We’re United For QLD
Our candidates are workplace delegates, union activists, and everyday members who share one thing in common: a commitment to building a stronger union for you.
We can’t wait to introduce you to our full team of experienced union members from Queensland. In the meantime, here’s a sneak preview!
United For You will be running candidates from across the union and state.
Meet Your Team
Mandy Dewey
Teacher Aide | North Queensland
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I am a proud Worimi woman and have lived and worked on Bulwai/Djabugay country for over 40 years. I have been a Teacher Aide for 36 years and a UWU member for 34 years. I serve as Co-chair of the UWU National First Nations Roundtable and have been a member, delegate, on bargaining committees, industry committees, and member council. As a First Nations person, we believe in collective, that's how we work, we make decisions together and go forward with it. Wherever you work, if you become a member of the union, you should know you have backup and support all the time. You think your employer will look after you, but they won't, at the end of the day they'll look after their own pockets. But as union members we look out for each other and work towards a better future all together.
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A favourite union moment was when the LNP government were threatening to sack all the school cleaners and put contractors in. School cleaners and teacher aides went to Brisbane and we stormed Premier Campbell Newman's office. We campaigned for about three months until they gave up and left the school cleaners alone. Through the First Nations Roundtable, we have created proposed changes to the NES to broaden the definition of family for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Those standards just aren't up to today's way of life, they're very archaic. This work matters to me personally and to our communities. I have seen how United For You places members at the heart of campaigns. Member leadership isn't just a talking point, it's how they operate. United For You has championed First Nations issues and supported First Nations members to play an active role in our union.
Ferhat Puris
Paramedic | Logan & Bayside
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I work as an Advanced Care Paramedic with Queensland Ambulance Service and serve as a Workplace Delegate and State Councillor. I joined the union because I know the value of collectivism and standing together against exploitation. I am running to bring the voice of frontline workers to the union leadership team. I support United For You because they take a pragmatic approach, knowing when to have important conversations and when to be forceful.
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I want to bring the voice of frontline workers to the union leadership team. When a boss was discriminating against casual workers, I raised the issue and the union won back their rights. Only by working hand in hand with leadership can we achieve real results. I want to make sure all workers get their fair share of compensation and are respected at work.
Gary Bullock
UWU QLD State Secretary & Director of Finance & Political Power | Brisbane Central
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I have spent decades fighting for working people in Queensland and across Australia. I began my working life in the hotel industry before moving to Taubmans Paints, where I first experienced the power of a unionised workplace. In 1994, I became an organiser and in 1995-96 was involved in my first major industrial dispute over the sacking of 3,000 school cleaners. That dispute demonstrated to me that when members stick together, they win. In 2001, I was elected Assistant Secretary of the Queensland Branch and given responsibility for the Ambulance section, where members undertook significant action to improve the Ambulance Service and their pay and conditions. I was also one of the architects of the Clean Start campaign. In 2007, I was elected Queensland Branch Secretary and later served as National President of United Voice until our merger in 2019.
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Throughout my career, I have focused on improving conditions for members across all industries in our union. During COVID-19, I advocated strongly for workplace safety measures to protect workers and the broader community. Two years ago, I took on the responsibility of restoring our union's finances and ensuring long-term stability. I am proud to be known as someone who gets things done. I have spent my life standing up for working people and remain committed to building a strong, united union that delivers real wins for members.
Karen Moran
Kindergarten Teacher | Sunshine Coast & Central Queensland
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I have been part of the Big Steps campaign since 2012, fighting for better wages and conditions for early childhood educators. Our recent win with the multi enterprise agreement has really changed my fellow educators' lives. Some have given up their second jobs to spend more time with their families. I want to achieve further pay rises, abolish under the roof ratios that put children and educators at risk, and see better resources and funding for inclusion support. I will fight for you. I never gave up after many walked away thinking we could never achieve our goals. I want to be part of a team that is honest with its members and who are truly here for them.
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I truly believe it is the best chance of continuing to build our union and leverage every opportunity, whether it's on the ground, legal, industrial or political. As a union, it's not a one size fits all proposition. It's about working with members to use every tool that we have to achieve the best outcomes. It's also about ensuring the union can continue into the future with financial sustainability.