Women union leaders Dr Rae Cooper University of Sydney

Women and men (union density)

Male and female share of union membership 1986, 1996, Source: ABS , 2006; ABS Aug 1996

The 5 largest ACTU affiliates 1.SDA 2.ANF 3.AEU 4.CPSU 5.AMWU 4/5 have more female than male members

Typical unionists?

Women in Australian leadership (what we know already) Women are more likely to take up honorary positions than full-time paid officer positions. Women are more likely to be employed in specialist officer positions than in generalist roles. Women are more likely to take up appointed rather than elected positions. In short, the less power a position has, the more likely it is that a women will hold it.

Women union leaders study 1.Construct a gender profile of industrial staff and leadership of unions in NSW; 2.Investigate the extent to which women are represented in leadership positions within unions in NSW; 3.Understand the career trajectories of women within unions in NSW; 4.Identify the barriers to women in entering and progressing in union leadership positions as well as the facilitative conditions which may encourage women’s advancement to, and within, leadership positions; 5.Analyse how the under-representation of women in unions is understood and explained by union officials and leaders (not only by women leaders but by male leaders as well and by more junior women union staff); 6.Investigate the implications of women’s position in the leadership of unions for the work of unions (for instance for collective bargaining agendas, overall union goals and internal structures). [1] [1] The study focuses up

Method Mixed method (ie quant / qual) Phase 1 –Profile of gender in unions –Interviews and focus groups with: women ex-leaders current women leaders and leadership ‘track’ women ‘early career’ union women male leaders and leadership ‘track’ men Phase 2 –Surveys

Why does all of this matter? (for unions) The right thing to do? The face of unionism is changing, (arguably) the face of union leadership should reflect this Women offer huge potential for unions (members, activists, leaders)