Independent Education Union of Australia Queensland and Northern Territory Branch
MEDIA RELEASE 27 February 2012
IEUA-QNT to Open Sunshine Coast Office with Ceremony – Friday 2 March Union presence will be enhanced on the Sunshine Coast this Friday with the opening at Birtinya of a joint office of the Independent Education Union, United Voice and Queensland Nurses Union. The new building will allow these unions to better service the needs of its Sunshine Coast members, with union officers now more accessible to local members and workers. IEUA-QNT General Secretary Terry Burke said that the ceremony was an important milestone for unions on the Sunshine Coast. “Workers need unions and three more unions will now have a physical presence on the Coast,” he said. “The Sunshine Coast is a vibrant and growing community with significant growth in employment.” “We are proud to have initiated this office presence and pleased that two of our colleague unions will join us.” In what is a growing union precinct, the IEU, United Voice, and Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) join the Queensland Teachers Union which has been based in the same complex for some time. The establishment of the new building will help workers on the Sunshine Coast to access the benefits of union membership and provide them with ready access to organisers in their campaign for better wages and conditions. The official opening ceremony is to be held Friday 2 March 2012 at the building’s location, 5/9 Capital Place, Birtinya at 4.30 pm. The ceremony will be attended by IEUA-QNT General Secretary Terry Burke, IEUA-QNT members, as well as members and dignitaries of United Voice, QNU, QTU and the President of the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU), John Battams. The honour of opening the building goes to lifetime union member Vonnie Burke, an active unionist for over forty years who has, even in retirement, continued to be involved in building the IEU presence on the Sunshine Coast. IEU-QNT is an organising union which works to improve the lives of over 15,500 members employed in the nongovernment education sector in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Media are welcome to attend the opening. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ For further information contact:
Elise Cuthbertson, IEUA-QNT Communications Officer/Journalist on 07 3833 0663 or at ecuthbertson@qieu.asn.au
“The Independent Education Union, Queensland and Northern Territory Branch, represents non-government education sector employees including teachers, principals and school support staff.” www.qieu.asn.au