United Voice

In this issue:

1. We have had enough: room attendants

2. Show us some respect: Crown members

3. Roar power at Zoo


Dear member,

Last week’s $26-a-week increase in the minimum wage was a relief for many hospitality members who rely on it.

But it’s just catch up, after a brutal wage-freeze last year. Over this time, everything went up except our wages.

That’s why more and more hospitality members are fed up with getting just the bare minimum. They believe their skills, dedication and hard work deserve to be properly valued and respected.  

Like the room attendants in Melbourne’s luxury hotels who are fed up with poverty wages and impossible workloads. They are petitioning management to work with them to lift up their industry.

Crown members are also raising their voices for recognition and respect. Hundreds have signed a petition demanding Crown make a fair wage offer, and they are ready to take strong action if Crown keeps stalling.

In this e-news you will also read about Noel Heafield, a delegate at Werribee Zoo. Members won a strong agreement that locks in solid annual pay rises, after they threatened strike action back in 2008.

That’s the kind of security that all hospitality members deserve – and we can all win – when everyone in our workplace stands together in our union.

In unity,

Jess Walsh
Secretary,
LHMU Victoria


VICTORIAN BRANCH ELECTION REMINDER – VOTE NOW

All Victorian LHMU members have been sent a ballot paper for our union election. 

Your vote is important. This election will decide who will lead our union for the next four years.

The ballot paper has names on it. You need to place an X next to your choice for the union’s leadership positions.

Once you have filled in your ballot paper, put it inside the small envelope and then sign the back of this envelope.

You then need to put the smaller envelope inside the larger reply-paid envelope provided and put it back in the mail.

We have had enough: room attendants

Melbourne’s room attendants tell hotels they will be not be ignored any longer.

Hundreds of room attendants in luxury hotels across the city are signing a petition calling on management to work with them to save their troubled industry.

Room attendants say impossible workloads are damaging their bodies and the quality of their work.

“The work is too much; we are stressed and we are hurting ourselves,” said Margarita Murray-Stark from the Parkview Hotel.

Almost 700 room attendants from luxury hotels across Melbourne have already signed the petition asking management to work with them to find a solution. 

Margarita has been working as a hotels member organizer. She said room attendants are keen to make their voice heard. 

“They are excited to sign it and are amazed that it is about them and their industry — because they feel that nobody cares and nobody respects them.”

Margarita believes unity is the key to winning respect from hotels.
 
 “If all of us are united and stand together we will have a strong enough voice to demand the hotels must work with us,” Margarita said.

“An industry that is built on the sweat of workers is not a healthy industry. We need respect and fair workloads. It’s time hotels listened to their workers and work with us to create an industry we can all be proud of,” said Jess Walsh, LHMU Victorian Secretary.

Show us some respect: Crown members

Casino campaign heats up as members demand Crown makes a pay offer.

Over a thousand Crown employees have already signed a petition to take action if management continue their refusal to discuss pay in negotiations for a new union agreement.

Members say if there is no pay offer on the table by 16 June they are prepared to take action.

Nae Witchlight, a bargaining team member and food and beverage attendant, believes Crown is stalling.

“Peter Coyne avoided a pay offer at all costs. He offered back-pay but only if negotiations were on friendly terms,” she said after the fifth EA meeting last week.

“I know that back-pay was used as leverage in the last EA and taken away when members didn’t agree to Crown’s pay offer.”

As well as refusing to discuss pay, Crown has said no to most of the member’s proposals for better jobs at the casino.

“We are the backbone of the company. Crown needs to respect that,” said Nae.

“They need to recognise their huge profits are because of us so we deserve to be treated as humans not commodities,” said Nae.

“Across Crown members are saying they are not prepared to accept these stalling tactics. If Crown wants to show it respects its workers they need to make a pay offer now,” said LHMU Victorian Secretary Jess Walsh.

Roar power at Zoo

Even dream jobs need fair pay.

Noel Heafield has a real dilemma: how to trick the wily lioness Jarrah into swallowing her medicine.

In his last attempt she found the tablet in a piece of meat and spat it out.

Even so, he is all smiles. Mind you, staying positive is easier when you’re doing your dream job.

Noel is a keeper and union delegate at Werribee Zoo.

Zoo members have one more reason to smile: steadily rising pay from a great union agreement.

Back in 2008 Victorian Zoo members were fed up with wages below the national average.
They stood together and campaigned for pay to better reflect their skills, qualifications and round-the clock dedication to the animals. And, after a big battle, they won.

“Zoo members ran an amazing campaign back in 2008. They won huge community support and forced management to pay them properly,” recalls LHMU Victorian Secretary Jess Walsh.

“Most people would give their right arm to do this job — management used that as a tool to get us to do more work for less pay,” Noel said.

 “I love my job but the bottom line is you still have to provide.” continues Noel, who has two small children.

“The pay rise has helped a lot with the bills.”