--- title: "6 Union Quotes By Bill Shorten" description: "6 Union quotes by Bill Shorten. Plus more from Bill Shorten and more Union sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/bill-shorten-14126_activities_to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-becam_250445.jpg" --- > [To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/bill-shorten-14126_activities_to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-becam_250445.jpg) > [Modern Australian trade unionism and the unionist that I am doesn't rely on a class war view that somehow that the interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/modern-australian-trade-unionism-and-the-unionist-that-i-am-doesn-t/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fb/bill-shorten-14126_australian_modern-australian-trade-unionism-and-the_984890.jpg) > [Labor must work harder to attract and retain members. The party should be cheaper to join with discounted rates available for union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/labor-must-work-harder-to-attract-and-retain-members-the-party-should/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/bill-shorten-14126_attract_labor-must-work-harder-to-attract-and-re_1470173.jpg) > [My preference is that employees pay their union dues, but what I also get is that I'd rather someone be in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/my-preference-is-that-employees-pay-their-union-dues-but-what-i-also/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/578/bill-shorten-14126_dues_my-preference-is-that-employees-pay-thei_2267683.jpg) > [What really matters in a workplace, what helps an employer if you've got a unionised workforce is if your shop stewards know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what-helps-an-employer-if-you-ve/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg) > [What I've done as a union leader and what literally thousands of other union representatives do, is make sure that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/what-i-ve-done-as-a-union-leader-and-what-literally-thousands-of/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/bill-shorten-14126_done_what-i-ve-done-as-a-union-leader-and-wha_2758486.jpg) ## Other authors on Union ## More by Bill Shorten > [Both casual, unthinking discrimination and deliberate, malicious homophobia erode self-confidence and undermine mental health. Both are far too common, not just in our schoolyards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/both-casual-unthinking-discrimination-and-deliberate-malicious/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Our world is moving forward on climate change. If Australia goes backwards, we will be going alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/our-world-is-moving-forward-on-climate-change-if-australia-goes/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Safe Schools lets young people who identify as gay know that they have every right to be accepted and respected for who they are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/safe-schools-lets-young-people-who-identify-as-gay-know-that-they/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Labor should not be about creating monuments on hills or statues in parks. Labor's monuments and statues are when a young person can find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/labor-should-not-be-about-creating-monuments-on-hills-or-statues-in/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [We will always be a fair wage nation in a low wage region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/we-will-always-be-a-fair-wage-nation-in-a-low-wage-region/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [I believe marriage equality is a simple change that sends a powerful message. It is a chance for us to say, as a nation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/i-believe-marriage-equality-is-a-simple-change-that-sends-a-powerful/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [It is devastating that jail is seen as a rite of passage for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, part of the natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/it-is-devastating-that-jail-is-seen-as-a-rite-of-passage-for-many/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Australia's economic future depends upon getting smarter. This means investing in the skills and knowledge of our workforce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/australia-s-economic-future-depends-upon-getting-smarter-this-means/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [The supreme challenge of Labor is to recognise our 'revolutionary moment' when it arrives. And to have the courage to seize it - wholly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/the-supreme-challenge-of-labor-is-to-recognise-our-revolutionary/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [We commissioned an independent statutory economic body - the Productivity Commission - to review the possibility of funding a disability scheme. The commission returned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/we-commissioned-an-independent-statutory-economic-body-the/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [The appalling rate of incarceration among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples demands we create justice targets under the Closing the Gap framework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/the-appalling-rate-of-incarceration-among-aboriginal-and-torres/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Trusting people to pursue their own futures invariably provides better outcomes. Money goes where it is needed, rather than being absorbed by administration costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/trusting-people-to-pursue-their-own-futures-invariably-provides/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [We all have choices in history. Some are more important than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/we-all-have-choices-in-history-some-are-more-important-than-others/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Ending discrimination and extending equality should always be a national priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/ending-discrimination-and-extending-equality-should-always-be-a/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/union/bill-shorten/#itemlist", "name": "6 Union Quotes By Bill Shorten", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected wrong activities, activities which aren't in the best traditions of the AWU or, indeed, trade unionism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Shorten" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/bill-shorten-14126_activities_to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-becam_250445.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/bill-shorten-14126_activities_to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-becam_250445.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/bill-shorten-14126_activities_to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-becam_250445.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my…” — Bill Shorten", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Modern Australian trade unionism and the unionist that I am doesn't rely on a class war view that somehow that the interests of employees and managers are in two separate spheres and they're irreconcilable. 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