Tasmanian Union Awards 2025 Nomination Form

The Tasmanian Union Awards recognise the over and above efforts of union delegates and members in growing and building union power in our workplaces and our community.

We couldn’t do what we do without the skills, passion, and dedication of the hundreds of union delegates, reps, shop stewards, councillors, and activists who give their own time to make their workplace better for everyone. They deserve to be recognised.

 The following conditions of entry must be met:

1. Nominations must be no less than 200 words and no longer than 750 words.
2. Please submit a photo of your nominee with your application.
3. Nominations must address the Award criteria.
4. Only one nominee from each union is to be submitted per category.
   
   

The Awards are voted on by Unions Tasmania’s affiliated unions with Unions Tasmania and the ACTU also having a vote.

Previous nominees who have been unsuccessful may be nominated by their union any number of times.

All nominations should be endorsed by the Secretary (or equivalent) of the union to which the nominee belongs.

Nominations close Friday 28th of March 2025. Late entries will not be considered.  

DELEGATE OF THE YEAR
The Delegate of the Year will have demonstrated success in:

• Organising their workplace
• Building union density
• Implementing successful campaign plans
• Achieving collective outcomes
• Increasing member participation
• Dealing with the employer
• A strong understanding of the value of collective action
  
  

HEALTH AND SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE (HSR) OF THE YEAR
The HSR of the Year should be a duly elected HSR under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas) and will have demonstrated success in:

• Organising their workplace around health and safety issues
• Representing their work group to the employer on work, health and safety matters
• Increased work group members knowledge and activism around safety at work
• Promote the value of trade unions and workplace safety

LOCAL WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
This award is for the implementation of a local workplace campaign which, in addition to a successful outcome, also:

• Increased membership in the workplace
• Developed activists
• Had a high level of member involvement
• Promoted union values in the workplace and community (if applicable)
• Operated on a number of fronts e.g. local workplace/politics/media
• Utilised innovative campaign techniques
  
  

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNION MOVEMENT
The recipient of this award should be:

• A long-standing union activist within their union for more than 15 years
• Active in their workplace but also involved in other leadership roles e.g. Branch Councils/Executives
• Involved themselves in cross union or labour council campaigns/committees e.g. Secure Jobs, Retired Unionist Network
• A demonstrated and sustained commitment to the union movement

TONI MILES-BENNETT COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Union members are also community members who often work tirelessly on causes outside our movement. This award has been named in honour of Toni Miles-Bennett, a long standing Unions Tasmania employee who sadly passed away in November 2022. Toni was a committed trade unionist and a passionate advocate for the cystic fibrosis (CF) community. Toni had CF and was a recipient of not one but two double lung transplants. Toni gave her time tirelessly to advocating, fundraising, and changing policy to improve the health outcomes of people with cystic fibrosis. She epitomised the union member who makes a contribution both to their workplace and to the broader community.

This award recognises the contributions of members who:

• Make a positive contribution to their local community through activism outside of their union engagement
• May include involvement in local community action groups or not for profit organisations that make a significant contribution to their local community
• Activities are undertaken in the member’s own time