General Secretary
Anne Gardiner
EXPERIENCE - Anne Gardiner has extensive experience in public sector work and unionism. She started her career as a Registered Nurse before going on to work for NSW Fire Brigades. Anne is an Executive member of the PSA Safety Inspectors Vocational Branch in WorkCover where she has worked as an operational manager for the last 12 years.
DETERMINATION - Anne made front page news when she took WorkCover to court under Carer responsibility legislation following the forced relocation of her job from Sydney to Gosford. Thanks to Anne's determination NSW now has the broadest definition of carer responsibility accepted in any court. The Administrative Decisions Tribunal accepted that the role of parents is not limited to specific tasks as argued by her employer. The Tribunal agreed with Anne that the responsibility of parents extends to the Physical, Emotional and Psychological well being of their children.
COMMITMENT - Anne's history with the PSA started as a member of the Professional Officers Association (POA). She attends PSA Central Council and for the last three years has been an active member of the PSA's Inter Departmental Committee on Cuts and Relocations. Anne has supported and inspired PSA members right across the public sector.
Anne says:
"Job security is the number one issue for our members. As someone who has lived the nightmare of todays unstable Public Service I believe the current PSA strategy of resisting job cuts and relocations on an agency by agency basis is totally insufficient. In accord with Annual Conference resolutions I will establish a united, sector wide campaign to demand that this merry go round of destructive and politically motivated job cuts and relocations stops."
"I will involve members in creating claims and campaigning for improved pay AND conditions. No secret or cosy deals at the expense of our members which result in unfunded pay rises and job cuts. I will ensure member control of all major negotiations."
President
Leon Parissi
Leon Parissi believes that the role of the President is to build a stronger, united and involved membership across the state if our union is to achieve better outcomes in job security, working conditions and salaries.
He has been an active PSA delegate since joining the NSW public service in 1986. His record as a delegate includes the establishment of PSA workplace groups, and leading roles in vital PSA campaigns including the breakthrough pay equity award for Library and Archives workers in 2002 and the defence of over 1000 jobs in the DET/TAFE restructure of 2003-2004. He has conscientiously taken up issues affecting individuals and groups in his workplace, the Department, and as a Central Councillor.
As Secretary of the TAFE delegates committee Leon has been a strong advocate of building up country and regional workplace organisation. He strongly advocates the maintenance and strengthening of PSA Regional offices.
When the current PSA leadership negotiated the partially unfunded pay deal Leon pointed out that it would lead to job losses. Many PSA members are now on the back foot trying to fight the results of that pay deal. During this difficult period he has encouraged members to stay involved.
Leon Parissi is a Central Councillor, Department Committee Secretary and Workplace Chairperson. He is an active member of the PSA Interdepartmental Committee on Cuts and Relocations and is a delegate to the SPSF group of the CPSU.
Leon says:
Not enough has been done to extend the use of the pay equity principle into other areas such as schools and universities.
The continuing government campaign of privatisation and commercialisation of the public service could have been more effectively fought with a more united and determined approach. Current threats to Q-Stores, State Mail Service and State Forests are only the latest such attacks.
It is time for a change of direction in our union. It is time for a new leadership team. One which is experienced and has a proven track record of putting the members interests first.
Assistant General Secretary
Joan O'Dwyer
Joan has been a member of the PSA for over 22 years. Joan is currently a PSA Central Councillor, a State Public Service Federation Branch Councillor, Chair of the Attorney General's Departmental Committee, an active member of Women's Council and Central Council representative on the PSA Equity Committee. She regular meets with senior management to negotiate issues which affect the NSW Attorney General Department. She was an active member of Central Council sub-Committee advising PSA staff on Public Sector Employment and Management Act Guidelines.
Joan is currently working in the Office of the Protective
Commissioner. She has a broad range of public service experience in seven
government departments, including work in HR policy, Employment Equity
and Staff Development so she understands the impact of changes in government
employment and service delivery policy and its impact on members. She
has previously held numerous honorary positions within the PSA including:
Secretary Women's Council, Chair, Secretary and committee member on a
number of workplace groups in Departments which she has worked. Committed
to a democratic, progressive effective PSA which works with members to
promote job security within the public sector.
Joan says:
Job security is now a major issue for public sector workers, whether the jobs are lost through budget cuts or moved through the seemingly endless relocations of government agencies.
Relocations dislocate public sector workers from the communities they serve and increase the pressure on the families.
I will work for an active defense of public sector jobs and services. I am committed to having a union which is closely aligned to members and their needs. I support fully funded pay rises. I believe in a democratic, progressive, effective PSA which involves and responds to members.
Vice President
Group B
Paul Petersen
Paul Petersen is a PSA Central Councillor, an Executive member of the State Public Services Federation, and Chair of the Premier's PSA Department Committee. He has also workerd for the Department of Industrial Relations, Department of Fair trading, the office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment and the PSA.
He has extensive industrial experience. Last year he negotiated a ground breaking agreement to protect employees' use of the internet from employer surveillance. Workers Online described it as probably the first such union agreement in the world. From restaurants to factories to welfare work and the Public Service, Paul has always been a union member.
Paul says "The Progressives are the only group in this election that have consistently argued for full Treasury funding of pay increases to prevent job losses. There can be no doubt that the unfunded 6% of our last pay deal was the primary cause of job losses in he last four years. The Progressives are also the only group to have called for a sector wide response rather than leaving it to members in individual agencies to defend themselves after their cuts are announced.
Our last pay deal failed to keep up with the Average Weekly Ordinary Times Earnings. Our last pay deal expired in June and our current pay case was lodged so late that it is not scheduled to be completed until next year. Where is the member involvement in constructing and campaigning for our pay? We won't get a good deal by going cap in hand to the Minister. The most successful outcomes are those that members win for themselves.
The Progressives will implement reforms to ensure members' calls are returned and our top officials adhere to a code of conduct similar to that which applies to public servants. This code will include disclosure of conflicts of interrest including the receipt of fees for sitting on government and other boards and committees."
Vice President
Group B
Jenny Long
Jenny Long works for the Department of Education and Training and has been a PSA member for 13 years and a workplace delegate for 2 years at Sydney Technical College, and at 1 Oxford Street for 5 years (after re-starting the group), as well as an active member and secretary of the DET delegates advisory group since September 2002.
She has been very involved in the campaign to save jobs and service during the Department of Education and Training and TAFE's 2003-2004 restructure including 3 months as a PSA Organiser.
"As a candidate for Vice-President and Central Council,
she supports:
• Job security - Full funding for pay increases. No more increases
to be paid for by members’ jobs. The PROGRESSIVES are the only group
to have consistently called for a united, sector wide campaign to end
the cuts.
• Better more equitable pay. Its over 12 months since our last pay
rise and the current case was lodged so late that the hearings are scheduled
to finish in March 2005! The pay deal didn't keep up with Average Weekly
Ordinary Time Earnings.
• A strong and democratic union as part of the broader labour and
social movements. I also support better working relations with other public
sector unions, for eg. the NSW Teachers Federation, on shared industrial
and political problems like cutbacks.
Jenny says:
"I am particularly concerned that our our union needs to present a strong and united response to the government's attacks on public sector jobs and services in NSW, including through sector-wide and strategic industrial action and community campaigning. I am concerned at departmental relocations that only suit the government's political needs.
"I think we need to attack the problem at its source in the Treasury
and Premier's office, as well as focussing on individual department heads
and ministers. In particular I don't think the PSA should accept further
trade-offs in conditions, involvement of the private sector or outright
privatisation, as this undermines job security and the existence of the
public service.
With the Progressive's
I will work for:
• Putting members' interests first, including making any political
party donations open and accountable to the membership.
• Member control of all major negotiations and a stronger delegate
structure – not just votes on final outcomes. No secret deals
• Code of ethics for paid elected PSA officers including disclosure
of conflicts of interest and no double dipping
Vice President
Group B
Adrianne Harris
Adrianne first began working for the public service
in 1989 with the Electricity Commission. After spending a couple of years
fundraising with Greenpeace Australia, Adrianne has spent the last 9 and
a half years working with the University of New South Wales. Starting
as an administrative assistant in Student Services, now working as a librarian
(M. App. Sc), managing the Staff Development library, Adrianne is passionate
about providing support for staff in Universities.
Adrianne is a committee member on the Australian Library and Information
Association New Generation Policy and Advisory Group.
Adrianne has held the position of UNSW CPSU Branch Secretary (1996 – 1998) and was recently elected Vice President. Adrianne is the UNSW representative to the Higher Education Representative Committee and has recently been appointed as one of three CPSU (SPSF) NSW Branch Vice Presidents. Adrianne chairs her Divisional OHS Committee and is a representative to the UNSW OHS Strategy Committee.
Adrianne says:
I believe in a strong, proactive and democratic union that supports all delegates and members. I am committed to improving job security and resisting job cuts. Our union can be strong again.