◆ MY UNION
Tasmania farewells Kelvin Michael In October we farewelled Kelvin Michael after his resignation from his position as Tasmanian Division Secretary. Kelvin’s rather long and extensive record sheet with the NTEU indicates that he began taking an active role in the Union, albeit for only a month, as Division President on 1 May 2004. From 2006-2008 he was then a Branch Committee Member, before his first nomination for an executive position. Across the ensuing 12 years Kelvin’s considered, nuanced and resolute commitment to Union values has underpinned his leadership of the Division in our fight for the rights of our members in the increasingly corporate higher education sector. In the Tasmanian Division, Kelvin was Division President for 6 years from 2008 to 2014, and then Secretary for 6 years from 2014 until 28th October this year. During this time, he was a member of the National Executive and has been a National/Division Councillor for many of these years He served as National Vice President (Academic Staff) from 2012 to 2014, during which time he was on the Academic Staff Working Party. This, Kelvin’s final year as an office-bearer, has presented many challenges. Kelvin’s negotiation skills and deep knowledge of our unique position in the Tasmanian tertiary education community has been instrumental in protecting the jobs of our members. His passionate representation at National Executive for a local JPF variation followed by organising to ensure a 92% member vote reflected in a 92% all staff vote is testament to the respect afforded to him at all levels in which he engages. Kelvin’s instrumental roles in the Division – leading EBA negotiations, negotiating change, organising, recruitment and national representation – will be difficult to fill. In these, we will miss his circumspection, his encyclopaedic knowledge and memory, and his dry witty comments that were often used to defuse heated situations. His wisdom, experience, kindness and comradery will be missed by the Division and members alike. We wish Kelvin well in retirement, but warn him that we may be chasing him down the fairways and across the greens to ‘pick his brain’ when problems arise! ◆ Janine Bryant, Tasmanian Division Organiser
Pep Turner takes over as Tasmanian Division Secretary I am currently an Honorary Associate with the School of Natural Sciences (CoSE, UTAS), and the new Tas Division Secretary! I was previously the NTEU Casuals representative on Division Council and have held Lecturer and Research Associate roles at UTAS, starting in 1999. After majoring in plant ecology at the University of Melbourne, I began my ecological career working as a Scientific Officer at the Arthur Rylah Institute of Environmental Research. I was successful in gaining a PhD Scholarship to study plant ecology at both Melbourne and UTAS. Whilst Melbourne offered more prestige, UTAS offered better field work opportunities, so I moved to Tasmania, and stayed. I am a director with the Ecological Society of Australia, holding the position of Chair of the international scientific journal, Ecological Management and Restoration. I relish community work and recently joined my local Tasmania Fire Service brigade. And I am President of the Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council. My network spans government, industry, large and small landowners, top research institutions, education, and community. I understand what insecure work is like, especially for casual workers. It is this life and work experience and voice, for all workers, that I bring to NTEU Tasmania Division and National Executive. ◆ Pep Turner, Tasmanian Division Secretary
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ADVOCATE VOL. 27 NO. 3 ◆ NOV 2020
