Unions & IR
GRASSROOTS: Labor moderate Doug Byron Team travelling well with country members
Doug Byron – easily the most experienced of the candidates in the Health Services Union election – is well-placed – his supporters say – to poll strongly after receiving particularly emphatic endorsements from shop stewards and other union activists throughout country Victoria this past week.
“HSU members in regional Victoria are more engaged in the union, often have a deep personal connection with it and stay in the industry longer than their city cousins. Because of that, Doug’s travelling really well. He’s a known quantity who’s kept his head down when the mud’s flown the last few years,” a campaign insider told VEXNEWS this morning.
HERE TO STAY
The insider hit out at claims coming from the Diana Asmar and Marco Bolano camps that Byron would step aside in favour of someone else after being elected.
“That sort of claim is dirty pool. Dirty politics from politicians and meddlers in the union who are desperate to cling to or build political power in the ALP. Doug has worked at the union for nearly twenty years. He has the runs on the board, he’s assembled a highly credible and strong team and they’re firing on all cylinders. The members have told us they’ve had enough. Much more than enough of corruption in the union. But they want a safe pair of hands to run the union, not a kid and not a hot-head. Doug Byron is polling strongly and when elected, he’ll be in for the long haul.”
Byron’s backers say they were “not surprised” by yesterday’s revelations from the Returning Officer that certain people had been acting illegally by taking ballot material from voters.
“The Bolano people will stop at nothing to hold on to this election. Radio ads. DVDs. Limitless direct mail. Sh*t-sheets. Illegal ballot collecting even. After everything you’ve heard, are you surprised? And all for a job Bolano claims he’ll cut the pay for the secretary’s job by 50%. It’s not credible. It doesn’t add up. Everyone knows where he’s got the money from, from a slush fund run by [a prominent ALP figure who denies the claim]. What do they promise for all this money? No wonder the government didn’t take the Jackson’s leadership seriously.”
“We’re grassroots, they’re astroturf,” the Byron source told VEXNEWS.
The Byron group has been very successful the last couple of years in disrupting the leadership of its charismatic former secretary Jeff Jackson, using a series of revelations about his expense account to win over support on the Branch Committee of Management who then made it impossible for him to continue in office. They have assiduously formed alliances throughout Jackson’s former faction Labor Unity and are usually considered to be aligned with Senator Steve Conroy, although no-one believes the busy federal cabinet minister is directly involved in the campaign.
PATRIOTS
They also strongly deny claims from rivals that they are connected with the Socialist Left faction or left-wing controlled parts of the Health Services Union, like its Number Two branch run by the Ferguson Lefty Lloyd Williams:
“That’s not correct. Just their latest lie. While our opponents get pre-occupied with these issues, our focus isn’t on ALP powerplays. The current HSU delegation appointed by the Branch Committee of Management that will be voting at the next ALP conference is aligned to Labor Unity not anyone else. They’ve already voted with Labor Unity at the last conference. Our opponents are tied up with the NUW ‘Ambition Faction’ whose former boss Greg Sword was infamous for treating the HSU like one of the pieces on his chess-board. HSU members know all about these shenanigans. We have long memories. Even if Jeff Jackson was able to jump into bed with Sword and everyone else.”
The campaigners say that they’ve built a very strong “band of brothers and sisters” who have been very effectively reaching out to voters, phoning, chatting and even writing individual letters of support. “We’re grassroots, they’re astroturf,” the Byron source told VEXNEWS.
They’ve targetted workplaces even with specific posters referring to their local candidate to ensure members make a personal connection with the team. Our insider concluded confidently:
“We simply don’t believe the ’sky is falling’ brigade with our opponents who say the union is finished. It’s going to be strong again by moving forward. It’s a long slog but we feel like it’s going our way. May the best non-violent candidate win.”
Discussion
70 comments for “GRASSROOTS: Labor moderate Doug Byron Team travelling well with country members”
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Asmar is the only genuine option in the battle
Byron and bolano cant survive with out their string pullers
If Diana Ars mar doesnt win ther will be world war 12
Byron is nothing more than a drunken sex pest
I had the pleasure of touring the Northern Hospital with Doug, Joyce and Rhonda. They listened to the members there, and each and every one of them were ashamed about the lack of service that this hospital had received from the union. PANCH hospital before it became Northern was the jewel in the crown for the jacksons, a very united union hospital. However, when they backed Zora they received the ultimate payback – little servicing. Members were telling the candidates that they had not received a visit from the union for so long they could not remember when. This election is about giving the union back to the members, the members need to know that they union is there for them.
They need to know that when they ring MST they will be helped and not promised to be followed up and it never happened. These members have been in the union all their working life, some 28 years, and have been treated like this. SHAME – Go Forward together
Behind Byron is Fegan and the BCOM members who started it all.
Behind Byron is Droutsas, Newnham and Nick Reece
I agree that One Hsu team headed by Asmar is the only option… I hope the members can see that i vote as i have done.
Go GIRL…….
Behind Bolano is a crook who misappropriated union funds
Behind Dye-ana is laundered money from her sleazy husband.
Hey anon 10.39
I thought you were gone Irene but that isn’t the case. Nobody cares about what you think. Get off this site and have a cigarette! So you are not dead!
Yes, still here you creep – now start your bullying so everyone can see what a pathetic piece of crap you are. Getting worried are we – more to come- KARMA
Hey Irene,
I worked at PANCH years ago. I then moved to the Northern. Lots of people didn’t join because of your rude antics. It seems the Doug Byrron Team are recycling you now like all the other hacks. You can do deals again with Butler like you used to when you sold us out on the BCOM when you were Vice President! I was thinking of backing Doug but if you are involved I will be backing Stronger Together for sure! You are right about Karma,I have not forgotten all your snide remarks and underhanded tactics for all those years, so you will get Karma in the end too!
Great move Fegan sending Nader and Hilli to monash, Please keep sending them out.
Yeah right, Irene Webber is back,
get real we know who you are. yes I was on the BCOM of No. 5 and I did not vote for the takeover. You know that, so how about telling the truth for once. By the way, I am not campaigning for anyone, I have more than enough things to do – I just believe that this election is all about what political gains are in it for the Stronger Together team. Once again,you are trying to attack me personally, go ahead, I can sleep at night – can you??? Remember you could not buy me and never will be able to – I have retired but I am still passionate about the way the members are being treated, particularly at The Northern.
How about a shag for old times sake Irene?
Not trying to attack you personally Irene but GET A LIFE! If your not campaigning for anyone why were you at The Northern with Doug and the 500 year old crew? I’m not trying to attack you personally, I have never tried to buy you off like you claim. All I wanted was for you to STOP those stupid sexual remarks that made me feel uncomfortable. You tried to pass it over by just saying I’m just joking. These crude remarks weren’t funny, they weren’t even a joke, they were hurtful. There are scores of people who had enough over the years from you. This election is about the future so I am glad when Stronger Together wins the likes of you should get the message. By the way I’m still at Northern and am not impressed by your walk around the other day, nor are a lot of other voting members. You were a great help to the Stronger Together Team!
is that the best you can do – I will get off now because you are boring me.
Finally, I went around with Doug, Rhonda and Joyce because I believe these three are true unionists – they do not have the baggage and favours to repay like the others.
Good luck, and stop trying to impersonate a Northern staff member – although I must admit you did work at PANCH
So Irene, you bored all of us all these years with your stupid remarks! So at least admit you are backing Doug if you were going around with them. Yes I still work at The Northern and saw you near the Ronald McDonald on the way to The Childrens and Mat Ward. So Irene speaking to the Members after you left, a few were polite but your Impact was Zero! If anything people were turned off by the same old faces and wanted to get a Fresh start. The Stronger Together Team must be rapped with you coming out!!
Hi I am just a country member I haven’t voted yet but have read a fair bit here and read all the literature that has flooded my mailbox. Anyways the Doug Byron ticket has the bcom that were responsible for outing Jeff Jackson for his use of credit card and union funds that lead to this election wouldn’t we want that sort of responsibility staying on bcom? Also in the fallout Pauline Feegan was removed as well so that now neither Jeff Jackson nor Pauline Fegan are there.
you unions sound pretty insignificant. glad to see that u are going to die out soon.
xox.
Grassroots??? what a f joke…Byron wants a root
Les is my son.
That old bcom will soon be spending their weekends visiting prisoner Fegan number55678
just saw Arse mas country flyer with with Mc cubbin and atkinson on it,
Take ya leg off Mc Cubbin
thank god i’m a country boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzldLJcorbo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5tbjLVsIhw
Oh Dug, I’m sure your hearts a breakin for all those members you’ve hung out to dry over the years.
the only safe pair of hands in this state in john lenders
Doug’s a decent bloke & has kept his head down when the crap started flying around. He may intend to to stay full term and give it his best shot. The trouble is he’s likely to be stabbed in the back by Fegan and Butler as they slug it out for maximum influence over the HSU.
The Butler/Fegan alliance can not last. They are both simply too full of their own self interest.
Eventually the town won’t be big enough for the both of them and good Sheriff Doug won’t be able to to a darn thing about it. That’s a major flaw in the Byron ticket.
Judging by angry Marco’s mood, he knows the party’s over
I’m back to make a difference…
Marco Bolano is ready to snap… He knows the corruption problem has destroyed his candidacy from the start.
Thanks Jeff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS8mULMsGY4
My cat’s breath smells like cat food…
Yeah right Canute, such a decent bloke is Dug that he has abandoned his sites for at least the last 12 months and been MIA………..hanging with the dethroned BCOM and Madame’ Presidente. One of his ‘beloved’ country members recently informed me that Dug refused to visit their worksite as they ‘didnt have enough members’. Take your hand off it Andy, non partisan reporting? I think not
Ha ha ha… This is fantastic. The Bolano team have smelt their own blood in the water, so out come the conspiracy theories (andy is byrons bitch)!
Of course it is all Landeryou’s fault. Heaven forbid there be a bit of introspective analysis at camp Jackson, sorry… camp Bolano.
In other late breaking news, Landeryou faked the moon landing and drove the sub that picked up harold holt!
Mrs. Jackson and Principal Bolano were in the closet making babies and I saw one of the babies and then the baby looked at me.
Yeh, yeh, yeh wishful bravado. Can we be specific, Byron and his Dad’s Army have a following in the Barwon and Nth West region. There are 14000 or 15000 HSU members, how many are there in the regions mentioned? Not enough to win an election. When you also consider that 9 out 10 HSU members that have dealt with Byron, consider him to be a lazy, useless and smug tool. Then the future looks bleak.
Nice attempt at bluff and rhetoric, if it makes the Byron camp feel better, that’s nice.
Andy is Byrons Biatch, you are missing the point. Doug is not governed by the same degree of self interest that burns within Fegan and Butler. He is lazy & would rather a pint and a punt than deal with a member.
He is not equipped to fend off Fegan. He is not equipped to fend off Butler. He is certainly not equipped for the looming battle over being the highest paid in the room that Fegan and Butler will have if they win office. Anybody who thinks that Butler and Fegan will put members’ interests ahead of their own is dreaming.
Butler and Fegan will end up fighting for the spoils of the HSU. That trough will not be big enough for the both of them. That is a recipe for disaster for the members.
AUSTRALIA’S most dysfunctional union has hit another low, with revelations of a 2001 claim of sexual harassment against one of the men seeking to become its leader.
Doug Byron is one of three candidates running for the position of secretary of the bitterly divided Victorian branch of the Health Services Union, which was forced to an election after a bruising factional fight.
Mr Byron is running the campaign under the slogan “Moving Forward” and is attempting to distance himself from the past infighting.
But The Sunday Age has seen Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal documents from 2001 in which Mr Byron was accused by a union employee of making lewd sexual comments to her, as a result of which she says she suffered psychological damage.
Mr Byron yesterday denied the allegations, saying they were directed mainly towards another employee of the union, and that he (Mr Byron) had simply been caught up in it.
“I was named but there was never anything substantiated,” he said.
The union’s former assistant secretary, Robert McCubbin, told The Sunday Age the case had cost the union $18,000 to settle, plus at least a further $12,000 in legal fees.
Mr Byron said he did not know of any financial settlement.
The union’s president at the time, Pauline Fegan, denied the case had been heard by VCAT, and said no financial payout was made.
“I’d be very, very careful about putting anything in about Doug,” Ms Fegan said.
The alleged victim, who was an industrial officer at the union, said the harassment began after she told colleagues in 2000 that she was a lesbian. In one of the instances quoted, she said Mr Byron and another senior union official had phoned her from Mildura and, among other sexually explicit comments, said, “we’ve got ourselves a hooker … you should be up here”.
In the complaint, filed in VCAT’s anti-discrimination list, she refers to other sexually explicit messages on her voicemail.
The claim said the union was also at fault because Ms Fegan, the then president of the branch, had failed to investigate and had told others about the confidential complaint.
The union’s lawyers conceded Mr Byron and the other man “did occasionally make comments of a sexual nature”, but said they were in the context of friendship.
The woman had “consented to and enjoyed” any such conversations, the union’s defence said.
Mr Byron said yesterday, “I completely deny” taking part in any sexual harassment. “I got dragged into it … I knew it was settled but I didn’t know there was any financial settlement.”
He said Mr McCubbin had been out of the union for more than five years, and that Mr McCubbin was supporting the candidacy of one of Mr Byron’s political rivals, Diana Asmar.
Mr Byron’s campaign to be secretary of the union is being supported by Labor senator Stephen Conroy, and run by a senior Australian Labor Party staffer, George Droutsas, who is facing criminal charges of electoral fraud relating to a council election.
The union has been riven in recent months over allegations of paying for prostitutes on union credit cards, and of rorting union tendering arrangements.
In one of the instances quoted, she said Mr Byron and another senior union official had phoned her from Mildura and, among other sexually explicit comments, said, “we’ve got ourselves a hooker … you should be up he
she said Mr Byron and another senior union official had phoned her from Mildura and, among other sexually explicit comments, said, “we’ve got ourselves a hooker … you should be up he
she said Mr dog Byron said, “we’ve got ourselves a hooker … you should be up he
she said Mr dog Byron said, “we’ve got ourselves a hooker … you should be up he
she said Mr dog Byron said, “we’ve got ourselves a hooker … you should be up here
AUSTRALIA’S most dysfunctional union has hit another low, with revelations of a 2001 claim of sexual harassment against one of the men seeking to become its leader.
Doug Byron is one of three candidates running for the position of secretary of the bitterly divided Victorian branch of the Health Services Union, which was forced to an election after a bruising factional fight.
Mr Byron is running the campaign under the slogan “Moving Forward” and is attempting to distance himself from the past infighting.
But The Sunday Age has seen Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal documents from 2001 in which Mr Byron was accused by a union employee of making lewd sexual comments to her, as a result of which she says she suffered psychological damage.
Mr Byron yesterday denied the allegations, saying they were directed mainly towards another employee of the union, and that he (Mr Byron) had simply been caught up in it.
“I was named but there was never anything substantiated,” he said.
The union’s former assistant secretary, Robert McCubbin, told The Sunday Age the case had cost the union $18,000 to settle, plus at least a further $12,000 in legal fees.
Mr Byron said he did not know of any financial settlement.
The union’s president at the time, Pauline Fegan, denied the case had been heard by VCAT, and said no financial payout was made.
“I’d be very, very careful about putting anything in about Doug,” Ms Fegan said.
The alleged victim, who was an industrial officer at the union, said the harassment began after she told colleagues in 2000 that she was a lesbian. In one of the instances quoted, she said Mr Byron and another senior union official had phoned her from Mildura and, among other sexually explicit comments, said, “we’ve got ourselves a hooker … you should be up here”.
In the complaint, filed in VCAT’s anti-discrimination list, she refers to other sexually explicit messages on her voicemail.
The claim said the union was also at fault because Ms Fegan, the then president of the branch, had failed to investigate and had told others about the confidential complaint.
The union’s lawyers conceded Mr Byron and the other man “did occasionally make comments of a sexual nature”, but said they were in the context of friendship.
The woman had “consented to and enjoyed” any such conversations, the union’s defence said.
Mr Byron said yesterday, “I completely deny” taking part in any sexual harassment. “I got dragged into it … I knew it was settled but I didn’t know there was any financial settlement.”
He said Mr McCubbin had been out of the union for more than five years, and that Mr McCubbin was supporting the candidacy of one of Mr Byron’s political rivals, Diana Asmar.
Mr Byron’s campaign to be secretary of the union is being supported by Labor senator Stephen Conroy, and run by a senior Australian Labor Party staffer, George Droutsas, who is facing criminal charges of electoral fraud relating to a council election.
The union has been riven in recent months over allegations of paying for prostitutes on union credit cards, and of rorting union tendering arrangements.
dog you f Dog
dog you fu Dog
dogggggggggggggggg byronnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Dog Byron Dog Byron Dog Byron Dog ByronDog Byron Dog Byron
Has anyone seen my boy Marco, I was told he was off to meet Katherine last night and he hasn’t come home? She said she would be kind to him, but I have seen what she done to my good friend Jeffrey. Can you all keep a lookout for him and send him home. He has been a naughty little boy again.
I just with the general populace was aware of the scumbags that are the ALP. They don’t realise, that these corrupt, power hungry unionists wind up as ALP ministers, it’s a farking joke!
I smell a big rat
big rat in the group
Which one’s the big rat? Byron? Robinson? Humpidge? Hondros? Bannon?
And, when the doctor said I didn’t have worms any more, that was the happiest day of my life
Hey Canute, a slight distortion of language when you say Doug has kept his head down when the sh*t was flying. No he didn’t keep his head down, HE STAYED HOME FOR 9 MONTHS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS8mULMsGY4
Bolano is a nut. The guy is a trot who is willing to sell out his comrades for a shot at the big league. He has a history of violence and drug use. But apparently he makes his own pasta, so he must be a good choice.
Dear Kent Paul, Everybody is making all sorts of wild and unsubstantiated allegations against Bolano.
Can you please specifically explain:
Why you believe that Bolano is a trot?
How has he sold out his comrades?
What is his so called history of violence?
And what drug use?
You are simply not credible Kent.
why are unionsts all so fat & ugly?
Canute, your defence of Doug is at best weak. He is not only lazy, he’s been AWOL for the best part of a year and done sweet f#ck all for his members prior to that. In short, Doug = tits on a bull
However, I think you are right in your assessment of Fegan & Butler. They will gorge themselves of a feeding frenzy while fighting to be top dog. Those of us who have been around long enough know they both have a history of self interest. It is not a recipe for stability at the HSU if they get back in the door.
This is my swing set. This is my sandbox. I’m not allowed to go in the deep end. That’s where I saw the leprechaun… He told me to burn things!
A new industrial player in health 25/2/2010
Union vote sinks into dirty tricksMICHAEL BACHELARD
November 15, 2009
A leaflet discrediting Health Services Union candidate Jamie Martorana. Photo: Simon O’Dwyer
THE election campaign for the Health Services Union of Australia descended further into disrepute last week as the electoral commission confirmed rorting of the process by some candidates.
The Sunday Age can confirm that one candidate, Jamie Martorana, has launched legal action to try to find out the author of an allegedly defamatory leaflet, posted to members last month, which linked him to sadomasochism and murder.
That unauthorised leaflet used identical designs to a leaflet authorised by right-faction member Ray Collins for the lord mayor campaign last year.
Mr Collins denied playing a role in producing the defamatory leaflet.
The hard-fought HSUA election is a proxy battle for power within the Australian Labor Party between two rival right-wing groups. Each side is supported at a high level by Labor players, and each wants to gain power within the ALP using the HSUA’s affiliation to the party.
The fight has involved accusations of dirty tricks, voter intimidation and thuggery.
Last Tuesday, the election’s returning officer, Australian Electoral Commission official Tony King, confirmed one allegation by warning candidates that people working on their behalf had put fake ballot boxes in hospitals to collect votes. The ballots are supposed to be returned by mail.
The illegal practice leaves open the possibility that some candidates have been involved in vote tampering.
Mr King’s sternly worded letter said he investigated allegations ”and had confirmation that the practice may have occurred at certain workplaces”.
”I direct all candidates, and any person acting on their behalf, to cease the action of placing ballot boxes and collecting completed ballot material from members at workplaces,” he wrote.
Last month union members were also sent a leaflet in the mail containing newspaper quotes about the union’s assistant secretary, Mr Martorana.
”The shit sheet leaves the impression that I was responsible for things that [convicted murderer] Jamie Koeleman was responsible for,” Mr Martorana told The Sunday Age.
He said there was a ‘’startling resemblance” between that leaflet and one put out criticising former councillor Catherine Ng last year.
After being alerted by The Sunday Age, he said he would ”bring these matters to the attention of my lawyers”.
http://www.strongertogether.org.au
Wow! What a bunch of heroes! They look like a collection of kids who used to get picked on at school…. and never fought back!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm28jYV7388
Go Gimp! I’m voting for the Gimp!
Jamie shouldn’t be so anal about this election.