What CFMEUs McDonald said to the boss

Under Federal Government legislation, building industry unions had their rights of entry to construction sites removed. They had to give notice to the bosses in advance, and gain approval, for meetings to be held with members on site. As the banner above says, "Defiance Becomes Our Duty, When Injustice Becomes Law".

The CFMEUs Joe McDoanld has exemplified the great working class spirit of defiance and has attempted to hold meetings on building sites in Western Australia despite the injustice of the law.

This transcript of a radio broadcast depicts the reality of class struggle in the building industry. Opposition Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd, in calling for McDonald's expulsion from the ALP becuase of this incident, has shown which side he is on.

M - Union tape released by court [This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1957091.htm]

PM - Wednesday, 20 June , 2007 18:21:33
Reporter: David Weber

MARK COLVIN: A Perth court has released a new video which allegedly shows a union official threatening a construction boss.The footage shows CFMEU Assistant State Secretary Joe McDonald calling the builder a "thieving, parasite dog" and warning him his days are "numbered".The judge agreed to release the footage after an application from media organisations.David Weber was in the Perth Supreme Court today. A warning: by the nature of the story, this report contains crude language.

DAVID WEBER: The ABCC (Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner) video recording is one of two that show Joe McDonald confronting managers on worksites.Mr McDonald is holding what appears to be a meeting of union members at a site on St George's Terrace earlier this year.Company managers arrive and can be heard asking Mr McDonald and another union official to leave.(video excerpt)

JOE MCDONALD: I just want five minutes to meet them about union business. You… anyone here got a problem? Shut up, fat man! Anybody here got a problem?

COMPANY OFFICIAL: I'm the occupier of the site, so I'm asking you to leave.

JOE MCDONALD: Anybody got a problem with a union meeting?

COMPANY OFFICIAL: I'm asking you to leave the site.

JOE MCDONALD: Anybody got a problem with a union meeting?(shouts of "no" from workers)JOE MCDONALD: We'll go have a union meeting, leave us and we'll get out of the way.

COMPANY OFFICIAL: Joe, this is a notice for you to leave the site. I'm asking you to leave the site.

JOE MCDONALD: We'll get out of the way.

COMPANY OFFICAL: Please take the notice and leave the site.

JOE MCDONALD: You just… get the fuck…

COMPANY OFFICIAL: You don't… you don't… you don't have right of entry for here, Joe. You don't have any right…

JOE MCDONALD: It's a union meeting.

COMPANY OFFICIAL: …You're trespassing. Mick and Doug, I need you to leave the site, you don't have right of entry here.

JOE MCDONALD: Fix your safety, mate we're… (inaudible)(end video excerpt)

DAVID WEBER: Amid the commotion, there's joking and laughter.However, the company's management can clearly be heard repeatedly asking Joe McDonald to leave the site. (video excerpt)

JOE MCDONALD: Let's go for a safety walk… (inaudible) …we'll show you how bad your safety is (inaudible).

COMPANY OFFICIAL: You haven't followed… (inaudible) you need to leave the site.

JOE MCDONALD: Anybody here feel threatened by the union meeting?

COMPANY OFFICIAL: Joe, I'm asking you to leave

JOE MCDONALD: Shut up! Will you shut up? You're interrupting me all the time, you…COMPANY OFFICIAL: You are illegally here. You're trespassing…

JOE MCDONALD: Has anybody here got a problem with…(shouts of "no" from workers)(inaudible)

JOE MCDONALD: They don't want you, they want me. They hate you.(laughter)

COMPANY OFFICIAL: … please leave the project.

JOE MCDONALD: If you are hated more than me, you've got fucking problems.

COMPANY OFFICIAL: Joe, I'm asking you to leave the project.(end video excerpt)

DAVID WEBER: Then, Joe McDonald agrees to leave. But before he does, he makes a gesture towards either a company official or an ABCC employee. He says his days are numbered, and he'll be working for a fast-food company before too long.(video excerpt)

COMPANY OFFICIAL: Joe, I'm asking you again. Leave the site.

JOE MCDONALD: (inaudible) …but I'm not going because Jello here said so but I really have got some important union business to do. I'm quite happy to go under the walkway down there and have the meeting if you are, or we'll have it here. I'm easy. This fucking thieving, parasite dog's days is numbered. He'll be working at Hungry Jack's when I'm still a union official.(end video excerpt)

DAVID WEBER: Broad Construction is in the Supreme Court seeking orders to ban Joe McDonald from entering its building sites. Justice Rene Le Miere has already granted an interim injunction, but last week he refused to allow the videos to played in court because he'd already seen them in private. He believed there was no need for them to be made public.Media organisations appealed and today, the judge agreed to release them. The Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey says it's a clear case of intimidation.

JOE HOCKEY: Well this sort of behaviour is unacceptable in modern Australia. Kevin Rudd has to stand up to these union thugs. This union is the biggest donor to the Labor Party in Australia. More than $6 million comes from these sort of people to Kevin Rudd's Labor Party. He has to stand up to these people, disaffiliate the CFMEU and walk away from these union bosses.

DAVID WEBER: Mr Hockey believes Kevin Rudd has set a precedent in relation to the behaviour of union bosses.He says the Labor leader must take similar action.

JOE HOCKEY: Kevin Rudd must react to this. He can't throw out Dean Mighell and turn back the ETU's funding in the Labor Party and accept Joe McDonald, Kevin Reynolds, Noonan and all that mob, and accept the CFMEU's money.

MARK COLVIN: The Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey ending David Weber's report.