Gerard Dwyer
Australian trade unionist (born 1963)
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Gerard Dwyer (born 1963) is an Australian trade unionist who has served as the President of Union Network International since 2023,[1] and National Secretary-Treasurer of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) since 2014.[2]
Gerard Dwyer | |
|---|---|
| President of Union Network International | |
| Assumed office 31 August 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ruben Cortina |
| Vice President of the ACTU | |
| Assumed office 2017 | |
| President | Michele O'Neil |
| Preceded by | Sally McManus |
| National Secretary-Treasurer of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association | |
| Assumed office 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Joe de Bruyn |
| National President of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association | |
| In office 2008–2014 | |
| Succeeded by | Joe de Bruyn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1963 (age 62–63) Casino, New South Wales, Australia |
| Party | Labor |
| Education | Australian Catholic University (BEd) University of Technology Sydney (MBus) |
| Profession | Union official |
Career
Dwyer was first employed by the SDA as an organiser in 1987, originally on a temporary contract. He was elected secretary-treasurer of the New South Wales branch in 2005 and national president in 2008. He served in both positions until his nomination to replace Joe de Bruyn as national secretary-treasurer in 2014.[3]
He was appointed Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in 2017.[4] In 2020 he was appointed as an Alternate Director of the superannuation fund Rest Super.[3]
In 2023, Dwyer was elected President of the Union Network International at the UNI World Congress in Philadelphia.[1]
Dwyer is active in Australian Labor Party politics, serving as a member of the National Executive and is a prominent member of the Labor Right faction.[5][6][7] He is also a director of the Labor Party-aligned Thinktank the John Curtin Research Centre.[8]
Dwyer is also a member of the Australian Government's Ministerial Advisory Board on Skilled Migration, with his term due to expire in June 2027.[9] He was previously a member of the National Workplace Relations Consultative Council, serving from 2022 to 2024.[10]
Personal life
Born in the town of Casino, New South Wales in 1963, Dwyer's family was firmly unionist. His uncle once ran as a state Labor candidate and his grandfather was a union delegate at a butter factory.[2] He studied education at Australian Catholic University, working as a teacher and social worker before beginning his career as a union official.[2]