Futures Network
The Futures Network brings unionists together to collaborate and share knowledge on best practice in union organising, campaigning, and growth.
A place for union insights and innovation
The ATUI holds Futures Network meetings throughout the year, bringing unionists together to share knowledge on best practice in organising, campaigning, and growth and adopt better ways of supporting union members and workers.
All affiliates are encouraged to nominate officials or staff members with responsibility for new projects and innovation to attend these meetings on their union’s behalf.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Details on topics and presenters to come throughout the year.
All meetings are in AEST/AEDT.
Industrial support: systems to help unions win for members and grow
29 May | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
A union’s ability to efficiently handle industrial inquiries, while identifying organising opportunities to build power, is crucial for a union’s effectiveness, member retention and for growth. This can can involve CRMs, case management systems, delegates and Member Service Centres.
Many unions have trialled new processes and have developed and honed systems and workflows to manage industrial inquiries, grievances and disputes. In May’s meeting of the Futures Network, we’re going to hear from Health Services Union (WA), United Workers Union, CPSU (PSU) and other unions on how they have:
- Built an effective Member Service Centre
- Trialled a new approach to new members with pre-existing issues
- Established a national industrial reporting system that can tally what they union has won.
June
19 June | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
July
24 July | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
August
21 August | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
September
25 September | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
October
16 October | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
November
27 November | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
February 2026
18 February | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
March 2026
11 March | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
April 2026
15 April | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
May 2026
13 May | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
June 2026
10 June | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
July 2026
22 July | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
August 2026
19 August | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
September 2026
16 September | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
October 2026
14 October | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
November 2026
25 November | 1:00pm to 2:30pm
PAST MEETINGS
Recordings and resources from past Futures Network meetings can be found in the ATUI Library.
Union Growth
6 February
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, from 2022 to 2024, union membership in Australia grew by 12.3 percent: that’s the biggest increase in both density and numbers in over a decade! Something for organisers, delegates, officials and staff to be proud of, as unions continue to build power for working people.
At the first Futures Network meeting in 2025, we looked more deeply at this data and important things to note from it, and Professor David Peetz provided some deeper analysis (pre-recorded presentation). We also heard from two unions that experienced significant growth over this period; what they’ve tried and what they’ve learnt.
Chaired by Natalie Lang, Director, Education and Capacity Building, ACTU
Presenters:
Professor Emeritus David Peetz, Laurie Carmichael Distinguished Research Fellow at the Carmichael Centre, Centre for Future Work, Australia Institute
Mick Weise, National Organising and Training Director, Mining and Energy Union – Organising in the mining sector alongside same job, same pay laws
Robbie Moore, State Secretary, HACSU Tasmania – Recruitment, retention and blitz organising