ARTICLE: Eddie McGuire and Unions

[stoliboy]

This article appears in the latest issue of the Australian Workers Union's (AWU) magazine called 'The Australian Worker' (Autumn 2004 issue).

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BLACK & WHITE AND READ ALL OVER

Eddie McGuire has become a household name as Channel Nine's "million-dollar" man and president of Collingwood Football Club. In this interview with Joseph Rogers he discusses life, unions and, of course, football.

Coming from a "sports mad" family, Eddie McGuire fell in love with cricket and Australian Rules football at first as a player, then as a journalist. He started as a statistician at the district cricket level and then started riling stories for the weekend papers and Australian Associated Press. The fact that he could file his stories over the phone was a blessing because it hid the fact that he was only 14 years old! It was a unique time to enter journalism with technology being introduced that revolutionised the newsroom forever.

"I played sport every second of the day. I studied it and loved it, and was a historian from when I was a kid," Eddie recalls. "I was very lucky that I was able to work in newspapers in the days of copy paper and in television during the days when it was shot on film, I remember when the first fax machine was introduced, so it's been an amazing journey."

Hitting a high mark

Eddie's media career really took off in 1982 when he joined Channel Ten as a sports journalist for Eyewitness News. In February 1994 he joined Channel Nine as a sports commentator and was appointed host of a new show - The Footy Show (now in its 10th year). Then, in April 1999, Eddie began hosting the mega-hit Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. He has written two books and also writes a column in Melbourne's Herald-Sun.

But Eddie's success knows no bounds. Just as extraordinary has been his willingness to step in and reorganise the football club he has followed practically from birth. Eddie became president of Collingwood in 1998 and turned the club around from a $1 million loss into a $2 million dollar profit over five years - and helped lift them from the bottom of the ladder. Profits and results are crucial for viability, but just as important are the social reforms that have swept through the club.

"I copped an awful lot of flak when I started, but I have a belief that people respect you if you stand up for what you believe in," Eddie says. "The club has become a leader in outlawing racial vilification, or vilification of any sort, as opposed to the '90s when we were doing the vilifying."

Unity and community

Eddie suggests there is a correlation between what happened at Collingwood and unions today. Eddie has been involved with the journalists' union since the age of 17, at first a member of the Australian Journalists' Union (AJA) and now the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA).

"Like unions, the Collingwood Football Club meant so much to so many people. It
was an integral part of their family and their existence," Eddie says. "The club struggled in the mid-'90s because it didn't stand for anything. I think there's a massive role for unions in Australia, but for any organisation to be relevant, there has to be a clear, defined reason for being. I think that's a challenge - not just for unions, but for all community groups - and if you can get that happening and don't get bogged down in politics, people will want to be part of unions."

Another issue that Eddie is passionate about is Australia becoming a republic. He was resoundingly elected to represent Victorians at the Constitutional Convention in 1998, which was Eddie's first foray into the political arena and more proof that he will act on his opinions.

Principled politics

"It's still an anathema to me why we would have a monarchy in a land of opportunity for those who are willing to have a go and make their own life," he states. "Whether it's a popularly elected president or a two-thirds majority model, I think the symbolism is a powerful one, and one that should be addressed sooner rather than later."

As for making politics a full-time gig, Eddie's not about to make any major moves. It's not that he hasn't been approached, it's that he feels he is making more of a difference right where he is.

"It's a tough one because of the impact it has on your family," Eddie says. "I'd rather be doing things in the community that have a direct impact. I think you have a more direct and meaningful approach being president of a football club than you have being a politician."

His successful community work and sporting acumen will ensure Eddie will be filling our television screens for years to come. He still writes for various papers and says that balance is essential to maintain interest in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

"Being a TV host is a pretty insular world," he explains. "If you're just making a living out of asking quiz-show questions you'd soon go mad. There has to be some relevance to your life in general, and my family and work at Collingwood provides a balance."

[Joel]

Thanks for that, that was a good read.

[Johnson#26]

Very interesting. Thanks for that stoliboy.

[Blanch]

"I think there's a massive role for unions in Australia?" - Ed.

Have you ever worked on a construction site Ed? The unions already are MASSIVE (in capitals). They run the show. Australia will lose work over the next 10 years to places overseas where unions do not rule the roost. The loss in productivity due to union strikes over the past 2 years has tarnished the reputation of contruction in Australia.

Unions have their place Ed, agreed, but not in the fashion that they now exist. btw, I'm sure you just got another few thousand votes from union members for your tilt at Australia first president.

[Dr Alf Andrews]

I thought this site was supposed to be free of politics ...

Now, if I'd gone on here and said we need a strong union movement in this country I would have got attacked from all directions.

But if Eddie talking about unions it's OK.

As for companies that move their businesses off shore so they can get slaves to work for them for sweat-shop wages ... stuff them.

Their jobs aren't worth having.

I'd rather not work at all than put up with the sort of wages and conditions that apply in countries where there are no unions.

The only trouble with the unions in Australia is that they're not powerful enough.

Long live the CFMEU ... may they rule forever.

MUA ... here to stay !

What do we want?
A REVOLUTION

When do we want it?
NOW !

You want 16 hour days @ $2 per hour?
Then move to the "free" world ... where the market rules.

But ... oh dear ... I'm getting very political, aren't I?

Who started this?

Eddie, wasn't it?

[labrooy]

The article appeared in a Union magazine. Of course it is going to have references to the union movement.

[joffa corfe]

[Eunos]

Amen brother Joff!!

[Blanch]

Well haven't we turned this into a political debate....beautiful. You must be happy Dr Alf.

Unions definitely have their place. They are definitely needed....but to suggest they don't have enough power is laughable. I work on one of the biggest contruction sites in Australia. My wife works here too. I'm an office jockey...she works on the contstruction of the plant. She's even a member of the union. Between us we can see both sides of the story....between us we get the REAL reasons why people go on strike.

I welcome anybody to come to sunny Karratha in WA and spent 6 months here, then tell me the unions don't have enough power.

We have the biggest reserves of natural gas off our coast in the world. We have existing infrastructure. We have the expertise. Australia has lost business because of the union movement here - whether I agree with that union movement or not doesn't matter.

Having a minimum wage of $400 does not apply up here, do I hear the unions screaming about that ...NO!! The cleaners/labourers nett nearly $2000 a week, NETT not gross.....and they want more.

I agree with the minimum wage to be increased, I agree the govt could do more but please don't tell me it's the unions who will make that difference. Their issues in the media are safety concerns on job sites...their issues in reality are knitpicking, insignificant issues so the boys can go out on strike because the weather is good for the next week or so and they want to go fishing! There is the odd occasion when a real issue exists and I'm glad they are there to ram the safety home on those occasions.

I've got a few stories that will be left untold but like some of you I feel like my opinion is reasonably educated when it comes to the likes of the CFMEU.

One more thing....anyone here actually been on a site where the union has control (like they do up here) and decided NOT to join the union? Try it some time and tell me how many days (or hours) it was before you got kicked off the job or "made redundant", only to be replaced the next day.

As I said above, Unions have their place and I'm glad they exist but the power they have is certainly not small and from my experience is ALWAYS abused.