24 August 2011
22 August 2011
18 August 2011
CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE SDA FROM WITHIN
A new campaign aims to change the tack of Australia’s largest trade union when it comes to supporting the rights of LGBTI Australians.
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) has over 230,000 members and represents the interests of groups including shop assistants, pastry cooks, hairdressers, beauticians, and employees in the modelling, cosmetics, footwear and fast food industries.
But despite the gay-friendly industries it covers, the SDA has been saddled with the most socially conservative leadership of a union in the country.
SDA For Equality plans to change all that with a grassroots campaign among rank and file members to show that their leaders aren’t representing them.
SDA For Equality is encouraging anyone who works in an SDA industry to create a pro-equality placard and have a photo taken of themselves with it at work in their uniform.
The pictures will be put online on a campaign-specific website later this year and used to lobby the SDA leadership.
“We strongly urge all retail workers who support equality – whether gay or straight – to send us their photos and support the campaign,” SDA member and campaign leader said.
“Polls show that a majority of Australians support marriage equality, and young people are the strongest supporters.
“It stands to reasons that the SDA membership, which is largely young people, would also support marriage equality. But Joe de Bruyn refuses to listen to his members on this issue. He has scoffed at calls to conduct a survey.
“Joe de Bruyn continually uses his position to push an anti-equality agenda. It’s time that the SDA actually represented its membership on this issue, rather than the personal views of Joe de Bruyn.”
Brett Jones, an SDA delegate at a Woolworths store in Canberra, is one of the first to have his picture taken for the campaign.
“I wanted to show there are people in the SDA who don’t share Joe de Bruyn’s archaic and downright homophobic views,” Jones told the Star Observer.
“The SDA leadership is definitely ignoring the views of many of its members here. It’s made me feel very disenfranchised with the whole trade union movement.”
SDA leaders reportedly used their influence to ensure motions supporting same-sex marriage were not debated or voted on at this year’s NSW and Victorian ALP conferences.
De Bruyn has made countless public statements opposing the granting of equal rights and protections to same-sex couples and their children, and is one of the keynote speakers at this year’s Australian Christian Lobby national conference in October.
INFO: To get involved email sdaforequality@gmail.com
Tags: marriage equality, SDA, SDA national secretary Joe de Bruyn
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) has over 230,000 members and represents the interests of groups including shop assistants, pastry cooks, hairdressers, beauticians, and employees in the modelling, cosmetics, footwear and fast food industries.
But despite the gay-friendly industries it covers, the SDA has been saddled with the most socially conservative leadership of a union in the country.
SDA For Equality plans to change all that with a grassroots campaign among rank and file members to show that their leaders aren’t representing them.
SDA For Equality is encouraging anyone who works in an SDA industry to create a pro-equality placard and have a photo taken of themselves with it at work in their uniform.
The pictures will be put online on a campaign-specific website later this year and used to lobby the SDA leadership.
“We strongly urge all retail workers who support equality – whether gay or straight – to send us their photos and support the campaign,” SDA member and campaign leader said.
“Polls show that a majority of Australians support marriage equality, and young people are the strongest supporters.
“It stands to reasons that the SDA membership, which is largely young people, would also support marriage equality. But Joe de Bruyn refuses to listen to his members on this issue. He has scoffed at calls to conduct a survey.
“Joe de Bruyn continually uses his position to push an anti-equality agenda. It’s time that the SDA actually represented its membership on this issue, rather than the personal views of Joe de Bruyn.”
Brett Jones, an SDA delegate at a Woolworths store in Canberra, is one of the first to have his picture taken for the campaign.
“I wanted to show there are people in the SDA who don’t share Joe de Bruyn’s archaic and downright homophobic views,” Jones told the Star Observer.
“The SDA leadership is definitely ignoring the views of many of its members here. It’s made me feel very disenfranchised with the whole trade union movement.”
SDA leaders reportedly used their influence to ensure motions supporting same-sex marriage were not debated or voted on at this year’s NSW and Victorian ALP conferences.
De Bruyn has made countless public statements opposing the granting of equal rights and protections to same-sex couples and their children, and is one of the keynote speakers at this year’s Australian Christian Lobby national conference in October.
INFO: To get involved email sdaforequality@gmail.com
Tags: marriage equality, SDA, SDA national secretary Joe de Bruyn
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