Geelong Trades Hall announced on November 2 that Tim Gooden has formally resigned as secretary and treasurer after 11 years at the council’s helm.
Colin Vernon, formerly an Industrial Health and Safety Organiser in Geelong with the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, Forestry and Furniture Products Division, was endorsed as secretary.
Gooden notified Trades Hall of his decision to vacate the positions in a letter to president Jacqueline Kriz.
The letter said: “I have come to this decision as I strongly believe that this position requires fresh energy and ideas. After 11 years in the job, I find that I’m a bit stale and would like to become a rank and filer again.
“I’ve always thought that it is detrimental to the union movement for officials to stay in their positions once they’ve become tired. I would hate to become one of those who just bide their time until retirement.”
Gooden said he did not want the move to be seen as a resignation from the union movement and indicated he plans to continue on at Trades Hall and perhaps make a contribution to the executive.
Vernon was elected unopposed as secretary and will be formally endorsed by the Geelong Trades Hall Council on November 15.
Vernon said: “It is a big position, and certainly there’s a lot of work to do. I have been a unionist all my working life and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. The union movement in the region is growing with a huge growth in the medical and health sector”.
He said the health and safety of workers and jobs in the region would be his top priorities for the near future.
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