| Full name | United Voice |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 (as the LHMU) |
| Members | 135,654 |
| Country | Australia |
| Affiliation | ACTU |
| Key people | Louise Tarrant, National Secretary |
| Office location | Sydney, NSW |
| Website | www.unitedvoice.org.au |
United Voice, formerly known as the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) (the "Missos") is a large Australian trade union, with around 130,000 members. United Voice members work in a wide range of occupations including hospitality, childcare, teachers' aides, aged care, property services (cleaning, security, maintenance etc.), health, manufacturing, ambulance workers (in some states) and community services.
The union took its new name of United Voice effective 1 March 2011.[1]
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United Voice is an amalgamation of the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union (FMWU) and Liquor Trades Union (LTU). This merger occurred in 1992 and the new union, known as the LHMU, had 200,000 members. Today it has around 130,000 members. The decline in membership can be explained by the end of compulsory unionism in 1996 and a lack of an organising focus until recent times. The move of flight catering and aircraft cleaning staff to join the Transport Workers Union in the mid-1990s also lost the union several thousand members.
In recent years, the union has reported a small but important membership growth - going against the trend of most union membership figures in Australia. Its major campaign for cleaners called Clean Start:Fair Deal for Cleaners [2] is inspired by the successful U.S. campaign Justice for Janitors and has organised many new cleaners in CBD office blocks across Australia.
United Voice had humble beginnings, with the FMWU starting off as a union of watchmen, caretakers and cleaners with 1400 members in 1916[3].
After steady growth over the first half of the century, including winning paid sick leave, annual leave and a forty-hour week, the union really took off in the 1950s. A new rank-and-file leadership took over to create a vibrant, member-driven union[4].
Famous campaigns during the 1950s and 60s included organising workers paid to be Santa Clauses at Christmas and a group of dance instructors who were locked out for four months before winning their jobs back[4].
The strength of the "Missos" grew over these years, with membership increasing from 25,000 in 1955 to 88,000 by 1975.
By the early 1990s, the LHMU had become powerful with close links to Labor politicians such as Bob Hawke, Neville Wran and Lionel Murphy. These links continue with prominent Labor ministers Penny Wong and Mark Butler both former LHMU SA branch officials[5][6].
United Voice has branches in each state and territory, and a national office which coordinates major national campaigns. The national secretary is Louise Tarrant.