Janice Mayes

Interviewed by
Rodney Sullivan and Robin Sullivan
Jun 19 2013
Janice Mayes, 2013
Time Summary Keywords
00:00:00

Janice Mayes outlines her upbringing and education in Garbett, Townsville. She discusses her family's strong union ethos and her early work experience.

Charters Towers, Townsville
00:01:26

Janice Mayes discusses the work and social culture in Townsville during the early 1980s, in particular the place of women.

sexism, Townsville, women
00:02:09

Janice Mayes talks about joining the student union at university. She recalls the limited union presence in her early jobs and how she became involved in the former Federated Clerks Union, now the Australian Services Union.

Australian Services Union, Bernadette Callaghan, Chris Wood, Federated Clerks Union, Griffith University, student unionism, Townsville
00:04:40

Janice Mayes discusses her activism in her student union and with the Labor Party around 1989. She talks of the influential people throughout her union career.

Anne Warner, Dennis Jones, Federated Clerks Union, Goss Government 1989-96, Griffith University, Jenny George, Mary Kelly
00:06:41

Janice Mayes describes the influence of certain union officials on her career and the various union positions she has held throughout her time in the Griffith University Student Union and the Federated Clerks Union.

Bernadette Callaghan, Chris Wood, Federated Clerks Union, Griffith University, QTU, union positions
00:08:47

Janice Mayes outlines the difference between her role as President and Secretary of the FCU and the amalgamation that led to the Australian Services Union. She discusses her work with the amalgamated Clerical and Administrative Central and Southern Queensland Branch of the Australian Services Union and the coverage of workers.

Australian Services Union, enterprise bargaining, Federated Clerks Union, union amalgamation, union positions
00:10:37

Janice Mayes discusses the membership coverage of workers in the public and private sectors and the difficulties prompted by rapidly changing technologies.

Australian Services Union, Federated Clerks Union, technology
00:11:56

Janice Mayes recounts some of the industrial disputes she faced when working as President and Secretary of the FCU and Queensland Services Union (QSU).

Australian Services Union, Federated Clerks Union, industrial disputes, union campaigns, women
00:14:20

Janice Mayes explains the role of the union in assisting casual workers in the face of TAB Queensland's privitisation.

Bob Gibbs, Peter Beattie, privatisation, Queensland Council of Unions, Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, TAB Queensland
00:16:10

Janice Mayes discusses negotiating directly with politicians during the TAB Queensland privitisation.

Anna Bligh, Australian Services Union, Brisbane City Council, Matt Foley, privatisation, TAB Queensland
00:17:04

Janice Mayes discusses the demarcation disputes she was involved with as a union official.

ACTU, Australian Services Union, demarcation disputes, Greenfield Site Agreement, NTEU, Transport Workers Union, union amalgamation
00:19:02

Janice Mayes speaks about her role at the national level as a member of the national executive of the Australian Services Union. She contrasts working with Queensland unions to those in other states.

Australian Services Union, AWU, Municipal Employees Union, union positions
00:20:17

Janice Mayes explains the area she controlled as Secretary of the union and the relationship with the North Queensland branch.

Australian Services Union, North Queensland, Rockhampton
00:21:27

Janice Mayes describes some of the campaigns that the union was involved with under her leadership, including those concerned with workplace bullying, privitisation and women's issues. She discusses the union's decision to affiliate with the ALP.

Australian Services Union, enterprise bargaining, Hilmer Report, privatisation, union amalgamation, women
00:23:14

Janice Mayes talks about her union engaging in campaigns that involved lobbying universities and Queensland Health during the mid-1990s.

Australian Services Union, environment issues, Health Department, industrial disputes, union solidarity, universities
00:25:04

Janice Mayes discusses the limited efforts to recruit Indigenous workers as well as the decision to affiliate the union with the Trades and Labor Council of Queensland.

Australian Services Union, Indigenous issues, Trades and Labor Council, women
00:27:48

Janice Mayes speaks about some of the influential women she met whilst serving on the Trades and Labor Council.

Claire Moore, Gay Hawksworth, Julie Brown, Queensland Council of Unions, Trades and Labor Council, women
00:28:18

Janice Mayes discusses the decline of unionism and the difficulties faced by unions following the Workplace Relations Act.

declining union membership, Workplace Relations legislation
00:31:00

Janice Mayes reflects on how her gender and personality affected her career progression.

women
00:32:09

Janice Mayes discusses the decisions surrounding her union's affiliation with the ALP in 1990.

Australian Services Union
00:33:37

Janice Mayes describes the sense of satisfaction she gained from her union members.

00:35:21

Interview ends