10:30am – Panel: Women on Strike! 

From health professionals to journalists, librarians to educators, women have been leading some of the most significant industrial campaigns in Victoria. We’ll be spotlighting the union women taking action and the conditions they’re fighting for.  

• Marg Gatehouse, member, Independent Education Union (IEU) 
• Emma Field, member, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)
• Julia Salanowski, member, Association of Hospital Pharmacists (AHP)

11:15am – Workshops 1 

Choose one:

• EBA clause pitch: Regulating AI, Paid Disaster Leave, Women’s Advocates, Cultural and Ceremonial Leave (VTHC and Australian Education Union Organisers)
• Union women make history: feminist unionists timeline and tour (VTHC Women’s Organisers)
• Getting the balance right: Work from home, flexible work and the right to disconnect (Jessica Dawson-Field, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers)
• Right to strike: Do we have the right to strike in Australia? Looking at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision (Amanda Threlfall, Assistant Secretary, VTHC) 

12:15pm – Lunch  

1:15pm – Panel: Solidarity matters: Combatting the rise of hate and division 

Union and community leaders discuss the fight against the far right, and why it is more important than ever to show up for each other. 

• Lara Watson, First Nations Workers Alliance (FNWA) at the ACTU
• Jackie Turner, Trans Justice Project 
• Yasmin Poole, Democracy in Colour 

2:00pm – Panel: Organising for Psychosocial Health at Work 

New psychosocial health regulations are helping us tackle workload, occupational violence, harassment and more. Hear from union women and HSRs about how we've been able to fight for safer conditions in workplaces.   

• Claire King, Work Healthy and Safety Policy Officer, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)
• Mary Macgregor, HSR, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF)
• Laura Boehm, Industrial Officer, Australian Services Union Victorian Private Sector Branch (ASU-PS)

2:45pm – Workshops 2 

Choose one:

• It’s For Every Body: Reproductive Health is a Workplace Issue (VTHC Women’s Organisers)
• Women HSRs Network Chat: Interested in OHS? Get to know union HSRs across industries! (VTHC and women HSRs)
• Solidarity in Action: Standing up for workers at the ballot box (Felicity Sowerbutts, Lead, Victorian Labour College)
• Solidarity in Action: Understanding and combating anti-trans sentiment and messages (Jackie Turner, Trans Justice Project) 

Saturday 22 August 

9:00am – Registration opens 

10:00am – Welcome 

Acknowledgement of Country, Solidarity Statement, Diversity Statement 

Overview of our plan to make workplaces gender equal through the Workplaces for Women Program (Caro Dunbar – VTHC Women’s Team Lead with Nobuko Nagai, Research Officer VTHC) 

10:15am – Q&A

Wil Stracke, Assistant Secretary of VTHC and Nicole McPherson, National Assistant Secretary of the Finance Sector Union (FSU) and President of VTHC

10:45am – Panel: Women to the Front! 

Women working in transport, manufacturing and other historically male-dominated industries share how they have challenged barriers, advocated for their coworkers and created change in their workplaces. Hear practical lessons in leadership, confidence and workplace organising from graduates of the Equal Workplace Advocate and Anna Stewart Memorial Project. 

• Whitney Murphy, Organiser with Teju Karande, member, Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) 
• Melissa Thornton, member, Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU)
• Karlene Eaton, member, Transport Workers Union (TWU)

11:30am – Workshops 1

Choose one:

• Tools for change: Assessing gender equality at your workplace: a ‘how-to’ for using the Workplaces for Women Gender Equality Audit Tool and resources to support gender equality and diversity at work
• Understanding the gender pay gap: What causes the gap and how can we fix it? A practical workshop using WGEA data for your workplace and strategies for action at work
• Making work safe: Learn the basics when it comes to preventing sexual harassment and gender based violence at work
• Spectrum of Allies: Identifying and moving allies to action

12:30pm – Lunch and union bingo 

1:15pm – Panel: Women leading Women

From manufacturing to maritime, science and entertainment, union women are supporting other women to join and thrive in historically male dominated industries and occupations.

• Philli Anderson, Stunt Coordinator and member, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) 
• Angie Moore, Offshore Oil and Gas Decommissioning Campaigner and National Women's Representative with Allison Wellington, member, Maritime Union of Australia (MUA)

2:00pm – Workshops 2

Choose one:

• Tools for change: Bargaining for Equality: A deep dive into the bargaining for equality resources and pitch your case for a new equality entitlement at work!
• Understanding the gender pay gap (repeat): What causes the pay gap and how can we fix it? A practical workshop using WGEA data for your workplace and strategies for action at work.
• Making work safe (repeat): Learn the basics when it comes to preventing sexual harassment and gender based violence at work.
• Union women make history: Feminist unionists timeline and tour (VTHC Women’s Team) 

2:55pm – Reflections and Conference close