Union History Blog
Lessons from the campaign for the eight hour day
April 24, 2023
By Professor Sean Scalmer, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne….
Remembering William Cooper
March 23, 2023
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Readers are advised that this page does include images of…
Laurie Carmichael – a legendary unionist
July 26, 2022
A guest post by Ted Clayton. Ted is the author of an award-winning thesis in…
60th Anniversary of the Labour History Society
Guest post by Bobbie Oliver (Federal Vice President ASSLH; President of Perth Branch, ASSLH). 2022…
The first Sydney Mardi Gras – and the hidden history of LGBTIQA+ unionists!
June 22, 2022
On Friday 24 June we celebrate the anniversary of the first Sydney Mardi Gras, which…
Tribute to Tom McDonald: a lifetime winning for workers
May 24, 2022
‘When it comes to the living standards of working people I know this: without Tom…
The origins of May Day
April 27, 2022
The first of May has long been a day of celebration for the international workers’…
21 April 1856 – Melbourne Stonemasons take action for the 8-Hour Day
April 14, 2022
On 21 April in 1856, building workers in Melbourne took strike action and won the…
MUA: Here to Stay! The 1998 Waterfront Dispute
April 1, 2022
In April of 1998, the Patrick Stevedores corporation sacked all of its stevedoring workers in…
The power of union learning: a snapshot from the ‘70s
March 30, 2022
A guest post by Alice Garner. In 1977, hundreds of shop stewards, from every corner…