Union skirmish now personal
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Union skirmish now personal
Here we go again. Some Union leaders just never learn and would rather spend members money on personal agendas than representing their members interests. 
AUSTRALIA'S best-known unionist, Paul Howes, has launched legal action claiming he was humiliated, embarrassed and ''gravely injured in his feelings'' by the head of the tiny union that represents aircraft engineers, Steve Purvinas.
Mr Howes, the national secretary of the 140,000-member Australian Workers Union, last week filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Purvinas, the federal secretary of the 3200-member Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, over an angry email sent to union leaders.
Mr Purvinas sent the email, headed ''problems with the AWU'', to members of the ACTU executive, of which both men are members, on June 4.
The email was the latest salvo in a war of words between the two men stemming from a long-running stoush over which of their unions is entitled to represent aircraft engineers at Qantas.
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It followed an episode in May in which Mr Howes accused Mr Purvinas of waging a ''one-man jihad'' against Qantas.
In a writ filed in the Victorian Supreme Court last week, Mr Howes claims the email formed part of a campaign by Mr Purvinas to poach Qantas workers from the AWU.
Mr Howes alleges the email conveyed the imputation he ''conducted the affairs of the AWU in a disgusting manner'' and ''betrayed the interests of aircraft maintenance engineers'' and the union movement by using material from a confidential ACTU mediation between the unions in a court case.
He alleges readers of the email would have understood it to mean he was ''two-faced'', ''colluding with Qantas management to strike a dirty deal that would reduce wages and safety levels in the aviation industry'' and was preoccupied with ''swanning around with politicians and leaders of industry in the Qantas Chairman's Lounge as he prepares to clear for himself a safe Labor seat in the Federal Parliament''.
Mr Howes, but not Mr Purvinas, is a member of the Chairman's Lounge.
The AWU leader is seeking damages for being ''gravely injured in his feelings, credit and reputation'', ''humiliated, embarrassed and held up to hatred, ridicule and contempt'' and ''injured in his profession''.
Mr Howes declined to comment when contacted by The Saturday Age.
However, Mr Purvinas, who has yet to file a defence, said: ''I'm not surprised that Paul Howes would concentrate his attacks on other unions rather than take on companies that harm our members.''
''Paul has got to learn to cop a bit of criticism at times, he's quite forward in making criticism of others.''
A first directions hearing is set for September 28.
AUSTRALIA'S best-known unionist, Paul Howes, has launched legal action claiming he was humiliated, embarrassed and ''gravely injured in his feelings'' by the head of the tiny union that represents aircraft engineers, Steve Purvinas.
Mr Howes, the national secretary of the 140,000-member Australian Workers Union, last week filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Purvinas, the federal secretary of the 3200-member Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, over an angry email sent to union leaders.
Mr Purvinas sent the email, headed ''problems with the AWU'', to members of the ACTU executive, of which both men are members, on June 4.
The email was the latest salvo in a war of words between the two men stemming from a long-running stoush over which of their unions is entitled to represent aircraft engineers at Qantas.
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It followed an episode in May in which Mr Howes accused Mr Purvinas of waging a ''one-man jihad'' against Qantas.
In a writ filed in the Victorian Supreme Court last week, Mr Howes claims the email formed part of a campaign by Mr Purvinas to poach Qantas workers from the AWU.
Mr Howes alleges the email conveyed the imputation he ''conducted the affairs of the AWU in a disgusting manner'' and ''betrayed the interests of aircraft maintenance engineers'' and the union movement by using material from a confidential ACTU mediation between the unions in a court case.
He alleges readers of the email would have understood it to mean he was ''two-faced'', ''colluding with Qantas management to strike a dirty deal that would reduce wages and safety levels in the aviation industry'' and was preoccupied with ''swanning around with politicians and leaders of industry in the Qantas Chairman's Lounge as he prepares to clear for himself a safe Labor seat in the Federal Parliament''.
Mr Howes, but not Mr Purvinas, is a member of the Chairman's Lounge.
The AWU leader is seeking damages for being ''gravely injured in his feelings, credit and reputation'', ''humiliated, embarrassed and held up to hatred, ridicule and contempt'' and ''injured in his profession''.
Mr Howes declined to comment when contacted by The Saturday Age.
However, Mr Purvinas, who has yet to file a defence, said: ''I'm not surprised that Paul Howes would concentrate his attacks on other unions rather than take on companies that harm our members.''
''Paul has got to learn to cop a bit of criticism at times, he's quite forward in making criticism of others.''
A first directions hearing is set for September 28.
What a waste of time, money and energy.
The corporate types will be laughing all the way to the boardroom.
How did the Union movement get so dysfunctional that they are spending their time in court against each other?
The corporate types will be laughing all the way to the boardroom.
How did the Union movement get so dysfunctional that they are spending their time in court against each other?
As long as he is using his own money for the legal challenge that all the best to him. If Mr Howes ever wants to make it into politics he should get a few lawyers on retainer as they will be quite busy. Imagine if the PM took the court everyone that said ill of her and how she conducts herself.
Dose of concrete is whats required here. Let the FWA sort out which union has the right to cover CAT A LICENSED engineers.
Dose of concrete is whats required here. Let the FWA sort out which union has the right to cover CAT A LICENSED engineers.
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Howes should get his mum 2 talk 2 Purvinas' mum about him being mean. Maybe dont sit together at big lunch either.
Last edited by ALAEA Fed Sec; 4th Aug 2012 at 04:04.
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What were those wise words once offered...toughen up princess.
This sort if inter union rivalry is bull ****e and plays into the hands of the rat execs especially whose aim is to divide and conquer. Everyone must remember who the real enemy is!!!!
This sort if inter union rivalry is bull ****e and plays into the hands of the rat execs especially whose aim is to divide and conquer. Everyone must remember who the real enemy is!!!!
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he may as well be, he's operating the strings of possibly the worst government in our short history and making sure his chairmans lounge ticket is there for quite some time. Hang your ugly melon in shame howes
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Characterization
Howes is little more than an arrogant overblown thug in a suit who has forgotten his position in life~his attitude is indicative of everything that is wrong with the current Labor Government.He would do well to pull his head in
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It appears he is another "Academic Unionist" who has never been a shop floor Delegate or elected as an Organiser by his members ever. Just another Canberra wanna-be whose only ambition is to swap his business cards with those who may one day help him land there. I bet his Qantas upgrade is already arranged.
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Interesting article on the big man.
Larry Pickering
I hope you are reading this Howes you may know that our man has been through all this before and the ones who attempted it vanished from our union. I know you think you are smarter than he but I suspect he has more wisdom. Be careful that Steve not know of any illegal activity your union has been involved in, he may have set this up to bring it all out on witness stand.
Larry Pickering
I hope you are reading this Howes you may know that our man has been through all this before and the ones who attempted it vanished from our union. I know you think you are smarter than he but I suspect he has more wisdom. Be careful that Steve not know of any illegal activity your union has been involved in, he may have set this up to bring it all out on witness stand.
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The AWU wouldn't notice the amount of money they will use on lawyers, that same amount of money could be enough to send ALAEA to the wall. That would be standard tactics of the big vs the small, don't bother with the actual legality just use the legal system to send the small bloke broke.
It's always best when you get your opponents to do your dirty work for you.
It's always best when you get your opponents to do your dirty work for you.
from wikipedia
Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian
Paul Howes (born 23 August 1981) is the National Secretary of The Australian Workers' Union, a position he has held since the age of 26.[1] He is also Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions[2] and serves on a number of Government boards.[3]
He was elected National Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union following the election of former AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten to the Australian House of Representatives in November 2007.
Howes entered politics while still at Blaxland High School in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, joining the far-left political groups Democratic Socialist Party and Resistance.
He never finished high school, leaving in Year 9.[citation needed] However by the age of 16 Howes abandoned far-left politics and joined the Australian Labor Party.[1]
Howes became a union official at the age of 17 when he was employed as a research officer by the Labor Council of New South Wales (now Unions New South Wales). He joined the Australian Workers' Union as an official in New South Wales in 2002 and was later recruited to the National Office of the union. In 2005 he was elected as the union's National Vice President, becoming the youngest ever national official in the history of the union. As AWU National Secretary, Howes is a Director of AustralianSuper,[3] one of the largest superannuation trusts in Australia.[4] He is also a member of the powerful National Executive of the Australian Labor Party.
Howes came to national attention as a union spokesperson for the miners during the Beaconsfield Mine Disaster.[1]
In December 2008, Howes was elected Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. In February 2009, he was reelected unopposed for a four year term as AWU National Secretary. An episode of ABC program Australian Story, broadcast August 2010,[1] highlighted his influence within Labor, especially leading up to the Australian federal election, 2010.[5] Others reported to have been influential, in addition to Howes in 2010, include Labor 'powerbrokers': Mark Arbib, Don Farrell, David Feeney and former AWU secretary Bill Shorten.[6]
In November 2010 Howes published Confessions of a Faceless Man, his autobiographical analyses of the election and 18 months in Australian politics.[7][8][9] He also gave a speech to the Sydney Institute, which The Australian published as an opinion piece headed: "ALP's faceless men must learn to tolerate dissent."[10]
Howes lives in Sydney, is married to Lucy,[11] and has three children.[1]
He was elected National Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union following the election of former AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten to the Australian House of Representatives in November 2007.
Howes entered politics while still at Blaxland High School in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, joining the far-left political groups Democratic Socialist Party and Resistance.
He never finished high school, leaving in Year 9.[citation needed] However by the age of 16 Howes abandoned far-left politics and joined the Australian Labor Party.[1]
Howes became a union official at the age of 17 when he was employed as a research officer by the Labor Council of New South Wales (now Unions New South Wales). He joined the Australian Workers' Union as an official in New South Wales in 2002 and was later recruited to the National Office of the union. In 2005 he was elected as the union's National Vice President, becoming the youngest ever national official in the history of the union. As AWU National Secretary, Howes is a Director of AustralianSuper,[3] one of the largest superannuation trusts in Australia.[4] He is also a member of the powerful National Executive of the Australian Labor Party.
Howes came to national attention as a union spokesperson for the miners during the Beaconsfield Mine Disaster.[1]
In December 2008, Howes was elected Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. In February 2009, he was reelected unopposed for a four year term as AWU National Secretary. An episode of ABC program Australian Story, broadcast August 2010,[1] highlighted his influence within Labor, especially leading up to the Australian federal election, 2010.[5] Others reported to have been influential, in addition to Howes in 2010, include Labor 'powerbrokers': Mark Arbib, Don Farrell, David Feeney and former AWU secretary Bill Shorten.[6]
In November 2010 Howes published Confessions of a Faceless Man, his autobiographical analyses of the election and 18 months in Australian politics.[7][8][9] He also gave a speech to the Sydney Institute, which The Australian published as an opinion piece headed: "ALP's faceless men must learn to tolerate dissent."[10]
Howes lives in Sydney, is married to Lucy,[11] and has three children.[1]
In turn, my mates at Sussex Street have got to accept the right to openly debate ideas. The leadership shouldn't sandbag Sussex Street against those who want to discuss these new ideas. Shutting people up turns our natural constituency away from us. It turns our base in suburban working Australia off politics.
I actually have a problem with fedsec's email he sent to the ACTU.
There is no safe Labor seats after this government. Think Queensland, then apply it to the national scale.
Unionists are like Baristas in my opinion. If the person making the coffee doesn't like coffee, doesn't drink coffee, how can you expect them to care about the coffee they're making. Hence I don't order coffee from school kids working at gloria jeans or whatever. Likewise, I'm glad the leader of my union actually partook in my field of work, experienced bad EBA dealings along with the rest of us and did something about it.
There is usually a happy medium in employee employer relationships. Virgin seem to have it. Qantas seem not to. Something about newtons law and the coogee bay hotel.
swanning around with politicians and leaders of industry in the Qantas Chairman's Lounge as he prepares to clear for himself a safe Labor seat in the Federal Parliament'
Unionists are like Baristas in my opinion. If the person making the coffee doesn't like coffee, doesn't drink coffee, how can you expect them to care about the coffee they're making. Hence I don't order coffee from school kids working at gloria jeans or whatever. Likewise, I'm glad the leader of my union actually partook in my field of work, experienced bad EBA dealings along with the rest of us and did something about it.
There is usually a happy medium in employee employer relationships. Virgin seem to have it. Qantas seem not to. Something about newtons law and the coogee bay hotel.
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Howes is little more than an arrogant overblown thug in a suit who has forgotten his position in life~his attitude is indicative of everything that is wrong with the current Labor Government.He would do well to pull his head in
Paul Howes seems to think he is in Government .
The corporate types will be laughing all the way to the boardroom.
What were those wise words once offered...toughen up princess.
This sort if inter union rivalry is bull ****e and plays into the hands of the rat execs especially whose aim is to divide and conquer. Everyone must remember who the real enemy is!!!!
This sort if inter union rivalry is bull ****e and plays into the hands of the rat execs especially whose aim is to divide and conquer. Everyone must remember who the real enemy is!!!!
and finally..
Mr Howes, but not Mr Purvinas, is a member of the Chairman's Lounge.
Howes, comes across as a a noisy little man, all that huffing & puffing to get your name up in lights...
Last edited by TIMA9X; 4th Aug 2012 at 16:24.
It has always been obvious that Qantas has impeccable connections on both sides of Parliament and the NSW political paries and has no compunction about using them.
Julia is powerlesss to protect Qantas workers interests.
Julia is powerlesss to protect Qantas workers interests.
