Helen Kelly (trade unionist)

Helen Kelly

Kelly in 2011

Kelly in 2011
Residence Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealander
Alma mater Victoria University of Wellington
Occupation Trade unionist
Employer Council of Trade Unions
Partner(s) Steve Hurring
Children 1

Helen Kelly (born September 1964)[1] is a former President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. She held the role from 2007 until October 2015, stepping down due to her ongoing battle with cancer.

Early life

Kelly's father was Pat Kelly, a well-known unionist, who died in 2004. Her parents met selling a communist newspaper, People's Voice.[2] She has said of her childhood:

"I was brought up on unions. Mum would wake us by singing, "Wake up darlings from your slumbers". I used to play at going to meetings, rather than dress-up dolls. Our home was union central. We always had visitors who were discussing union business."[3]

Kelly attended Wellington High School.[3] She later studied law and education at Victoria University of Wellington.[4]

Career

Kelly started her career as a primary school teacher, working for three years at Johnsonville Main School. She enjoyed the job, but quickly became more involved in union affairs.[3]

Kelly began her involvement with unions through her involvement in teaching unions. She was made a delegate on her first day teaching.[2] She held senior positions with both the New Zealand Institute of Education and the Association of University Staff (AUS, now the New Zealand Tertiary Education Union). She was the youngest woman to ever be appointed as a general secretary of the AUS, a position she held at AUS for five years until her election as CTU President in 2007.[4]

Kelly has been an outspoken advocate for better safety standards in the New Zealand forestry industry.

Hobbit dispute

Kelly speaking at a Budget day rally at Parliament in 2011

In 2010, during the negotiations for the production of Warner Bros' Hobbit films in New Zealand, Kelly got involved in a controversy regarding contract workers rights in the film industry. Kelly said in a statement at the time: "let's get all the facts on the table about taxes, subsidies, and other issues – rather than just blaming the union for asking to meet on basic terms and conditions".[5] In April 2011, Kelly published an extensive timeline of events around the negotiations.[6]

Personal life

Kelly lives in Mount Victoria, Wellington, with her husband Steve Hurring and her son Dylan, from a previous relationship.[2]

She was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2015, at the age of 50; she has never been a smoker.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Braunias, Steve (9 April 2016). "The real oil on Helen Kelly". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Hewitson, Michele (16 July 2011). "Michele Hewitson Interview: Helen Kelly". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Romanos, Joseph (19 August 2010). "The Wellingtonian Interview: Helen Kelly". The Wellingtonian. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 NZCTU. "CTU people". union.org.nz. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "CTU's Hobbit statement". Stuff.co.nz. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Helen (12 April 2011). "Helen Kelly: The Hobbit Dispute". Scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Helen Kelly diagnosed with lung cancer". Stuff. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.

External links

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