In her first two months as the new USU Organiser for New England, Avery Gladwin (pictured left) has focused on visibility, member support and making sure new Award entitlements are implemented fairly across the region.
The New England region covers a large geographical area, twelve councils, and a wide range of worksites, with each presenting its own unique relationships, issues and priorities. Since commencing as Organiser on the 29th of June 2026, Avery has been working to develop and build on those key relationships, supported by the handover from retiring Organiser Chris Preston. The early focus has been on ensuring visibility, developing relationships with members, delegates, and management teams, and developing an understanding of the specific issues experienced by members at each Council.
One of the most important priorities has been the implementation of the new Award, particularly the new MyLeave provisions. At Inverell Shire Council, members saw a practical and reasonable approach to the entitlement, including clear recording, sensible transitional arrangements and practical access that accurately reflects roster patterns. That example has already become useful in conversations with other councils, showing how effective implementation can reduce confusion and protect members from having to pursue corrections individually.
The role has also involved representing members through disciplinary meetings, workplace investigations, and grievance matters. There has been a strong focus on ensuring that members understand their rights, procedural fairness is adhered to, and outcomes are fair and reasonable. These matters have reinforced the importance of members seeking support early, particularly where workplace issues can escalate quickly or where individual employees may be isolated.
At Armidale Regional Council, a member raised an individual issue that helped uncover a significant term contract issue affecting the workforce. The matter highlights why active union members and delegates make a huge difference. Small changes in contract arrangements or employment practices can have large consequences when applied across a council. Follow-up work will be needed to ensure the issue is properly understood, addressed and resolved in a way that protects members’ employment security and entitlements.
Alongside formal industrial matters, much of the role has been the everyday, but essential, task of handling member enquiries: checking Award interpretation, clarifying leave and roster questions, assisting with workplace concerns and making sure members are not disadvantaged because they were unsure of the process or did not know who to ask. These initial conversations are often where issues are identified early and can be dealt with before becoming industrial disputes.
Moving forward, the New England Organiser will focus on strengthening delegate structures, mapping worksites, building membership density and keeping regular communication across both large councils and smaller, more isolated worksites. Multiple new delegates have already been identified and have either attended formal training or are listed to attend in November. This has already created an important foundation for stronger workplace coverage and more direct member communication across the region. With these foundations now in place, the focus turns to building stronger, more connected workplaces, and ensuring increasingly active Union presence across the New England region.
