As is too often the case, the announcement that a number of prison wings throughout the state were to be mothballed (see opposite page) was made with

insufficient consultation with the union representing prison staff.

As always, the PSA sprang into action, talking to management and keeping members updated about the moves.

By being a member, you have a union talking on your behalf to the decision- makers in this state.

But there is another way your union takes up the fight on behalf of members: the media.

We aim to win in legal arenas such as the Industrial Relations Commission and the Fair Work Commission, but there is also a battle for public opinion. And the media is where much of this takes place.

The mothballing controversy is a good example. When it comes to prisons in regional centres particularly, the local media are keen to know how job losses will affect communities heavily dependent on regular, well-paid Public Sector jobs.

The PSA CPSU NSW was front and centre, in the gaze of television news cameras outside gaols such as Goulburn. We are on radio talkback and at home taking calls on our mobiles from journalists and producers.

Media attention is part of this battle. Our General Secretary Stewart Little is a regular guest on Ray Hadley’s morning talkback show. Mr Hadley is an unabashed conservative and usually no friend of the union movement, but his political preconceptions drop when Mr Little points out just how important our members’ jobs are to the people of NSW.

Getting your concerns in the media is a vital part of union representation. Journalists state-wide have the mobile numbers of our Executive, Industrial

Officers, communication staff and public relations representatives on speed-dial. They know a quick call can uncover what a news story means to the workers providing vital services to the people of NSW.

Your union is your voice. It is your voice to management, your voice to the court system and your voice to the media. Without the union fighting on your behalf, this voice would be silenced