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This year’s project brought together over 16 participants from approximately 10 different unions.

In the first part of the ASMP, participants engaged in a week of training during May at the Public Service Association (PSA) in the city. This was followed by one day of ‘work shadowing’ in their own union. Our IEU participants Freddie and Sonja experienced worksite visits with IEU Organisers and spent time with Industrial Officers, Membership and Administration Officers.

The second part of ASMP occurred in August with our IEU Members experiencing a ‘work shadow’ day at the National Tertiary Education Union and (NTEU) and the Health Service Union (HSU), whilst the IEU hosted two participants — one from the United Workers Union (UWU) and another from the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).

The final two days in September saw participants back together to share their experiences and spend time in Parliament House with the Honourable Katrine Hildyard MP in her role as Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence.

Both IEU members enjoyed the unique experiences ASMP allows them access to and they reflect on their ASMP journey below.

Sonja Brownridge, Teacher, Sacred Heart College.

“What was most important to me within the whole experience of the Anna Stewart Memorial Project was the sense of camaraderie we found as we shared our own experiences of union to make the lives of others better through collective action. Learning about and witnessing first hand Anna’s legacy as it continues to inspire future generations of women to stand up, lead, and make substantial strides in the fight for workers’ rights and social justice was inspiring. Her accomplishments and those of the other guest speakers serve as a testament to the power of women’s leadership and union activism in shaping a more equitable and just workforce for all.

The days spent shadowing our own union reps and those of another union truly open your eyes to the need to continue to work for fair wages, improved working conditions, and job security as the struggle for workers’ rights is always at the forefront of union work. It’s something that many just take for granted without appreciating the fight that went into achieving those rights.

I would thoroughly recommend the project to others who wish to develop their leadership skills personally and/or within the union movement. It’s definitely a journey of self discovery and one that challenges you on many different levels.”

Fred Harris, School Support Staff member, Dara School R-12 Gifted Education

I was fortunate enough to participate in the Anna Stewart Memorial Project this year.

We participants spent seven days across two sessions together engaged in: union education and community building; listening to a number of guest speakers; learning about the current Voice campaign; the relationship between union work and the Working Women’s Centre in representing working women; gender inequality in superannuation; Anna Stewart and her impact on women in unions; the relationship between union work and broader political and civic rights issues; as well as diving deep into our own abilities and developing skills in advocacy, connection and education.

As a person of trans experience, I appreciated the opening up of the program to gender diverse people and the broader exploration of union feminism as a movement for intersectional social change.

We also got to spend time in our own unions and experience a union exchange. It was fantastic to get to see how the work happens from multiple angles and the different structures of the IEUSA and, in my case, the NTEU. Everyone was very welcoming and willing to share from their knowledge and expertise. I know I am not alone among the ASMP participants in expressing my deep appreciation for our union staff, here at the IEUSA and across the movement.

The people I had the privilege of meeting through the ASMP are each inspiring in their own way. I would highly recommend the Anna Stewart Memorial Program to anyone who is interested in advocacy and activism.

Meredith Farmer
Organiser. Equity Committee Coordinator