ETU apprentice Iyesha wins Emma Miller Award!

Iyesha Paull, an adult apprentice in Cairns and ETU member, was recently presented with an Emma Miller award by the Queensland Council of Unions, after being nominated by her union.

Emma Miller was a Queensland union activist and suffragette in the very early 1900s. She’s best known for leading a union contingent in the 1912 tramways strike in Brisbane, and stabbing the police commissioner’s horse with her hatpin, (though her family say she actually got the police commissioner’s leg).

Iyesha is relatively new to the trade, and has made a huge impression on her workmates and her local organiser Rob Hill, who says Iyesha is “a legend and a true leader.”

Iyesha was identified as an activist by Union officials and has represented both women and apprentices at recent conferences. She was voted up as apprentice delegate at her site, and had the full support of her workmates. The vote came after conversations at different conferences with delegates from her industry. Iyesha wasn’t present, but people she worked with were, and they had only excellent things to say.

Iyesha is a credit to the trade and a staunch activist in the union. Young people are the future of our union and our industry, and with members like Iyesha, we can rest easy knowing we are in good hands.

Congratulations Iyesha, on this very well-deserved award!

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This article was publised on 28 September 2022.