CFMEU SA stalwart Aaron Cartledge cites costly “failed” industrial campaign for decision to resign from union after 30 years as a member

Updated: Long-standing union figure Aaron Cartledge has resigned his membership of the state’s construction union citing a “disastrous” industrial campaign for his decision.

Former CFMEU SA branch secretary Aaron Cartledge has revealed he will not renew his membership of the union.

Former union boss Aaron Cartledge will not renew his membership of the state’s construction union citing a “failed” and costly push towards militancy within the South Australian branch for his decision.

In a letter sent this week, the former Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union SA secretary says a “disastrous” industrial campaign four years ago had cost the union “dearly” through the loss of workplace entry permits and “millions” in fines.

“It was a failed attempt to implement east coast militancy into the state without talking to members first,” he said in an email sent to SA assistant secretary Colin Feeney on Tuesday, in which he announced his decision to resign from 30-years of continuous membership with a construction union in SA.

“The branch was continually undermined throughout my time as secretary including Victoria assisting a member to run against me in an election.

“The CFMEU has a lot of good people and members but unfortunately only two states with a couple of people dictating the policy and strategy federally in the construction division is very detrimental to the division and a one size does not fit all states weather (sic) you like it or not.

“The CFMEU will only be a great union if more people play a role in its strategy and leadership.”

The Australian Building and Construction Commission has successfully prosecuted the union and officials, including Mr Cartledge, over illegal incursions on to Adelaide building sites, orchestrated by members of the union’s powerful Victorian branch in the lead-up to the March 2014 State Election.

An ABCC spokesman said since July 2013 there have been at least $1.936 million in fines awarded against the union and its representatives in SA cases, with $293,190 in the current financial year.

Mr Cartledge resigned from his paid position of state secretary in July this year, after six years at the helm, with a source claiming he had been pushed from the job to make way for national assistant secretary Andrew Sutherland.

He later told The Advertiser that he had left the union on “relatively good terms”.

His deputy Jim O’Connor resigned two months later.

But Mr Sutherland said that Mr Cartledge resigned because he failed to meet performance targets set by the union and agreed by the SA branch.

“Every step taken by the union has been endorsed by the democractic bodies of the union at national and SA level,” he said.

“Since Aaron’s departure the union’s SA membership has increased, more EBA’s have been finalised, new local organisers employed and structurs of the union have been reinvigorated.

“We hope Mr Cartledge is more successful in his future endeavours than he was as a union official.”

In his email, Mr Cartledge said it was his “hope” that SA workers and companies were given priority from the union’s SA branch and that “major jobs don’t go to interstate companies”.

He declined to elaborate on the contents of his email when contacted today, stating that the email spoke for itself.

His resignation comes two months after The Advertiser revealed the contents of a January 2017 email Victorian construction union boss John Setka sent to high-ranking officials in which he described his SA colleagues as “weak c***s” and “bludging f***ers”.

He sent the email 10 months before a committee of national union executives was installed to oversee the SA branch.

Master Builders SA chief executive Ian Markos said the Mr Cartledge’s email was a “sad reminder” of the “utter dysfunction” of the union.

“We have warned previously about the consequences of the takeover of the South Australian branch by interstate officials who don’t understand the environment here and couldn’t care less about damaging our economy,” he said. 

“Master Builders SA urges the Marshall Government to investigate appointing its own construction industry watchdog — similar to what was in operation in Victoria — to protect the rule of law on South Australian construction sites if Federal Labor wins the May election and fulfils its promise to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission.”

Originally published as CFMEU SA stalwart Aaron Cartledge cites costly “failed” industrial campaign for decision to resign from union after 30 years as a member