Union History Blog

Remembering William Cooper

March 23, 2023

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Readers are advised that this page does include images of…

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Laurie Carmichael – a legendary unionist

July 26, 2022

A guest post by Ted Clayton. Ted is the author of an award-winning thesis in…

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60th Anniversary of the Labour History Society

Guest post by Bobbie Oliver (Federal Vice President ASSLH; President of Perth Branch, ASSLH).2022 marks…

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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…

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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…

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The origins of May Day

April 27, 2022

The first of May has long been a day of celebration for the international workers’…

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21 April 1856 – Melbourne Stonemason’s 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…

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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…

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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…

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Australian unions win maternity leave – 1979

March 7, 2022

Trade unions have a long and proud history of campaigning for parental leave to support…

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