‘Sack de Bruyn’
An online group has called for the sacking of Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) national secretary Joe de Bruyn for not listening to his membership in publicly opposing gay marriage.
The Facebook group Sack Joe de Bruyn NOW has the support of more than 440 members. It was set up by Jay Allen, who is not a member of the SDA but claims the union is wielding undue influence over Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
“I am pretty sure [Gillard] does believe in marriage equality,” Allen told the Star Observer. “I thought, the only way she will change her stance is not if we put pressure on her, but if we remove the power broker who controls her.”
A motion to oppose same-sex marriage was put forward and passed at the SDA Queensland branch’s quarterly meeting in February.
De Bruyn has repeatedly voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage, telling the ABC in June that a change to Labor’s current position would lose seats for the party, especially in Queensland.
Some members of the SDA have spoken out against their union leader’s opposition and 83 members signed a petition against the union’s stance in February.
SDA shop steward Duncan Hart said the union has never properly canvassed the views of all its members to take such a firm position.
A 2010 Galaxy Poll showed 62 percent of Australians surveyed support same-sex marriage.
Oh sorry to upset you Oliver. But my beloved and I had a good chuckle. I run a business and employ people and my other is the Director of Medical Services with a budget of over a hundred million and a significant part of the hospital to run, we are on the AME website. We live in a country area and love it. Sorry you are not the only Tall Gay Poppy, but your comments sound very extreme. I have worked in small and large businesses prior to running my internet company.
As soon as the rush dies down, we are heading off to New York to marry. We are not waiting for Labor or this Union Boss to decide for us.
Gay “tall poppy syndrome” at its best!
@Oliver “as a manager myslef” says it all… LMAO I wonder how many of your worker actually like you.
Pauline Hanson’s old fish and chip shop is it Oliver? How dare they have a tea break!
As a manager myself its usually when a person doesnt live up to the standards or incompetence where a dismissal is issued. You give people a job and all they do is bite the hand that feeds them, or just play with their ipods all day. Especially when they throw unionism in your face which simply has no relevance in the 21st century. Australia has the most laziest workers in the developed world, you want smockos, toilet breaks, tea breaks, more money, God, do some work!
The new Enterprise Agreement with Ford Australia between an employment agency excludes same-sex couples form carers leave, it states only those in an opposite sex relationship can have the leave.
Many jobs need the protection of a Union. The idea people should just leave due to their sexuality is abhorrent and Evil.
It is hard enough doing some jobs without this crap. Just as it is hard when the Victorian Liberal/National Party strips the protection not to be sacked at work based on your sexuality, from thousands of government funded jobs. Some people need Union representation when employers, just some employers like Ford, decide to be bastards, and outsource labour to non unionised homophobic companies that openly discriminate against Same-Sex attracted people.
The problem with Joe is, he is head of a Union that is not looking after the interest of workers, and his Union is spending Millions trying to have influence on the Prime Minister, and get Labor to force his conservative Catholic views onto others who do not want it.
The debate about Same-Sex Marriage in Labor represents what is wrong with Labor. It will take money from some Unions, and give them a greater say then ordinary members.
Bill, Reality is, the workplace always has a hand ful of whingers who complain of the most smallest things. Then theres the union delegate who tries to force everyone to join. If your not happy in your job, you know where the door is!
Oliver,
You know all Union Members in Australia do you? And you have done all jobs?
I’ve seen your type before. Knows everything, no empathy, and cannot accept reality.
Unionism is for those who want the money but dont want to work. Ive seen it all before. All you do is pay money to keep a bunch of lefties in cushy employment. No thanks
My answer to Oliver is that this is the prefect example of why you should join a union if every GLBT person working in the areas covered by de Bruyn’s union joined the union we could exert sufficient pressure to get rid of him and his right wing Catholic mates. It can be done once upon a time the clerks union held the same views and extremist right wing Catholic positions on social issues then along came Lindsay Tanner and worked his way up through that union, a great personal cost, and finally took over the leadership bringing change and fresh air to wash away the prejudice and dogma. I’m sorry to have to say this but not joining a union is an all too easy cop out. A cop out we can’t afford if we are ever to see the changes we need.
@Oliver Not joining a union will get you or this issue no where.
@Greg is again clutching at straws to make a anit-gay rights comment on behalf of the ALP yet again. As you know the SDA is key to the debate so I’m happy to hear any news.
I fully support the SDA members who are making a change. I hope they can apply the crow bar to a man who has no right to be in such a job. To all the grass roots SDA members they need more support!
dont join a union! simple! I never have!
Julia Gillard’s opposition to marriage equality has everything to do with money it is not and never has been, sadly, about principle. The shoppies since they were let back into the ALP have pumped millions of dollars into the ALP coffers and have, as a consequence of their cash support, bought the resounding silence of the National Body of the party. As an ALP member for more than thirty years and a gay man I shall be at the national conference and at the demonstration on the Saturday – enough is enough – we can’t allow the Catholic right minority to run the ALP any longer.
Walk through Myers and David Jones – there are lots of gays working in retail. They have to organise within the SDA to move these dinosaurs. De Bruyn is paid by union memmbers, not Jay Allen.
Joe De Bruyn currently controls who is the Prime Minister and seeks to stop us being included in the Equal Opportunity Act, let alone have the right to marry. He is conservative Catholic hardliner and has branded our very existence as “Not Natural” many times over. This man has immense power over Australians, and I think demonstrates the structural problem that is killing the ALP. There are groups such as Rainbow Labor ,within the ALP, that are trying to make a difference but they are up against it. At the end of the day we can only measure a party by the policy and the outcomes of the policy. We are not even included in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act let alone have the right to marry.
Given the extraordinary power Joe has, he needs to be dragged out of the shadows. It is imperative we treat subject him to the media spot light, that others have to when they are “just following orders”.
“Set-up by… not a member of… but thinks that….”
Putting the quaintly narrow-minded De Bruyn to one side for a moment, who is the towered behind this Facebook group? Where does he get of speaking on behalf of individuals in an organisation he is not connected too… A reasonable person might ask “why reward this man with a puff piece?”