Union elections under way

MUA Returning Officer Phil Byrnes

All elected officers were required under the rules to notify the national secretary by February 6 if they were not restanding or if they were nominating for a different office.

Eight have done so.

Dave Perry (Southern Queensland assistant branch secretary), Robert Coombs (Sydney branch secretary), Mark Armstrong (Southern NSW branch secretary) and Jake Field (South Australian deputy branch secretary) are not standing for re-election.

Sydney assistant branch secretary Warren Smith is standing for the position of Sydney branch secretary; Southern NSW deputy branch secretary Garry Keane is nominating for branch secretary and the Tasmanian Deputy Branch Secretary Jason Campbell is standing against the existing Branch Secretary Mike Wickham.

All other officials, branch and national, will be restanding for their current positions.

The Maritime Union has Industrial Registrar approval once again to conduct its own elections as agreed at the October 2006 national council.

"This has long been the union tradition and is consistent with the history of both the Seamen's Union and the Waterside Workers' Federation," said National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. "Workers get more involved and the union has a record high vote return of around three in every four compared with union ballots run by the electoral commission which average only around one in three. We are proud of our democratic rank and file traditions. National Council unanimously endorsed the process to continue to be conducted by the union through the returning officers."

The union has 28 elected positions, four national and 24 branch of which six are honorary.

Nominations for the general membership open on March 10 and close on April 10, with a full report of all candidates, their photos and statements published on the union website and in the MWJ before the postal ballot starts on April 30.

Meanwhile Council has unanimously resolved to replace outgoing deputy returning officer Mick Ruse with Stannards port worker Peter Origlass.

Peter Origlass is a long-standing and well-respected member of the MUA and before that the Seamen's Union and the Firemen and Deckhands' Union.

He replaces Teekay seafarer Mick Ruse who has left the industry after completing a university degree to take up other work.

Council recorded its thanks to Comrade Ruse for his long and dedicated commitment to the union as an activist, delegate and representative of workers and also as the Deputy Returning Officer upholding the long proud democratic institution of our union elections.

"Mick has held numerous positions in the union representing workers as a delegate and in national and international delegations," said Paddy Crumlin. "He is a long standing and greatly respected member of the MUA."

Returning Officer Phil Byrne (Toll Patrick Port Botany) and the Deputy Returning Officer will be conducting the Quadrennial Election consistent with the MUA registered rules, copies of which have been distributed to branches and can be downloaded from the website.

For full details of positions, procedures and timeline see Election website below