By Chris Spindler
MELBOURNE — In a bold move, the rank and file Workers First group in the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has announced it will run a candidate against incumbent national secretary Doug Cameron. Long-time militant and union educator Darren Nelson will stand against Cameron.
The group also plans to run its popular metals division secretary, Craig Johnston, for the position of Victorian state secretary.
Workers First, which dominates the union's Victorian branch, has became a major force in the AMWU, gaining great support from rank and file members for its more militant and democratic brand of unionism.
The branch's metals division has opened regional offices of the union, provided more active organisers and given members a greater say in the union. The branch's food division has followed a similar path, promoting an active grassroots unionism that has improved members' pay and conditions.
Cameron has never before been challenged in the union elections but now faces an uncertain future. He backed the appointment of Julius Roe as interim Victorian state secretary when the previous state secretary stood down and will again back Roe in the upcoming election for the position.
Workers First's Terry Bradley will also run for a position as metal division organiser.
Workers First plans to campaign on its record over the past 18 months. The union has won some major victories against the bosses, the courts and the cops. Disputes at Schweppes, the Melbourne airport, Shell, Simplot and Amcor were all won through picket lines and industrial campaigns led by the Workers First team.
Workers First leaders of the metals division have also been the architects of one of the most ambitious industrial campaigns in Victoria for years: that to replace the industry's many different enterprise bargaining agreements with a statewide industry agreement in July.
Given that the bosses' journal, the Australian Financial Review, has praised Cameron for his leadership of the AMWU while harshly criticising Johnston, Workers First's active, campaigning form of unionism is unlikely to survive if Cameron and Roe win the election. Their victory would mean a return to the inactivity of the past, when union general meetings didn't happen, shop after shop hadn't seen an organiser for years and there was little accountability or membership control over the union's resources and direction.