Terry O'Connor: Riverina Regional Organiser

18 September 2002

Before coming to the AWU Wagga Wagga Regional Organiser Terry O’Connor enjoyed a sterling shearing career which spanned 28 years and saw him win 27 Australian, state, and national titles, including the 1982 gong for shearer of the year.

An AWU member since 1967, Terry says he spent six months of every year in NSW when he was shearing even though he officially lived in Victoria. But although he and his family are now fully fledged Blues, his travelling days are far from over.

Terry is a family man, who is devoted to his wife Debbie and his four children Naomi, Stephen, Rebecca and Danielle. When he is not protecting worker's rights, Terry is spending time with Deb and the kids.

“The nature of organising in this region means it is not unusual to spend six hours in a day travelling to worksites. There is a lot of kilometres involved but this is all part of it,” according to Terry, who says the upside is that it gives him plenty of time to think strategically about whatever negotiations lay ahead of him.

And the types of worksites Terry may be travelling to on any one day are as dispersed as they are diverse. Wagga Wagga is host to a range of industries including agriculture, chemical, forestry, mining, grain, irrigation, horticulture, construction, pastoral, textiles, hairdressing, viticulture and metal manufacturing.

But while the industries are varied the jobs are numbered and ongoing problems such as droughts, business closures, and economic rationalisation do nothing to help. A major part of Terry’s job is fighting to ensure workers jobs are kept secure.

Terry says that aside from wages and conditions security of employment is the top issue for the region due to the increasing casualisation of the workforce.

“There is a big push from employers to take this direction so they are able to get rid of their workers whenever it is not convenient for them to keep paying the wages,” he says.

“The situation puts a lot of pressure on families and has the added effect of leaving many unable to buy homes.

“Around here, people can work as casuals for 10 years for the same employer, have saved thousands of dollars for a deposit and have a proven track record. But the banks still turn their loan applications down because they are not considered permanent,” he says.

What the area needs most is growth and sustained employment, says Terry. “We don’t want workers to be the victims of ongoing troughs, with highs and lows that see good wages one week and poor the next,” he says. “We want to see new businesses coming in, we want to see more permanent positions created, and we want to see existing jobs and conditions protected.”