Personality Profiles: Paul Howes

National Secretary Paul Howes

Paul Howes is the National Secretary of The Australian Workers' Union.

Paul has more than a decade of respected union activism behind him - as an ordinary union member, as a union delegate, working for a peak trade union body (Unions NSW) and as an AWU official.

He was born in Sydney, and grew up in the Blue Mountains, going to school at Blaxland High.

After leaving school Paul became active in his union as a delegate.At the age of 17 he became a Research Officer with the Labor Council of NSW (now Unions NSW). Paul worked closely with the AWU in organising workers at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and later became an official with the Greater NSW Branch of the AWU.

Paul joined the National Office of the AWU in 2003 as the National Organiser and organised the Alumina, Mining and Steel industries for the AWU across the country. He helped coordinate campaigns to attract new members to the union from a wide range of industries including the offshore oil & gas industry, the mining industry and the manufacturing industry.

In 2005, Paul was elected as National Vice President and become the youngest person in the history of the Union to hold a national leadership position. He worked with National Secretary Bill Shorten in reforming the union's internal structure, implementing new strategies to organise non-union workplaces and consolidate membership in the steel, construction, mining, aluminium, glass, public sector, manufacturing and aviation industries.

Paul is known as one of the young innovators of the Australian union movement eager to work with members on campaigns that deliver security to working people, grow our industries, make politicians listen and grow AWU membership.

Paul was elected National Secretary following the election of former National Secretary Bill Shorten to Federal Parliament in the 2007 election.

The AWU now has around 135,000 members across Australia and has over 200 staff. Established 121-years ago, the AWU is the country's oldest and most diverse union, with 45 offices across non-metropolitan Australia.

The union and its members are proud of its many wins over 121 years - victories which played an important part in helping form the character of Australia: the vision of 'fair go' for all.

Paul also serves as a director of the nation's largest superannuation fund AustralianSuper.

Paul lives in Sydney and is married to Lucy and has two children.

Paul can be contacted at the AWU National Office on 02 8005 3333 or email members@awu.net.au