The Health Workers Union has returned to democratic control after the HWU Unity Team swept the Branch election, winning every elected position across the union.
Jake McGuinness has been elected Secretary of the Health Services Union Victoria No.1 Branch (HWU), with Gavin Sharpe elected Assistant Secretary.
At 27, Mr McGuinness is the youngest Victorian State Secretary in more than 100 years.
Mr McGuinness served as Lead Organiser during the administration, directing the Branch’s organising strategy, driving membership growth and leading the union’s major public-sector wages and workloads campaign.
“This result is a vote of confidence from members in the direction of our union and the work that has been done to rebuild it.”
“We have done hard, important work over the last two years. Digging this Branch out of the hole the Asmar era left it in required everyone to pick up a shovel — staff, delegates and members.”
“In less than two years, we have taken a Branch that was broken and got it moving again. We went from millions of dollars in the red to a strong asset-positive position, cleared significant legacy debts and grew membership from a little over 10,000 to more than 15,000.”
“Most importantly, workers believe in their union again. Our network of workplace delegates has more than tripled and thousands of health workers took serious industrial action and won a fair pay rise and better conditions.”
The HWU was placed into administration in December 2024 following a period of serious organisational and financial dysfunction. The Branch returned to financial stability and effective operation before members regained democratic control through the 2026 election.
The rebuilding coincided with the HWU’s largest public-sector campaign in years, with thousands of workers taking protected industrial action between December 2025 and February 2026.
The campaign ultimately secured a new agreement delivering a 12 per cent wage increase over two and a half years and improved conditions, while sustained union opposition also stopped the proposed outsourcing of hundreds of jobs at Eastern Health.
“That campaign changed what our members thought was possible. People who had lost faith in the union stood together in their thousands, took serious action and won.”
“But I want to be clear: you do not fix a quarter of a century of stagnation with 18 good months. It will take years of work to build this into a union that delivers every day for its members and has the power to win fair outcomes for essential workers.”
The newly elected Branch Committee includes health workers from metropolitan and regional Victoria, with dedicated representation from aged care, private hospitals and pathology.
“This is not just a union for metropolitan Melbourne. We are going to be strong in the country, present in regional communities and organised across every part of Victoria’s health system.”
Mr McGuinness said the new leadership would use the lead-up to the Victorian election to push for practical solutions to workforce shortages, workloads, recruitment and retention.
“There is a crisis across our public and private health system. Workloads are massively up and hospitals are struggling to recruit and retain the workforce they need.”
“We will speak with anyone who is serious about solutions — the Government, the Opposition and the crossbench. Our job is to advocate effectively for our members and get results.”
“At a time when grievance and division increasingly dominate politics, we want to offer something different. This will be a union built on aspiration — on the belief that working people can stand together and build something better.”
The Health Workers Union represents more than 15,000 health workers across Victoria and advocates for fair wages, safe workloads and a stronger health system for workers and patients.
Media contact – Maggie Hill, 0404 196 452
ELECTED HWU UNITY TEAM
The following candidates were elected to lead the Health Workers Union:
• Secretary: Jake McGuinness
• Assistant Secretary: Gavin Sharpe
• President: Donna Azzopardi
• Vice-President: David Baird
• BCOM (Northern Metropolitan): Gorfu Andarge
• BCOM (North-Eastern Metropolitan): Allison Marshall
• BCOM (South-Eastern Metropolitan): Elias Koutrouzas
• BCOM (Southern Metropolitan): Patricia Walpole
• BCOM (Western Metropolitan): Tenille Voorkamp
• BCOM (Northern Victoria): Donna Turvey
• BCOM (Eastern Victoria): Dragica Djudurovic
• BCOM (Western Victoria): Josh Jones
• BCOM (Private Hospital): Marney Siganakis
• BCOM (Aged Care): Tracey Huber
• BCOM (Pathology): Deanne Ward