Keelia Fitzpatrick
Keelia Fitzpatrick is a labour lawyer and researcher based in London. She was the inaugural Director of the Young Workers Centre in Melbourne.
Keelia was the Victorian Trades Hall Youth Officer and also works as an organiser with the ASU. She has interned with the National Organization for Women (NOW) and was Women’s Officer of the National Union of Students in 2010.
YWC leaders
Keelia Fitzpatrick with Carita Kazakoff.
Melbourne comrades
Jake Wishart June 16, 2020.
— with Claire Boland, Danae Bosler, Keelia Fitzpatrick, Rose Steele, Sarah Bright.
Young Workers Centre
Past Young Workers Centre team members, Sarah Bright, Rose Steele, Carita Kazakoff, Keelia Fitzpatrick, April Zahra, Tom Robertson, Phoebe Kelly, Dylan Goldsworthy.[1]
Penalty Rates Forum
Following May Day 2017 SEARCH Foundation organised a forum at Unions NSW in Sydney discussing the impact of the cuts to penalty rates. The forum heard significant contributions from all the speakers, Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey, Secretary of the South Coast Labour Council Arthur Rorris, Keelia Fitzpatrick, Coordinator at the Young Workers Centre in Melbourne and Dr Jim Stanford from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work.[2]
Founding
In mid February 2016, more than 300 unionists filled Melbourne’s Trades Hall to capacity, celebrating the launch of the Young Workers Centre. The Young Workers Centre is the first of its kind in Victoria, combining a newly established legal service for young, unorganised workers with an organising hub to introduce young workers and students to the union movement.
The crowd heard from Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Luke Hilakari, Minister Robin Scott and a selection of young workers, who each highlighted the need for such a centre. Keelia Fitzpatrick, co-ordinator of the Young Workers Centre told assembled guests that the centre would “Provide young Victorians with workplace rights and safety education, legal remedies, and campaigning tools for them to stamp out illegal employer behaviour.”
A combination of low levels of union membership and high levels of precarious employment has led to young people being widely exploited at work. The Young Workers Centre represents an innovative approach to ensure young workers learn more about their workplace rights while empowering them to lead change through collective organising.
Several young SEARCH members were instrumental in setting up the Young Workers Centre and the Foundation has previously affirmed its support for the project.[3]
"Young people in the new political economy" panel
Andrew Giles, Van Badham from The Guardian, and Keelia Fitzpatrick from the Young Workers Centre
SEARCH 2013 AGM
SEARCH Foundation AGM November 30, 2013.
Chairperson: Rob Durbridge. Minutes: (Penny Sara) Chris Elenor.
1. Acknowledgement of Country
The Chairperson acknowledged the traditional owners of the lands on which the various meetings were taking place, and paid respect to their Elders, past and present.
2. Apologies, Acceptance of Proxies
Apologies: Adam Farrar, David Mendelssohn, Sonia Laverty, Tom McDonald, Audrey McDonald, Daren McDonald, Ray Cox, Peg Hewett, Lee Rhiannon, Chris White, Caitlin Perry, Margaret Millar, Joy Ross, John Brunskill, Carmel Shute, Daria Healy-Aarons, Keelia Fitzpatrick, Tom Rigby, Jacqueline Widin, Barbara Fitzgerald, Margaret McClellan, June Goss, Geoff Evans, Vera Deacon, Malcolm Bailey, Terrence Ralph, Jack Humphrys, Adrian Shackley, Jack Mundey, Judy Mundey, Brian Carey.
SEARCH Foundation new members
In September 2013, the following people joined the SEARCH Foundation: Alex White, Terrence Ralph, Adam Rorris, Greg Strickland, Tom Rigby, Liz Aird, Keelia Fitzpatrick.[4]
Australian Left Renewal Conference, 2013
The SEARCH Foundation's Australian Left Renewal Conference, 2013, was held, the weekend of April 6-7, 2013,University of Technology Sydney.
Participatory Forum III Strategic Priorities for the Left
Panel:
- Rob Durbridge (SEARCH Foundation)
- Holly Creenaune (United Voice)
- Keelia Fitzpatrick (Victorian Trades Hall)
- Maurie Mulheron (NSW Teachers Fed)
- Senator Lee Rhiannon (NSW Greens)
- Senator Doug Cameron (ALP Socialist Left)[5][6]
NUS Education Officer
In 2010 Keelia Fitzpatrick of the University of Western Australia, Independents was Women's Officer of the National Union Union of Students.