Veteran SIPTU Organiser and activist, Willie Noone, was appointed as the new Transport, Energy, Aviation and Construction (TEAC) Divisional Organiser earlier this month, taking over from Adrian Kane, who has moved onto the Services Division.
Willie has a long history of involvement in the workplaces organised by the TEAC Division. He was employed by Aer Lingus for 13 years in Dublin Airport, where he was elected a Shop Steward representing workers from Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports.
After joining the Union as a full-time official, he was appointed a Branch Secretary in 2003 with responsibility for workers in Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Irish Rail. Following the reorganisation of the Union in 2010, he was appointed Transport Sector Organiser with responsibility for major workplaces, including the CIÉ group of companies, Translink, Northern Ireland Railways, Luas, Aircoach and the Ports of Dublin and Cork. In 2018, he was appointed Energy Sector Organiser, a position he held until his promotion to TEAC Divisional Organiser.
Willie has been involved in several major industrial disputes in the past two decades, winning improvements in conditions for members in companies including Luas, Bus Éireann and Edenderry Power. He has served as Group of Unions Secretary in Bord Na Móna and Ervia, with responsibility for co-ordinating union members’ activity in those companies involving SIPTU members and their colleagues in Connect, Unite, Forsa and the ESU. Willie holds an Honours Degree from UCD in Business Studies.
Willie said: “It is an honour for me to take over the reins of the TEAC Division. This Division organises workers in some of the most important sectors of the Irish economy. Due to this, our Division has the power to ensure that members receive their just rewards in terms of pay and benefits. We also have a key role in the general improvement of the Irish economy and society.”
He added: “I am committed to building on the work of my predecessors as Divisional Organiser. This includes making the aims of the very successful Respect Transport Workers campaign a reality and ensuring we continue to grow in the construction sector. I have a background in the aviation and energy sectors and look forward to building on the successes we had for members in these workplaces in recent times.”