I’m an assistant in nursing from the Central West and have been working in aged care for 23 years.

Opal Bathurst started a new branch this year and I was elected as Secretary and a Delegate. This was at a time when the campaign for a new EBA was ramping up. From the correspondence we were getting through the union, I could see the offer was to say the least, poor.

In order to rally the troops across the board, I took the time to get to know what was on offer from Opal and through this, explained to everyone who asked what it meant for them.

I remained open and honest about what was on offer, and we had a strong vote for action and rejection of the original offer. This was an for us. We won the right for protected action. This demonstrated to Opal that we were willing to stand up for better pay and conditions and fight for what we deserved.

The revised offer came through and I maintained my opposition to it. We were ready to fight!

Our strong opposition forced Opal to increase their offer minimally. Although not what we were hoping for,

it demonstrated to Opal that as a collective group, we are a united front that will continue to fight for the pay, conditions and recognition we deserve, as well as fighting for what is best for our residents’ care.

Throughout this period, I learned from our industrial officers as well as other member leaders and am grateful for their guidance throughout the process.

Melissa Haysom, AIN, Bathurst Riverview Branch