Expression of interest for new Delegates

This year has been very busy and as your Union we want would like to identify and elect some new workplace representatives, also known as Union Delegates. We are calling out to all members who may be interested in becoming an Aruma Union Delegate. Now is the time to prepare Aruma workers for the challenges in the industry including negotiating our new Enterprise Agreement. Below is some information about how you can become a Union Delegate at Aruma and what’s involved in the Role.

So how can you become a Delegate?

There are a few steps involved in becoming a Delegate:

  1. Identifying a Delegate – this can be done by the Organiser, democratically by members or by existing Delegates
  2. Interested Union members must then complete their expression of interest and nomination forms and send them to their Organiser (Jeremy Young)
  3. The Current Union Delegates will then review the expressions of Interest and nominations and then make a recommendation to the Union Membership to conduct a Union Election
  4. Nominees must complete both the expression of interest and Delegate nomination forms and have the nomination form signed by two financial members
  5. This document must then be scanned and emailed to your Organiser
  6. This form will then be added to the Social and Community Sector (SACS) Industry Division Committee (IDC) meeting for formal endorsement
  7. Once the IDC has endorsed the application, the Services Union admin then writes to the new Delegates’ CEO to formally identify them as an endorsed Delegate of our Union
  8. New Delegates will then be invited to attend Delegates training from our Union
  9. This process can take some time to get through but at the end of the process, as a new Delegate you will have all the Union Delegate entitlements
What is the Role of a Union Delegate?

A Delegate’s role involves many different tasks. What follows are just some of the more important things The Services Union delegates do.

Not all Delegates do all things. Some Delegates will specialise in specific tasks and duties, such as representing the Union on a committee, assisting colleagues with the complex task of reclassifications, or being part of the Collective Bargaining Team. Some Delegates will sit alongside The Services Union Organisers during disputes, while others will handle the first or even the final steps of a grievance. Some concentrate on recruiting new members and organising Union structures and processes in the workplace.

You’ll find these things out as you go along. You don’t have to take on everything at once. Start with the things you already do, and The Services Union will help you to learn some of the other roles. Plus, you’ll have more experienced Delegates, Branch Committee Members, and Union activists to help you get started.
  1. Get to know all the staff in your workplace.
  2. Greet new members and help them get oriented.
  3. Talk to colleagues about joining our Union.
  4. Play a leading role in staff meetings. Keep the members informed.
  5. Keep an updated phone, address, and email list of members in your area.
  6. Find out what is going on in the workplace.
  7. Communicate issues to management. This can range from informal talks with supervisors to formal meetings with the assistance of a Services Union Industrial Officer.
  8. Work on Enterprise Bargaining campaigns.
  9. Help with letting members know about Union activities such as rallies, work actions, petitions, community actions, demonstrations, and other activities.
  10. Work on newsletter articles, badges, stickers, bulletin board displays etc.
  11. Attend Delegate training.
You don’t have to do this all yourself. Don’t be shy about asking individual members to help you out. It’s one way to get them involved.

For more information about the role of a Delegate contact your Union Organiser:
 
Jeremy Young at email: [email protected] or mobile: 0407 372 182