SFWU loses a Workers' Champion

The Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota is sad to report that Luci Highfield our former Central Region Secretary died early this morning following a two year battle with cancer.

Luci worked for the SFWU for 14 years, and was loved and respected by union members and colleagues. Throughout the many campaigns Luci was involved in, her enthusiasm for workers rights and in particular the rights of women won her the hearts of many of our members, and she will be sorely missed.

Luci won many fine cases for the union including achieving the recognition of home support workers as "workers", winning $1 million in compensation for Wellington public hospital workers who were contracted out and the establishment of rights for IHC workers not to be moved from facility to facility without their agreement.

She was also instrumental in the Part 6A amendment (protection for vulnerable workers) to the Employment Relations Act being introduced. In fact, it has often been said that part 6A should have been named after her!

John Ryall, SFWU National Secretary said "Luci has played a pivotal role in some of the gains that the union has won in the last ten years and will be a big loss to the union. She will be remembered fondly by the many members whose lives she touched. When you look at the protections for our members employed by contractors, the extension of employment rights to home support workers and the achievement of our public hospital national agreement you will find Luci’s influence in each of them."

Luci became involved in the union in the early 1990s. She was employed as a security worker in Auckland while she was finishing her law degree and was elected as a union delegate.

She attended a Regional Delegates Conference, becoming involved in coordinating a survey on chemical safety for school cleaners and caretakers and then gaining a job as an Aged Care organiser.

When she finished her law degree Luci moved to Wellington to take up a job as one of the Union’s two legal officers.

"From her first day at work Luci was not just interested in simply defending the union and its members in court but was heavily involved in working through organising strategies that could give help our members to win greater rights," said John Ryall.

Having witnessed the regular occurrences of members being sacked during contract changes Luci was an enthusiastic supporter of a 1999 union campaign to win greater protections for members employed by contractors.

She served on a Ministerial Advisory Committee during the term of the 1999-2002 Labour/Alliance Coalition Government that drew up the outline of legislation that became the current Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act.

SFWU Komiti Pasifika Convenor Lalopua Sanele said that Luci was a great friend and advocate for our members employed in public hospitals.

"We always responded to Luci’s advice because we knew that her advice was always right. Numerous times we went to court or parliamentary select committees with Luci and just about every time we won something for our members."

Lalopua said that Luci was good at encouraging our members to extend themselves and take up leadership roles, something that Wellington-based SFWU Education Organiser Jody Anderson also attests to.

"When I was a delegate for mental health provider Wellink Luci encouraged me to be a member organiser and later to apply for a full-time job with the union. She was very supportive and inspired a number of women members to become more active and take up union leadership roles."

Luci’s talents were also recognised in the wider union movement, serving a term as the NZCTU Women’s Council Convenor and as a representative of female unionists on the NZCTU National Affiliates Council.

She was also involved in setting up the CTU Out@Work Council and organised SFWU support for the passing of the Civil Union Act.

In December the union’s National Executive recognised the incredible contribution that Luci has made to the union both as a member, organiser, legal officer and regional secretary by awarding her with life membership.

Our thoughts are with Luci’s partner Rob and their families. We will never forget you Luci.

ENDS

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