Introducing your new union leadership team

Date: 27/06/2022

I write to introduce the new leadership team of the Australian Services Union – Victorian Private Sector Branch.

As your new Branch Secretary, along with newly elected Assistant Secretary Cassie Farley and the experience of our President David Leydon, we intend to lead an ambitious, purposeful, and practical union that is clearly focussed on the needs of members.

In almost 10 years as an ASU member and official, I’ve met thousands of you across the state and worked with you on the challenges in workplaces, including in perhaps the most difficult time in recent memory during the pandemic.

Working together, our strong and growing membership is seeing wins across workplaces on issues like superannuation on paid and unpaid parental leave, our campaign to raise minimum rates of pay and in new enterprise agreements that lift wages and conditions.

These workplace negotiations become even more significant in the years ahead, as we grapple with inflation and rising cost of living. Our members deserve to see better conditions and better pay given the essential nature of the work you all do across Victorian workplaces.

We saw what is possible with the success of our Worth More @ Work campaign when earlier this month the Fair Work Commission supported a 4.6% increase in award wages and a 5.2% increase in the minimum wage.

With a change in Federal Government, I want to lift the union’s vision on securing long-term, concrete improvements through changes to workplace laws and regulations, like equal retirement outcomes for women, sustained real wages growth, and an end to insecure work.

We also know that there are real pressures on members now, and are by your side, every step of the way in managing those pressures. We will continue to improve the day-to-day services offered exclusively to members to boost your career and help make ends meet. This includes planned enhancements to our member advantage savings program and the ASU Career Launchpad platform.

We believe strongly in the importance of collective action and giving members the chance to participate in what we do together so we will continue discussing all these issues in coming months, through direct engagement with you.

In coming days, months, and years, we will keep the door open and listen to you on your terms, so please feel free to reach out any time to myself, Cassie, and the rest of our committed staff. Our contact details are always available to members online here.

Finally, I’d also like to acknowledge the former Branch Secretary Matt Norrey following his resignation and thank him for his many years of service to our union and the movement. We wish him all the very best in his next chapter.

We’re excited to continue working with you to achieve better outcomes for our workplaces, families, and communities.

By your side,
Imogen Sturni
Branch Secretary