Blog

James (Jim) Phelan has been a loyal and committed AWU Member for 40 years with his workplace being in the most remote and harshest areas of Australia that being the Cooper Basin in South Australia (Santos). 

Jim over this time has been instrumental in conjunction with our members in achieving outcomes (especially as a Site convenor) that still remain today. He and our members were at the fore front of Award Restructuring and the Two-Tier Negotiations of the late 1980’s which saw our members lock in outcomes pertinent to their workplace. Jim’s ability to “rally the troops” was second to none. He also was a quasi Union Official during his time working for Santos given the hours of work (2 on 2off) and also given the fact that an AWU Official could just not jump in a car and travel to site. He dealt with and in most cases successfully all manner of industrial issues confronting our members in the Cooper Basin and indeed South West Queensland.

Jim ensured that the AWU Union Office in Moomba became the focal point for meetings of delegates with their Official by phone every Friday and a place where members could meet their Delegate to assist them away from their workplace. Jim whenever he could would recruit from the contractor ranks in the Cooper Basin and as such had a high level of presence in the field to the extent that when he was off roster Jim would whenever necessary assist members, AWU Officials and AWU members working for contractors.

Jim was during the Enterprise Bargaining era of Industrial Relations the head of the Union Negotiating Forum as Convenor sometimes having to caucus with some 14 delegates across and area the size of Victoria working different shift patterns.

Jim in his time working for Santos has been employed until 2010 as a Utility man and following a sustained campaign in the 2000’s for Competency Based outcomes with respect to classifications whereby Jim became one of the first Apprentices in almost 25 years to become a Fitter and Turner again working for Santos.

Over Jim’s entire journey as an employee of Santos he has dealt with all the changes thrown at workers by conservative governments and with the assistance of members in the Cooper Basin has achieved outcomes that changed the landscape especially when other Unions attempted to attack the AWU he was able to sign across those members of other Unions to us who are still there today.

Jim’s efforts during this time and for his efforts when his Union was under attack in 2001 in South Australia make him a worthy candidate for nomination for Life Membership given the requirement that his service to the AWU is “ special and meritorious”. On Saturday 23rd November 2024 Jim was awarded Life Membership at our SA Branch Members’ Dinner.