Being a Workplace Representative was never on Alex Venaglia’s radar, despite having worked at Suncorp Insurance for many years.
In fact, being a union member and the benefits of working collectively was not something that was discussed in Alex’s workplace – that is, until recently, when Suncorp Insurance finally returned to the bargaining table after 10 years to negotiate a new enterprise agreement (EA) thanks to new bargaining laws.
“I wasn’t even a union member at that point,” Alex recalled.
“My wife had been a member for 16 years and a Rep for 10, but I was never involved in any of it.”
With the birth of his daughter, however, Alex’s outlook and priorities shifted.
“My daughter changed my perspective, and it changed what was important to me.
“Things like gender equity in the workplace is something I’m really passionate about, because I’ve seen some of the challenges my female coworkers have faced, and I don’t want my daughter to have that same experience when she joins the workforce. The gender pay gap is unacceptable.”
But inspiration struck for Alex at last year’s FSU National Congress – it was actually Alex’s wife who was participating in Congress as a rep, and Alex came along to look after their daughter.
“Speaking to people there and seeing what the union does and what activism can achieve really made me go, okay, this is something I want to be involved in.”
The new Suncorp Insurance EA was an opportunity for staff to bring their working conditions into the post-pandemic era, including significant and guaranteed pay increases and additional leave arrangements that other finance workers were receiving in other workplaces.
In other words, the stakes were high.
“Ahead of the enterprise bargaining period, there was a callout for anyone interested in volunteering to become a Workplace Rep,” Alex said.
“I thought, yep, let’s do it. I’ve been nothing but supported by everyone at the FSU since then, and I found it to be a really positive experience.”
Because there had been no negotiations with Suncorp Insurance for over a decade, the majority of staff had not been through the bargaining process before.
Alex said most of his job as a Workplace Rep, therefore, was simply talking to his colleagues to raise awareness.
“It’s talking about what the union does, the benefits of being in the union, and just answering questions from people who don’t know a lot about it, or questions about workplace rights.
“All the reps have colleagues who come to them with similar issues, which we discuss at our fortnightly online meeting, and that formed a big part of the bargaining.
“Things like ‘start before you start’, unpaid overtime, things that aren’t necessarily affecting just one person but lots of people. And we talk about how we can drive some positive change in that space.”
So invested was Alex in the negotiations that he even dialed into a bargaining meeting while holidaying overseas!
“It was the meeting where Suncorp were coming with their first offer to us, so it was a big one.
“It was just something I wanted to see for myself. I got up a bit earlier, went to the meeting, then got on with my day, so it wasn’t a major drama.
“But they [management] did see the sunrise in the background, so they knew.”
Sometimes, there is nothing more powerful than union members talking about their rights in the workplace. When workers are interested and asking questions – and engaging with the process more generally – management notices.
“Previously, the union was not something that anyone talked about at Suncorp,” said Alex.
“Now I’m having lots of conversations about it and I’m hearing people having those conversations even when I’m not part of it.
“It’s great that more people are becoming aware and talking about the benefits it brings.”
And it was ultimately this level of engagement that showed management that staff cared about the outcome of negotiations.
As a result, members won some excellent improvements, including one of the best guaranteed pay increases in the insurance sector, the consolidation of industry leading leave entitlements into the EA, including paid parental leave and the introduction of family and domestic violence leave, and updating the flexible ways of working clause.
“It was great to be able to recommend a ‘yes’ vote for our new agreement, which I think was down to how active the union and members had been,” said Alex.
“It’s all about having the power of the membership behind you going into negotiations, and we had so many new members join over that period and a lot of engagement, it was great to see.
“If management knows there’s a strong FSU membership, they’re less inclined to come to the table with a weak offer.”
For Alex, being part of the FSU is more than being a paying member – it’s about contributing to our union to improve his workplace for all his colleagues.
“From my perspective, the benefits far outweigh the cost of membership, but it’s also about making everyone aware of what we can achieve if we all band together and speak with one voice.
“If you’re thinking of joining, just do it. Everybody at the FSU has been fabulous to work with, incredibly supportive.”
Union Shopper helps you to make the most of your FSU membership with…
The Federal Government has quietly tabled its response to the recommendations from the…
From today (1 July), your employer is required to pay your superannuation contributions…
