Jennie george biography george
Home / Athletes & Sports Figures / Jennie george biography george
George was a Secondary school teacher and teacher trade unionist, and was elected General Secretary of the New South Wales Teachers Federation1980-82.
George was Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in 1987, Assistant Secretary of the ACTU 1991-96 and President of the ACTU 1996-2000. In November 2001, she became a Federal Member of Parliament when she successfully contested the seat of Throsby for the Australian Labor Party.
- Entry type: Person
- Entry ID: AWE0240
George, Jennie
- Birth name Sinicky, Eugenie
- Born 20 August 1947, Trani, , Italy
- Occupation Parliamentarian, Trade unionist
Summary
Jennie George, who is of Russian and Italian heritage and came to Australia when she was three years old, was the first woman to be appointed President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in 1996.
She then became Assistant National Director of the Trade Union Training Authority (1989-91) and from 1991-95 was Assistant Secretary of the ACTU.
She was the first woman to be elected to the ACTU Executive in 1983 and pushed such issues as childcare and the equal representation of women in politics and trade unions. She was born in Trani, Italy, where her parents were displaced persons from Russia.
She was re-elected in 2004 and 2007, but retired at the 2010 election, which was held on 21 August.
Events
- 2001
Inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women
Published resources
- Resource
- Edited Book
- Who's Who in Australia 2002, Herd, Margaret, 2002
- Australian Feminism: A Companion, Caine, Barbara, Gatens, Moira et al., 1998
- Resource Section
Related entries
- Related Organisations
- EMILY's List Australia (1996)
- EMILY's List Australia (1996)
- Related Concepts
- Women in Politics: Australian Labor Party
- Women in Politics: Australian Labor Party
Jennie George was born on 20 August 1947, at a displaced persons' camp at Trani, Italy, shortly before her Russian parents migrated to Australia.
Further reading
- Jennie George, Brad Norrington, Sydney, Allen & Unwin, 1998
.
She became General Secretary of the New South Wales Teachers Federation from 1980-82 and later, President from 1986-89. She attended Burwood Girls' High School in Sydney and won a scholarship to Sydney University.She was the first woman to hold this position. Jennie will contest the seat of Throsby for Labor in the 2001 Federal election.
Jennie George
Jennie George
Jennie George (born 28 August1947), Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Throsby, New South Wales.
She held that position from 1996-2000, the first female leader of the ACTU.
On retiring she recalled her greatest achievement as the management of the Patrick stevedoring dispute 'because it was about the heart, soul and survival of the union movement' (The Age, 8 March 2000). She was educated at Sydney University and the Sydney Teachers College.
During the 1960s and early '70s George was a member of the Communist Party of Australia, although she has not confirmed this publicly since it was discussed in a biography by Brad Norrington in 1998. In late 1995, Jennie was appointed to the presidency of the ACTU. While studying Arts there, she joined the Eureka Youth League and participated in anti-Vietnam War protests.
From 1969, she worked as a secondary school teacher and became involved in the Teachers' Union from 1973.