I was involved with the Trade Union movement in 1960 to1963, and from 1965 to 2000 with the
Professional Officers's Association (which became the Professional Division of the Community and Public Sector Union).
I had been a Shop Steward at the Deepdene Telephone Exchange between
1960 and 1963, supporting the Postal and Telecommunicatins Technicians' Association (PTTA).
This exposed me to the Trade Union movement, and my duties included the collection and banking of members' subscriptions, representation on any employment concerns to local management,
convening and chairing of local meetings of members, and distribution of Union newsletters
and publications to members.
In 1965, following appointment as a Professional Engineer I had joined the Professional Officers'
Association and in 1970 I assumed responsibilities on Promotions' Appeal Committees, which later became Promotions'
Appeal Boards.
My duties, which were carried out in work time with the agreement of senior management, through
the "Leave for Trade Union Business" provisions, were to sit on
these panels as the Staff Association Member, which were convened to consider the claims of Professional Engineers who
had appealed (or had been subject to appeal) against provisional promotions, or temporary performance in higher
classifications.
Later, these duties were expanded to include particiption on special Tribunals, as a Staff
Associattion Member, which were convened for determination of disciplinary issues, redundancies, transfers,
or dismissals.
I continued to work on these Special Boards for some years after I had left Telstra, until
the year 2001.
In 1996 I was elected to the position of Honorary Secretary, Engineers' Group Victoria, within the
CPSU's Professional Division, a position which I held until I left Telstra in 1997.
This required me to convene meetings of local members, prepare Minutes, distribute Minutes and Reports
to members and invite new members to the Group.
