PSA MEMBERS VOTE FOR CHANGE!

Dear fellow PSA member

PSA MEMBERS VOTE FOR CHANGE!

As you would be aware, PSA members in Admin Services Classifications across the state have been voting to elect a new branch council for our union. We have been advised by the Australian Electoral Commission that all four of your Independent Voice candidates, John Kirkham, Marie Boland, James McComb and Graham Warren have been elected

We have been overwhelmed by the encouragement we have received from members across the state, and we are delighted that this has translated into strong support at the ballot box. Again, we thank you for putting your faith in us.

Although the election is over, now the hard work really begins. We are committed to the idea of working with members to build a more active, accountable and effective union. This is more important than ever with Kevin Foley’s proposed job cuts and our new wages agreement just around the corner.

One of the ways we hope to achieve this is by holding regular meetings of members in workplaces to ensure that your views are taken into account by the union leadership. We hope to visit as many workplaces as we can during the next two years of our term. Please feel free to contact us should you wish to arrange a specific time and date.

Since our election, we have also become aware that it is the practice of the union to pay Branch Councillors to attend meetings (money for jam). We do not believe that it is a wise use of your money to pay us to attend meetings. Therefore our first act as Branch Councillors will be to move to abolish these payments, and instead ensure that the thousands of dollars that are currently wasted on this practice are redirected to the fight against WorkChoices.

Political Score Settling

We also need to let you know about another issue that will be discussed at the first branch council meeting. The McMahon team claims that during our election campaign we made claims that were wrong and misleading.

The McMahon team now plans to use the 27 to 4 majority they hold on Branch Council to seek authority to spend your money engaging lawyers to advise on “appropriate remedies’. Who knows how much this lawyers frolic will cost members.

One thing is clear to us:

If the McMahon team wishes to sue us, they should use their own money and not bleed the union of your hard earned dues to settle a political score.

It is indicative of the difference of approach of PSA Independent Voice and the McMahon Team that at the same time we are moving to abolish sitting fees to branch councillors our opponents want to waste more money on a political witch hunt. It is clear we are facing an interesting two years.

Unfortunately we have had difficulties in emailing members en masse through your work emails. If you do not receive an email from us for a time, it is because we have been unable to. In that event, please check our website http://www.psa-independent-voice.blogspot.com/ where we will regularly update you on our activities. You can also register an alternative email address with us at any time.


Again, we would like to thank you for your support. If you require more information, or have any feedback, please feel free to contact us on psaiv@aapt.net.au or visit or website at
http://www.psa-independent-voice.blogspot.com/ .


Yours in unity


John Kirkham Marie Boland James McComb Graham Warren
PSA Branch Councillors