President – Dani Barley Allow me to welcome all our new members who have joined recently, as well as introduce myself to everyone as your new union president. I am currently a delegate for Apple Broadway in Sydney and spent 2023 alongside our amazing shop floor leaders from around the country fighting the richest company in the world for a fair contract for its Australian retail workers. While we didn’t get everything we wanted, through our sustained industrial action, we won vast improvements on the contract that was first offered in August 2022. We did all of this while battling not only intransigent management, but also two other unions who sat on their hands while our members bore the brunt of anti-union pushback and harassment from bosses. It might be cliche to say it at this point, but 2023 has been massive for our union. We’ve wrapped up bargaining campaigns at Bunnings, IKEA and Apple and dove headfirst into fighting Australia’s supermarket duopoly for fair contracts for some of our most essential workers. Seeing so many members across the country take part in strikes and bans, often for the first time ever, has been so uplifting. In Sydney, I met one worker at the Superstrike who not only convinced two coworkers to join in the strike on the day, but then eloquently told their story to the gaggle of reporters that had gathered. Members are now planning possible strike action at Christmas, which would be yet another historic first for the retail industry. Welcome to the Summer 2024 edition of our Action magazine Secretary – Josh Cullinan When we launched RAFFWU seven years ago we dreamt of a union that stood with, for and by members in their working lives every single day. From that first day in 2016 we have persevered — members, delegates, leaders and employed RAFFWU workers— to prove that a fighting union that is never on the side of bosses can change the world through the direct collective action of workers. History tells us that is the only way workers have ever secured the living wages, safer workplaces and secure For our fast food members, we’ve succeeded before the Federal Court of Australia in stopping the SDA’s attack on our McDonald’s Class Action. This means that Shine Lawyers can proceed with this vital case seeking compensation for over 300,000 current and former Macca’s workers over lost 10-minute rest breaks. With the Federal Court’s decision, we are also joining Shine to investigate a similar class action for all KFC workers, past and present, from late 2017 to now. While 2024 is shaping up to be another banner year, I really want to encourage everyone to feel that they have a place in RAFFWU. Our Committee has made the decision to employ a Caucus Organising and Campaigns Officer for at least the next two years to help reinvigorate our caucuses as a place where workers who face additional marginalities can meet with others who face the same kind of oppression in a safe space. Similarly, is there something you wish we’d campaign on in your workplace or across our sector? Well then, get in touch! This is your union and we are completely member driven. Contact me at president@raffwu.org.au or your Secretary Josh Cullinan at secretary@raffwu.org.au. With all the industrial action taking place in the United States, many activists called it “Hot Strike Summer”. If past is prologue, things are just starting to heat up here in the Southern Hemisphere and RAFFWU is leading the way. jobs that we all deserve. Now we know that we were right and we know that our direct collective industrial action is the key to securing the best conditions. Your union magazine, Action, tells some of our stories from 2023. The stories are told by members, with members and for members. Your union is in the workplace of every member. Your union grows because members share our stories. Action is what we do. Share the stories in this newsletter, dare your co-workers to share our dream of a better world achieved when we stand up and fight back. 1
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