Mel Yuan for Brunswick

The Australian Services Union has asked me to sign their pledge. While I’m not going to download a PDF, sign it, scan it, and email it back to them – I’m happy to agree to it.

On a personal note, I have been a member of a union when my employment conditions were subject to an award. I have also been a member of a union when negotiating for Enterprise Bargaining Agreements. I am not currently a member of a union as my current employment is an individual employment contract. In my career I have worked in every business type imaginable from start-up, to family company, the public sector to both listed and privately held companies.

I will act with integrity, always remembering the weight of my decisions. I will always act for a better standard of living for working people, work to preserve public services, and stand up for secure jobs and good wages. I take seriously the impact that
my actions as both a candidate for local council, and a councillor, will have on Victoria’s 50,000 local government employees.
If elected, I pledge to:

• Be committed to democracy and transparency in decision making.
• Act in the best interests of my community, and the best interests of vulnerable communities.
• Act to maintain a quality work environment with secure employment and good wages and conditions.
• Be committed to keeping and delivering services through the council directly, not through outside providers.
• Advocate at all times for fair revenue and financing, to deliver public services for the public good.
• Always act to protect and improve the occupational health and safety of council staff.
• Always consider the good of the collective and the values and principles of unionism in all that I do.

Trade unionism is at all-time historic lows and the union movement has a lot to do given the ever-growing proportion of self-employed, gig workers, EBA and host of other employment arrangements now prevalent in the workforce.