbairn Road, West Sunshine, Vic. 3013 Mobile: 0418 912 772 Email: daryl@stilcon.com.au

CONTRACT HOIST AND RIGGING PTY LTD

CFMEU WORKER

L & LJ FABRICATIONS PTY LTD 26 Delfin Crescent, Greensborough, Vic. 3088 Phone: (03) 9444 9294 Fax: (03) 9444 9295 Mobile: 0407 569 749 Email: lljfab@optusnet.com.au REDBAR EXCAVATIONS Excavators 94 Newlands Road, Reservoir, Vic. 3073 Phone: (03) 9460 6620

MABEN GROUP PTY LTD ABN 63 255 276 365

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JLM FENCING PTY LTD 37 Nicholas Drive, Dandenong South, Vic. 3175 Mobile: 0433 167 742 Website: www.jlmfencing.com IINTERFACE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD 89 Rokeby Street, Collingwood, Vic. 3066 Phone: (03) 9419 8959 Mobile: 0411 432 213 Email: hello@interfaceconstructions.com.au Website: www.interfaceconstructions.com.au

PRECAST 8787 8991

SPECIALISTS IN PLANT HIRE MAN AND MATERIAL HOISTS RIGGING SERVICES PH: 03 8336 8336 E: info@contracthoistandrigging.com.au

FABFIX PTY LTD 26 Nestan Drive, Ringwood, Vic. 3134 Mobile: 0409 396 895 Email: fabfix@hotmail.com

VALLEYCLAD PTY LTD PO Box 761, Traralgon, Vic. 3844 Mobile: 0417 050 810 Email: admin@valleyclad.com CW 23/2

GIVE BLOOD

SPRING 2017

CLASSIFIED ADS

P.O. Box 489 Kew East, Vic. 3102 Mobile: 0404 446 633 Email: vlad@ccserv.com.au CW 23/2

Moncor Investments Pty Ltd

Julian McCarthy Landscapes Pty Ltd

Trading as

MCM Tile & Stone

1 Milkman Street, Coburg, Vic. 3058

1/ 8a Railway Avenue, Oakleigh, Vic 3166

Ph: (03) 9354 9322 Fax: (03) 9354 9344

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Ph: (03) 9543 9821 CW 23/2

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Independent Scaffolds COCONUT STEEL FIXING 138 Eucumbene Drive, Ravenhall, Vic. 3023

Fax. 9219 2099

217-235 Rex Rd Campbellfield, 3061

www.gjames.com

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Matic PLASTERING Pty Ltd 18 Reema Boulevard Endeavour Hills, Vic. 3802

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3/52 Cambria Road, Keysborough, Vic. 3173 E: info@customrigging.com.au W: www.customrigging.com.au CW 23/2

FirePtySealed Ltd Level 1, 39 Leveson St, North Melbourne, VIC 3051

PO Box 1061, Windsor, Vic. 3181

Email: info@lylex.com Phone: (03) 9326 6655 www.lylexconstructions.com.au

admin@firesealed.com.au www.firesealed.com.au

(03) 8590 8872

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Ph. 9219 2000

SUPPORT THE ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & GIVE TO THE SALVOS CW 23/2

Glass Products

Manufacturers of: • Laminated Glass • Toughened Glass • Toughened Laminated Glass • Insulated Glass Units • Diptech printed Glass Products

(03) 9357 6758

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Mobile: 0447 838 093 admin@coconutgroup.com.au www.coconutgroup.com.au CW 23/2

42-44 Capital Link Drive Campbellfield, VIC 3061

Ph/Fax: (03) 9708 0559 Mobile: 0401 681 748 CW 23/2

Brady Constructions (Vic) Pty Ltd

INDEPENDENT CRANES PTY LTD

Commercial Construction

108 Hume Highway, Somerton, Vic. 3062

Ph: (03) 8622 8100

Specialising in Design & Build

Ph: 03 9308 8111

www.bradygroup.com.au CW 23/2

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SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Supporting the CFMEU

Rising Star Interior Pty Ltd

Ardreagh Formwork Pty Ltd

Commercial & Industrial Formworkers

506 Fullarton Road, Airport West, Vic. 3042

Factory 1/131 Proximity Drive, Sunshine West, Vic. 3020

Ph: (03) 9314 4404

Ph: (03) 9988 3355 CW 23/2

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I & D Group P/L

Committed to Health, Safety & the Environment in the Workplace

In support of the CFMEU & Workplace Safety

Unit 4/3 Faigh Street, Mulgrave, Vic. 3170 CW 23/2

P: 03 9560 1812

Cityline Scaffolding Pty Ltd

47 Albert Street Abbotsford, Vic. 3067

144 Freight Drive, Somerton VIC 3062

Mob: 0414 680 118 Ph: 03 9326 7795 Fax: 03 9326 5778 Email: aaron@kpiconstruction.com.au

Ph: (03) 9308 5311

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T: 03 9912 4999 F: 03 8648 6842 E: info@hamiltonmarino.com.au W: www.hamiltonmarino.com.au

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Fax: (03) 9308 5711 CW 23/2

www.citylinescaffolding.com.au

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Apprentices for hire for the time you require!

Scheme

Ph: (03) 9357 5538

175 Campbell Street, Hobart

Ph 6234 3844 Fax 6234 3775

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– Class A – All types of asbestos Friable and Non-Friable Phone: 0433 147 734 Victoria

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19-23 Paramount Road, West Footscray, Vic 3012

Eire Group Pty Ltd 1-5 Failla Avenue Campbellfield, Vic 3061

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CFMEU WORKER

www.eiregroup.com.au Email: info@eiregroup.com.au

Ph: 1300 272 635 Fax: 1300 799 089 E: greg.abbonizio@craneliftaust.com.au

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Most Building Trades Covered

Tasmanian Building Group Apprenticeship

Oceania Universal Paving Australia Pty Ltd

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Tekni Steelfixing Pty Ltd

430 Victoria Street, Brunswick, Vic. 3056

Phone: (03) 9380 2876

Fax: (03) 9387 4022 Email: emailus@oceaniauniversal.com.au

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41 Henderson Street, Clayton, Vic. 3168

www.craneliftaust.com.au

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Burns Cranes Australia Pty Ltd

Mobile: 0416 181 212 Ph: (03) 9561 565

4 Anthony Street, Sunbury, Vic. 3429

Email: teknisteelfixing@bigpond.com

E: bcaust@outlook.com.au

Ph: 0407 350 166

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SPRING 2017

CLASSIFIED ADS

Express Interiors

Camillo Constructions Pty Ltd

Pty Ltd Ph: (03) 9548 7322

Accuracy Interiors Pty Ltd Commercial plasterers Specialising in stud framing and ceiling systems

262 Salmon Street Port Melbourne, Vic. 3207

Fax: (03) 9548 7255

Ph: 0431 098 605 – VICTORIA –

Ph: (03) 9646 2188

1 Buckland Street Clayton, Vic. 3166

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Straightline Contractors Pty Ltd

COMMERCIAL

16-18 Sunshine Stree Campbellfield, Vic. 3061

INDUSTRIAL GOVERNMENT

Ph: 0418 143 152 E: aclasscladding@gmail.com

Phone:

(03) 9359 3266

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Mobile:

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0437 481 288 VICTORIA

Mobile cranes up to 220 tonnes Safer, simpler and more cost effective machinery rigging option

Phone: 0424 584 872 dean@gravityrigging.com

Work Safe, Work Smart, Work Together . . . each day

www.gravityrigging.com

CW 23/2

SPRING 2017

CW 23/2

20 Lionel Road Mt Waverley, Vic. 3149

Ph: 03 9544 5511 CW 23/2

Bauen Concrete Commercial concreting & structure projects in the Melbourne metropolitan area

P.O. Box 4231 Narre Warren, Vic. 3805

Ph: 0434 691 350

Mobile:

www.bauenconcrete.com.au

0421 611 023 CW 23/2

CW 23/2

Cleanworx Services Pty Ltd

PO Box 3017 Willoughby North NSW 2068

P: 02 9417 7297 F: 02 9417 5271 E: kerry@cityrendering.com.au

CW 23/2

20 & 25 tonne frannas & mini crawler cranes

Melbourne Construct Solutions Pty Ltd

CW 23/2

J. Simos Steel Fixing Pty Ltd

Industrial super flat concrete floors

CW 23/2

CW 23/2

A Class Cladding

Anglo Italian Concrete

4A Bond Street Caulfield North, Vic. 3161

Ph: 0402 925 894 www.cleanworx.com.au

CW 23/2

CW 23/2

Elite Concrete Drilling & Sawing P/L

Major Crane Logistics Pty Ltd

Concrete drilling, sawing, grinding & polishing

23 Jersey Drive Epping, Vic. 3076

P: 0408 600 574

Mobile:

0438 583 005

Email: ndambra@mclogistics.com.au

CW 23/2

CW 23/2

CFMEU WORKER

067

CLASSIFIED ADS

Y40

XPRO CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD

XE Concrete Constructions Pty Ltd

STEELFIXING

Matt Boyer 0438 770 360

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE CFMEU

PO Box 521 North Melbourne, Vic 3051 mboyer@rapidcrete.com.au CW 23/2

CW 23/2

CC

CYCON CIVIL PTY LTD

11-13 Randor Street Campbellfield, Vic. 3061

0437 777 703 quotes@y40steelfixing.com y40steelfixing.com

ANTHONY CICCONE PROJECT MANAGER

0414 979 169

55 McGregors Drive Keilor Park, 3042

CW 23/2

PO Box 77 Thomastown, Vic. 3074 ac.cyconciv@telstra.com

Pty Ltd

Factory 19/8 Kearney Street Bayswater, Vic. 3153

Internal Ceilings & Partitions

Ph: (03) 9335 6968

110A Laurens Street North Melbourne, Vic. 3051

www.iandkinteriors.com.au

Ph: (03) 9687 9839

CW 23/2

ESI Lifestyle

F: (03) 9338 9500 VICTORIA

CW 23/2

OUTSTANDING PLASTERING PTY LTD ★ Specialising in Commercial & Residential

Ph: 1300 083 817

CW 23/2

CW 23/2

CW 23/2

Power Concrete Cutting Pty Ltd Commercial Concrete Cutting & Drilling Phone:

0418 344 935

CW 19/1

Proud Supporter of the CFMEU Supporting the CFMEU

Caelli

PTY LTD

Constructions

KITCHEN JOINERY SPECIALISTS

Pty Ltd

10 Winterton Road Claytone, Vic. 3168

ORACLE STRUCTURES PTY LTD

PH: 1800 859 845

projects@oraclestructure.com.au

CW 23/2

068

P: (03) 9338 9511

CYCON

Creative Plastering Group Pty Ltd

I&K Interiors

CW 23/2

TIMBER FLOORING SERVICES COMMERCIAL PTY LTD

• SEWAGE • ROADS • ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

CW 23/2

(03) 9357 7769

CW 23/2

• DRAINAGE

CIVIL

Phone:

CFMEU WORKER

0414 345 917 CW 23/2

320 Hume Highway Craigieburn, Vic 3064

Kustom Cut are the proud owners of the Husqvarna DXR300 and DXR140 Demolition Robots. Ideal for demolition of concrete and brick constructions, staircases, roofs as well as sensitive locations inside buildings.

Tel: (03) 9305 7733

Mob: 0400 228 134 Web: www.kustomcut.com.au

CW 23/2

CW 23/2

SPRING 2017

CLASSIFIED ADS

Construction of concrete structures for multistorey office and apartment buildings; and large shopping centres. Including formwork, reinforcement supply and fix, post tensioning supply and installation, concrete supply, concrete place, concrete pumping, construction of concrete lift cores, structure safety screens and provision of other self climbing systems.

68-76 Drake Boulevard, Altona, Vic. 3018

Ph: (03) 8331 7100 Fax: (03) 8331 7150 Byrne Construction Systems Pty Ltd Units 8 & 9/40 Ricketts Road Mount Waverley, Vic. 3149

Tel: (03) 9543 2926

CW 23/2

Clifton Formwork Empire Commercial Building Email: info@form700.com.au Solutions Pty Ltd (Vic) Pty Ltd

20 Trade Place, Vermont, Vic. 3133 PO Box 1103, Epping, Vic. 3076 Website: www.form700.com.au Mobile:

0412 471 956

Ph: (03) 9873 5833

CW 23/2

CW 23/2

L & Y Commercial 147 Westall Road Clayton South, Vic. 3169 Ph: (03) 9546 2229 Fax: (03) 9546 2223 www.lnycommercial.com E: info@lnycommercial.com

CW23/2 21/3 CW

Six Star Construction 29-31 Dingley Ave, Dandenong, Vic. 3175

CW 23/2

Email: admin@viccivil.com

CW 23/2

Oak Park Tullamarine Pty Ltd Specialise in Concrete Formwork C2 Group

Mob: 0419 002 154 or 0425 830 773

PO Box 445, Essendon, Vic 3040.

Ph: 03 9370 5103

CW 23/2

Image Paving Pty Ltd 9/680 Victoria Street North Melbourne, Vic. 3051

AC Constructions Group Pty Ltd PO Box 485, Niddrie, Vic. 3042

P: (03) 9326 3596 M: 0418 178 964 E: info@imagepaving.com.au W: www.imagepaving.com.au

Email: renee@optulla.com.au

Ph: (03) 9314 3699

CW 23/2

ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS PTY LTD PO Box 18097, Cullen Street East Melbourne, Vic. 8003

Mobile: 0411 190 405 CW 23/2

CW 23/2

Email: info@c2-group.com.au Web: www.c2-group.com.au

CW 23/2

P.O. Box 2129, Ringwood North, Vic. 3134

Fax: (03) 9314 3399 E: rockyb@acconstructions.com.au

CW 23/2

Geelong Concrete Testing P/L

Independent Testing Service Project & Quality Control Testing NATA Accredited Servicing Geelong & Melbourne

31 Albert Street 5248 8809 Moolap, Vic. 0418 522 433

SPRING 2017

Plaza Interiors (Aust) Pty Ltd

Mail to: P.O. Box 7083, Hawthorn North LPO, Vic. 3122 Ph: 03 9859 8766 Fax: 03 9859 8477 Mobile: 0412 496 600 www.plazainteriors.com.au Email: graham@plazainteriors.com.au

CDR Scaffolding t/as

GIBRALTAR CONCRETING 6 Ascot Street, Newtown, Vic. 3220 Proud supporter of Health & Safety in the Workplace

CW 23/2

Nicks & Cuts Glass Pty Ltd 3 Eastlink Drive, Hallam, Vic. 3803 P: 03 9703 1467 M: 0417 750 208 E: nick2nacglass.com.au W: www.nacglass.com.au CW 23/2

CW 23/2

822 521

Ph: 0430 333 331 www.sixstarconstruction .com.au

CW 23/2

Mobile: 0409

Mob: 0401 498 988 Ph: (03) 9793 4737

CW 23/2

ABN 64 087 710 978

CW 23/2

Email: ajbounas@optusnet.com.au

PO Box 3091 Moorabbin East, Vic. 3189

21-29 West Circuit, Sunshine West, Vic. 3020 P. 03 9312 6497 M. 0400 144 245 E. michael@scanrent.com.au W: www.scanrent.com.au CW 23/2

Trackworks Civil Contracting Pty Ltd 148 Gertrude Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3065 Ph: 0427 800 031 E: leo@trackworks.com.au CW23/2 21/3 www.trackworks.com.au CW

CFMEU WORKER

069

YOUR WAGES

EBA WAGE RATES ONSITE 36-HOUR WEEK: Your Union EBA brings increases in wages, allowances, superannuation and Incolink contributions.

Be paid-up and proud, it’s worth it!

For sector EBA’s see vic.cfmeu.org.au/wages (civil, contract scaffold, precast, traffic control, demolition, apprentices, mobile cranes, steel erection, shop fitting)

RATE PER HOUR

RATE PER WEEK

WEEKLY PRO-RATA ANNUAL LEAVE

WEEKLY PRORATA A/ L LOADING

$43.34

$1,560.24

$120.02

$23.90

Painter – new work

$42.37

$1,525.32

$117.33

$23.43

Painter – re-paint

$42.32

$1,523.52

$117.19

$23.40

Marker/Setter-out, Letter Cutter

$45.12

$1,624.32

$124.95

$24.76

Signwriter

$44.17

$1,590.12

$122.32

$24.30

$46.82

$1,685.52

$129.66

$25.58

$42.13

$1,516.68

$116.67

$23.31

$40.74

$1,466.64

$112.82

$22.64

$39.49

$1,421.64

$109.36

$22.03

(36 HOUR WEEK)

Tradespersons Carpenter/Joiner Tile-layer Stonemason Artificial Stoneworker Marble & Slate-worker Plasterer Cladding Fixer Bricklayer

Roof-tiler Special Class Tradesperson: Carver * All Rates include Tool Allowance

Labourers GRADE 1 - CW3 - 100% Rigger/Dogman Sign industry worker Concrete pump operator

GRADE 2 - CW2 - 96% Scaffolder Hoist/Winch Driver Steel Fixer Concrete Finisher

GRADE 3 - CW1 - 92.4% Trades Labourer Concrete Gang, Hoseman Jack Hammerman Concrete Cutting Machine Operator

070

CFMEU WORKER

SPRING 2017

YOUR WAGES

Crane Crews - Building Sites TOWER CRANE CREW - CW7 - 120% Operator and Dogman/Crane hands

$49.08

$1,766.88

$135.91

$26.68

Trainee Dogman/Crane hand (fixed cranes)

$45.64

$1,643.04

$126.39

$25.01

Plant operators PCW7 - 120% - Excavators over 115 tonnes, Crawler Tractors over 350kw, Graders experienced final trim $48.02

$1,728.72

$132.98

$26.17

PCW6 - 115% - Excavators 65 to 115 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders over 300kw, Crawler Tractors 200 to 350kw, Graders final trim, Construction Trucks over 200 tonnes, Tower Cranes $46.26

$1,665.36

$128.10

$25.31

PCW5 - 110% - Compactors over 200kw, Excavators 25 to 65 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders 200 to 300kw, Scrapers over 400kw, Crawler Tractors 100 to 200kw, Graders over 130kw, Construction Trucks 120 to 200 tonnes, Mobile Cranes 15 to 100 tonnes $44.49

$1,601.64

$123.20

$24.45

PCW4 - 105% - Compactors up to 200kw, Excavators 16 to 25 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders 100 to 200kw, Scrapers 300 to 400kw, Crawler Tractors up to 100kw, Graders up to 130kw, Construction Trucks 60 to 120 tonnes, Mobile Cranes up to 15 tonnes $42.77

$1,539.72

$118.44

$23.62

PCW3 - 100% - Rollers over 10 tonnes, Skid Steer & Backhoe/Loaders over 200kw, Excavators up to 16 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders up to 100kw, Scrapers up to 300kw, Construction Trucks 12 to 60 tonnes, Forklift Operators, Winch Drivers & Mobile Hydraulic Platform Operators $41.07

$1,478.52

$113.73

$22.80

PCW2 - 96% - Rollers 5 to 10 tonnes, Skid Steer & Backhoe/Loaders to 200kw, Construction Trucks up to 12 tonnes $39.44

$1,419.84

$109.22

$22.01

$1,366.92

$105.15

$21.30

PCW1 - 92.4% - New Entrant for plant only, Rollers up to 5 tonnes $37.97

Note: If unsure if agreement applies to you, check with the Union for your company sector-specific EBA, e.g. Civil.

EBA Benefits and Allowances

Multi-storey Allowance

Travel allowance: $43.00 per day

Start to 15th floor

$0.55 per hour

Superannuation: $205 per week, or 9.5% of ordinary time earnings, whichever higher.

Floors 16 – 30

$0.66 per hour

Floors 31 – 45

$1.02 per hour

Floors 46 – 60

$1.32 per hour

Floors 61+

$1.62 per hour

Incolink payments: $76.35 per week paid into Incolink. Income protection, trauma insurance and portable sick leave are also available (paid into Incolink).

Long service leave: 13 weeks after ten years, pro rata after seven years (paid into CoInvest).

Overtime meal allowance: $25.89 when required to work overtime for one and a half hours or more on an ordinary working day.

Site & General Wage Related Allowances Service Core Allowance

$1.45 per hour

First Aid Allowance

Living away from home allowance: $770 per week

Minimum qualification

$2.91 per day

Site allowance: Check the CFMEU Allowances Schedule for more information: cfmeu.vic.org.au/wages

Higher qualification

$4.61 per day

As well as a 5% pay rise every year for three-years, all overtime is double-time, fares and travel are up, living away is up, super is up, and meals are up. Stay paid-up and proud, it’s worth it!

SPRING 2017

CFMEU WORKER

071