Union Leader Recounts Harassment and Intimidation at Queensland CFMEU Inquiry
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A Queensland inquiry into alleged union misconduct has heard harrowing testimony from a rival union leader who broke down in tears while detailing alleged harassment by a CFMEU member in front of her 13-year-old son. The commission, investigating potential criminal links, is currently holding its second block of public hearings in Brisbane.
Stacey Schinnerl, the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) state secretary and the first woman to lead an AWU branch in its nearly 140-year history, has been providing evidence for two days. Her testimony paints a picture of a sustained and aggressive campaign against the AWU by the CFMEU, marked by intimidation and a deeply ingrained culture of silence.
Confrontation at Labour Day Event
The inquiry heard that in 2023, during a Brisbane Labour Day event at the RNA Showgrounds, a CFMEU member approached Ms. Schinnerl within the AWU marquee. According to Ms. Schinnerl, the man, whose face was painted with the words “Australia’s Worst Union,” aggressively confronted her, asking, “How do you f***ing like this?” while gesturing towards his face.
Ms. Schinnerl stated she told the man to leave, but he repeatedly called her “weak.” The situation escalated, becoming intensely personal when her son became a target. “I kept on saying: ‘My son is here. Just go. Don’t do this here,’” she recounted to the inquiry, visibly distressed.
The man then allegedly “pushed up against” Ms. Schinnerl, creating a “chest to chest” confrontation. She testified that he appeared to attempt to move past her toward her child, and then directed a vulgar and accusatory statement at her son, asking, “How does it feel to know your mum’s a f***ing grub who sells out workers?”
Alleged Witness and Subsequent Harassment
Ms. Schinnerl further alleged that former CFMEU Queensland assistant state secretary Jade Ingham was present during the incident and “made no attempt to pull him away.” Following the confrontation, Ms. Schinnerl stated she was briefly followed by a group of men wearing CFMEU shirts as she left the event.
The inquiry has revealed a broader pattern of aggressive behavior by the CFMEU, including the plastering of anti-AWU stickers and posters on buildings and the erection of flags on AWU offices – an effort to push their rivals out of the civil construction sector.
A Culture of Silence and Fear
Ms. Schinnerl explained that she was hesitant to report the alleged misconduct to police due to a deeply rooted “unwritten code” within the union movement, where “not grassing on your mates” is seen as a betrayal of solidarity. “That would be seen as the absolute antithesis of solidarity,” she told the inquiry.
She expressed regret that she hadn’t formally pursued complaints earlier, stating, “Perhaps if I had followed through with some of those complaints more formally… I could have stopped more of the serious stuff.” She added that doing so would have made her and the AWU “the complete and utter pariahs of the union movement.”
On Wednesday, Ms. Schinnerl described a years-long campaign of fear, harassment, and intimidation, including a perceived threat to her life, with CFMEU members allegedly warning her to “keep her head down or it would be knocked off.”
Inquiry Background and CFMEU Administration
The Queensland government announced the commission of inquiry in July, following the release of a scathing report on the state branch of the CFMEU. In August of last year, all state and territory branches of the construction arm of the CFMEU were placed into administration. The current hearings represent the second block of public testimony as the inquiry continues to investigate allegations of misconduct and potential criminal activity within the union.
