KEY DATES
Here you can view the chronology of the major unions which form the modern AWU – the “old” AWU, and FIMEE. These two unions amalgamated in 1993. The AWU timeline below continues after 1993. The FIMEE timeline finishes with the amalgamation in 1993.
1886
William Guthrie Spence and David Temple begin organising shearers; establishment of Australasian Shearers Union on 16 June 1886 at Fern’s Hotel in Ballarat. The new union is headquartered in the town of Creswick near Ballarat in Victoria.
1887
Creswick, Bourke and Wagga Wagga unions form Amalgamated Shearers Union of Australia; Creswick dominates. Spence, President, Temple Secretary. Formation of Queensland Shearers Union. Biggest Queensland union by 1889.
1888-90
ASU grows interstate (NSW Vic. & SA); Membership claimed: 20,000 shearers.
1890
Establishment of Brisbane Worker. ASU conference: decision to enforce closed shop/blockade; affiliation with Trades Halls in New South Wales and Victoria. QSU affiliates with Australian Labour Federation. Maritime Strike (August-November).
1891
ASU organises General Labourers Union February on behalf of shed-hands; QSU and Queensland Workers Union (shed-hands) form AWUQ. Queensland pastoral strike. July: ASU Executive Council concedes freedom of contract. Wagga Branch publishes The Hummer.
1894
Macdonell successfully pushes for ASU/GLU amalgamation New South Wales to form the Australian Workers Union, David Temple walks out of conference; William Spence replaces him as General Secretary. Pastoral strike.
1895
Impact of economic depression and drought prompts membership fall from estimated 17,000 to 7,000; continues falling throughout 1890s; AWU closes branches; AWU head office shifts to Sydney.
1899
AWU first union to gain representation at Political Labor League conferences; PLL asks AWU to organise country New South Wales.
1900
Donald Macdonell becomes General Secretary.
1902
AWU membership estimated at 14,000; pastoral strike; pressure from Machine Shearers Union.
1904
AWU and AWUQ amalgamate: total membership 30,000, ‘largest and wealthiest union in Australia’.
1907
MSU collapses; first Federal Pastoral Industry Award.
1911
Macdonell dies; replaced as General Secretary by Tom White.
1912
White dies; Edward Grayndler becomes General Secretary.
1913
Amalgamation with the AWA (Qld); Sydney Worker becomes Australian Worker.
1916-17
Conscription referendums; 1917 strike in New South Wales.
1917
Amalgamation with the FMEA (metal mining). AWU Membership est. 86,000.
1917-23
One Big Union movement rises and collapses.
1927
Formation of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
1931-32
Great Depression. Federal Labor split; the World revives and collapses. Pastoral Workers Industrial Union active in New South Wales and Victoria.
1931-32
Clarrie Fallon becomes Queensland Branch secretary. Queensland largest AWU branch with estimated 53,000 members.
1936
The 50th Anniversary since the foundation of the AWU celebrated at the Union’s Birthplace in Ballarat.
1941
Grayndler retires. Clarrie Fallon General Secretary.
1942
AWU dissents from Curtin Government decision to send conscripts to the South-West Pacific theatre of operations.
1943
Beecher Hay General Secretary
1944
Hay deposed as General Secretary. Tom Dougherty becomes General Secretary.
1949
Coal strike. Henry Boote, Australian Worker editor (1916-43), dies. Snowy Mountains Scheme begins.
1954-55
AWU denounces groupers; ALP splits.
1956
Shearers’ strike.
1957
Queensland ALP splits.
1959
Clyde Cameron forms Council for Membership Control.
1964-65
Mount Isa dispute.
1966
AWU affiliates with the ACTU.
1972
Tom Dougherty dies; Frank Mitchell becomes General Secretary. AWU abandons White Australia policy.
1974
Merger of Brisbane Worker and Australian Worker; New South Wales AWU announces amalgamation with Shop Assistants Union.
1977
Proposed amalgamation between BWIU and AWU in New South Wales revealed; AWU-SAU amalgamation collapses.
1983
Wide comb dispute; first ‘incapacity to pay’ application by NFF.
1985
Charlie Oliver retires as New South Wales AWU president.
1986
The 100th Anniversary since the foundation of the AWU celebrated at the Union’s Birthplace in Ballarat.
1986
Robe River dispute.
1987
Gill Barr General Secretary.
1987
Errol Hodder General Secretary.
1991
Mike Forshaw General Secretary.
1993
AWU amalgamates with FIMEE. Combined membership estimated at 160,000. Name of the new union The AWU-FIMEE Amalgamated Union. Joint National Secretaries were Michael Forshaw (AWU) and Steve Harrison (FIMEE), Joint National Presidents were Bob Redmond (FIMEE) and Bill Ludwig (AWU).
1994
NFF-AWU ‘peace deal’.
1994
Michael Forshaw resigns, Ian Cambridge new Joint National Secretary.
1995
AWU-FIMEE Amalgamated Union changes it’s name to The Australian Workers’ Union.
1996
Rules changed to only have one National Secretary and one National President with Steve Harrison and Bill Ludwig filling those positions.
1997
Steve Harrison resigns, Vern Falconer new National Secretary.
1997
BHP Steel announces that the Newcastle Steelworks to close in 1999.
1997
Terry Muscat elected National Secretary. Graham Roberts elected National President.
2001
Bill Shorten elected National Secretary, Bill Ludwig elected National President and Graham Roberts elected Assistant National Secretary all unopposed.
2001
Ansett Australia collapses leaving over 15,000 employees out of working including several thousand AWU members. AWU joins with other unions in a long campaign to ensure former Ansett workers recieve their full entitlements.
2001
AWU National Office moves to Melbourne from Sydney where it had been since 1895, however an annex of the National Office remains in Sydney.
2003
New AWU website launched at AWU National Conference.
2004
The Australian Worker is re-launched in a joint effort between the AWU and Australian Consolidated Press.
2005
Bill Shorten re-elected National Secretary, Bill Ludwig re-elected National President and Graham Roberts re-elected Assistant National Secretary all unopposed.
2005
Boeing Williamtown Dispute.
2006
The 120th Anniversary since the foundation of the AWU celebrated at the Union’s Birthplace in Ballarat.
2007
John Howard’s WorkChoice Laws defeated at the 2007 Federal Election, National Secretary Bill Shorten elected to Federal Parliament.
2007
Paul Howes is elected National Secretary of the Union becoming the Union’s youngest ever National Secretary. Ben Swan elected as Assistant National Secretary following resignation of Graham Roberts. The National Office returns to Sydney.