Helen Kelly
| Helen Kelly | |
|---|---|
 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 c.1965) 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.[1] 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."[2]
Kelly attended Wellington High School.[2] She later studied law and education at Victoria University of Wellington.[3]
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.[2]
Kelly began her involvement with unions through her involvement in teaching unions. She was made a delegate on her first day teaching.[1] 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.[3]
Kelly has been an outspoken advocate for better safety standards in the New Zealand forestry industry.
Hobbit dispute
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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".[4] In April 2011, Kelly published an extensive timeline of events around the negotiations.[5]
Personal life
Kelly lives in Mount Victoria, Wellington, with her husband Steve Hurring and her son Dylan, from a previous relationship.[1]
She was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2015, at the age of 50; she has never been a smoker.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 Hewitson, Michele (16 July 2011). "Michele Hewitson Interview: Helen Kelly". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- 1 2 3 Romanos, Joseph (19 August 2010). "The Wellingtonian Interview: Helen Kelly". The Wellingtonian. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- 1 2 NZCTU. "CTU people". union.org.nz. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ "CTU's Hobbit statement". Stuff.co.nz. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ Kelly, Helen (12 April 2011). "Helen Kelly: The Hobbit Dispute". Scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ "Helen Kelly diagnosed with lung cancer". Stuff. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Helen Kelly. |
- Profile on CTU website
- Helen Kelly on Twitter
- Helen Kelly interviewed on Radio New Zealand national about her influences