Congratulations to our July Delegate of the month, Donna from Woolworths Supermarkets Kotara!
Donna has been a fantastic Delegate, supporting her teammates for the past five years.
She is being recognised this month, after her strong advocacy in getting her workplace air conditioning fixed – great work Donna!
We asked Donna a few questions about her role as a Union Delegate and what she aims to achieve in her role in the future.
1. Why did you become a Delegate?
I took on the role because I wanted to make sure all the younger workers had someone to look out for them. This ensures they have someone they can speak to, who has their back and a voice for them.
2. Why is recruitment important?
Recruitment is important because the more numbers we have in the union, the more bargaining power we have.
3. What campaigns have you been involved with and why are they important?
I have been involved in the last two Woolworths Enterprise Agreement rollouts, where I was running the information sessions for all our team. Also, more recently the Adult Age = Adult Wage campaign. These campaigns are very important for all our members. It is a Delegate’s role to explain these things to our teammates, so everyone understands, growing the support for the campaign.
4. What has been your most notable achievement in your workplace?
My most notable achievement has been having co-workers wanting to come to me and not being frightened to ask me anything. Staying approachable, being honest and not having any judgement is very important as a Delegate.
5. What have you enjoyed about being a Delegate most so far?
I have enjoyed being able to resolve issues without having to involve a lot of people into the situation and keeping it as easy as possible to get a positive result for all involved. I know that I always have my SDA Organisers there for back-up if needed.
6. What do you aim to achieve in your workplace in the next 12 months?
In the next 12 months, I’m looking forward to standing up with our younger members to end junior rates of pay for workers 18 years and older as part of the Adult Age = Adult Wage campaign.
7. What do you get most out of the role as a Delegate?
When I see a team member achieve a positive outcome after I have helped them and trying to attain a happy, balanced workplace. This is made easier with the support of other Delegates.