It’s that time of year again when unions get to show off their best campaigns, their most successful delegates and organisers and their clever use of the media.

Nominations are now open for the ACTU Annual Awards, so send us your best best work for 2003. Award winners will be announced at the December Executive.

The deadline for entries is Thursday October 24 – you have 7 weeks to prepare your award winning entry.

Please read the following criteria for each category thoroughly and send your entry to Stephanie Neumann at the ACTU Communications and Campaigns Unit, Level 3, 393 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3000.

You may nominate in any or all categories:

Delegate of the Year

  • Name of nominee
  • Reason for nomination in 500 words or less
  • Contact details of nominee
  • Contact details of nominee

    • Organiser of the Year

  • Name of nominee
  • Reason for nomination in 500 words or less
  • Contact details of nominee

    • Jennie George Award – for contributions to women’s advancement in unions

  • Name of nominee
  • Reason for nomination in 500 words or less
  • Contact details of nominee

    • Best Workplace Campaign

  • Name of nominee
  • Reason for nomination
  • Contact details of nominee
  • (Campaign overview/plan and materials to support nomination should be
    included eg stickers, posters, powerpoint presentation, audio and visual
    material)

    • Best Communications Strategy

  • Name of nominee
  • Reason for nomination
  • Contact details of nominee
  • (Communications overview/strategy should be included as well as supporting
    material, eg media material, newspaper clippings, tv/radio items, audio/visual
    material)

    • Best Media Quote by a Union Leader or Member

  • Name of nominee
  • Reason for nomination
  • Contact details of nominee
  • Date and source of media quote (Newspaper, radio or TV programme)

    • All nominations should reflect in part or in whole the criteria set down for each award. Nominations should be sent to Stephanie Neumann at sneumann@actu.asn.au or by post to Level 3, 393 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000. For all inquiries, please call (03) 9664 7321.

    Criteria For All Awards Categories

    Delegate of the Year

    Demonstrated success in:

  • Implementing a campaign
  • Increasing membership
  • Mapping a workplace
  • Setting up a communication network
  • Activating members
  • Dealing with the employer
  • Liaising with the community
  • Developing understanding of collective action

    • Attributes:

  • Selflessness
  • Energy
  • Leadership
  • Principled 

    • Organiser of the Year

    Demonstrated success in:

  • Implementing a campaign
  • Increasing membership
  • Mapping a workplace
  • Setting up a communication network
  • Activating members
  • Dealing with the employer
  • Liaising with the community
  • Developing understanding of collective action
  • Developing activists
  • Implementing informal education strategies 
  • Working with other unions 

    • Workplace Campaign of the Year

    Implementation of campaign which in addition to a successful outcome:

  • Increased membership
  • Developed activists
  • Had a high level of membership involvement
  • Promoted union values in the community

    • The campaign:

  • Was well planned and coordinated
  • Operated on many fronts beyond the workplace eg politically, among customers
    and other unions, in the community
  • Utilised innovative tactics

    • Best Communications Strategy

  • maintained a positive/influential public profile
  • Enhanced a union campaign
  • Portrayed a member-based union
  • Forged link with community
  • Adopted new messaging techniques
  • Innovative in capturing media attention
  • Well planned/created momentum
  • Communicated effectively with members
  • Reached potential new members

    • Best Media Quote by a union leader or member

  • Created an understanding to all in the community of the benefits of
    unionism
  • Clearly communicated the union’s position on an issue
  • Evoked an empathetic response from the listeners, viewers or readers
  • Used language/ideas creatively to win radio, television or print media
    coverage

    • Jennie George award – for contributions to the advancement of women in
    unions

    This award is made to a union in recognition of what the union has done to assist in the development of women in the union movement.

    Criteria:

    An initiative or actions which have:

  • Assisted women to increase their professional capabilities
  • Resulted in women taking on leadership positions (as elected officials)
    within the union
  • Assisted women to participate in union activities
  • Increased the number of women union officials
  • Allocated resources to issues concerning women
  • Provided senior union official support or mentoring
  • a monitoring/quantifying/reporting aspect

    • Some of these initiatives might include:

  • Training/education programs
  • Formalised mentoring programs
  • Increasing the representation of women throughout the union’s elected
    structures
  • Formally involvement of women in policy formulation
  • Involving women directly at all levels in recruitment (of members) and
    publicity campaigns
  • Consultation with women employees on the issues which they consider to be of
    importance
  • Non-discriminatory work practices and remuneration practices
  • Transparent, equitable recruitment, selection, and promotion practices
  • Employment practices which consider family responsibilities
  • Availability of part time work
  • Union EEO and Sexual Harassment policies for its employees, with
    accompanying, appropriate education
  • Gender analysis of exit interviews (preferably conducted by someone
    independent of the union).