Industrial warrior Denis Matson on 30 years in the legal trenches

Denis, unimpressed by a recalcitrant employer during bargaining, 2022.

Not all history is that old. Today's campaigns, decisions and struggles become tomorrow's history – and documenting them helps us understand how change is won.

At the IEU’s recent SIA hearing at the Fair Work Commission, a familiar face appeared in the witness box: Denis Matson, former IEU Industrial Officer, giving evidence on the history of bargaining between the union and Victorian Catholic employers.

Denis was warmly greeted by experienced union staff, lawyers, and the Deputy President presiding over the hearing. He is well known as a passionate and eloquent advocate for workers’ rights across a 30-year career, which concluded in 2022 after a 13-year stint with our union.

His Know Your Rights columns were a regular feature of this publication, making technical issues accessible and leaving readers in no doubt that being informed is essential to protecting their interests.

When workers like Denis retire, unions risk losing a considerable store of wisdom and institutional knowledge.

Denis knew that, so when he retired, he penned some words for union staff.

Its first words?

‘It’s members’ money. Never forget that’.

Four years on, we’ve sought some more of his wisdom.

How and why did you start working in the union movement?

My youth was spent straddling the worlds of privilege and poverty. My family were pretty well-off, but most of my friends were really not. When I finished school I wanted to make the world a fairer place.

Looking around now, it’s pretty obvious that I failed, but it was not for want of trying.

I started working in community organisations – the Tenants Union and the Broadmeadows Legal Service. A job came up at the Plumbers’ Union and suddenly I was an Industrial Officer – running cases and doing all the quasi-legal work. Over time I picked up a law degree and moved from the Plumbers to the Manufacturing Workers’ Union, the Finance Sector Union, the Construction Union and finally the IEU.

What led you to the IEU?

Misadventure. One of my colleagues claimed, ‘You’re not a real Industrial Officer unless you’ve been sacked from at least two unions’. I only got sacked by one, but I did leave a couple prematurely.

Unions can be volatile places to work, but I can honestly say I kept my eye firmly on members’ interests regardless. And that led me to the exit door at least twice.

By contrast, the IEU was, and is, a stable, member-focused union that I was proud to work for.

You worked with some notable union characters. What tips did you learn from them?

I worked with John Cummins and after he died I was given his mobile phone. For months after that every builder I phoned had conniptions thinking John was back from the grave and calling to exact revenge! I worked with some of the real greats of the movement and watched in awe as they delivered impossibly good results out of thin air.

However, one of my biggest lessons came from a member. I was getting a bit impatient one time and the member reminded me that, while I might deal with lots of member issues, the one she was experiencing was the biggest issue in her life. She was right and she deserved to have her issue treated with that level of concern.

The final Matson missive.

What are common mistakes that members and Reps make?

Documentation is crucial. If you have come to an agreement but can’t get the employer to write it down, send them an email about it. Take copies of anything you might need. Don’t sign anything until you’ve had it checked by your union.

I can’t tell you how many times members came to me having already been cheated out of their rights.

Employers often convey confidence, but don’t assume that they know what they’re talking about. Even clear words in a contract can be unenforceable. Before you assume that the employer has a right to do something, check with your union.

And don’t over-estimate the employer’s strength. Often an employer has internal factions, and some of the managers may actually be supporting you. You can guess what employers are thinking, but you never know what will break a deadlock.

I once saw an employer concede defeat because a member put a second lamb on a picket-line spit-barbecue!

Are there a couple of thoughts you’d like to leave us with?

Join, encourage others to be members, and keep your membership current!

The IEU has a policy which prevents it from acting for people who join with a pre-existing issue. Membership is like insurance – you can’t wait until you’ve had an accident to take out the policy.

And good results frequently come from the mere fact that union membership in that workplace is high.

It never mattered how confident or persuasive I was, if union membership was high in that workplace, the employer knew that they had to sort problems out and keep members happy.

I also learned to ditch the image of union power being blue collar. IEU members in both Victoria and Tasmania repeatedly proved to me that they could stand up when it counted. Their numbers at rallies and strikes, their unflinching resolve in disputes and their willingness to hold the line in legal cases showed a strength that would make the building unions jealous.

More relaxed in retirement, 2023.