Retiring...Federation's General Secretary Barry Johnson.

General Secretary retires

By Kerri Carr

Federation's General Secretary, Barry Johnson, is to retire after four years at the helm of the union.

He was the union's 10th General Secretary and was elected the position at February Council in 2002.

As General Secretary he has been responsible for the running of the Federation, including the financial management of the union and the auditorium project. He has also played a major role in the campaign against Howard Government industrial relations changes.

Before election as General Secretary, Mr Johnson was Assistant General Secretary (Schools) from 1991, responsible for coordinating major Federation events such as the Public Education Convention, Public Education Day and many Sky Channel meetings.

Mr Johnson played a major role in the purchasing and subsequent refurbishment of premises to replace the union's Sussex Street building, acting as project liaison officer for stage 1 of the project while Assistant General Secretary (Schools). Stage 1 provided accommodation for the Federation, MacMahon Associates, the Teacher's Club (now TCs) and the car park at the Mary Street address. The building was occupied in December 1998. Teachers Federation House also leases office and retail spaces to provide Federation with an income.

During stage 2 (the building of a 402-seat auditorium at the Reservoir Street address behind Teachers Federation House) Mr Johnson, now General Secretary, was again the major contact with the developers.

Mr Johnson trained at Newcastle Teachers College as a two-year training teacher and in 1967 began teaching in the primary section at Bingara Central School. While he was teaching there he completed a Bachelor of Arts as an external student of the University of New England.

In 1973 he moved to Belmont High School where he taught mainly history and then in 1981 he moved to Francis Greenway High School where he taught English and history.

He was an alternate Councillor before becoming a full time Councillor in the mid-1970s, originally for the Newcastle Secondary Teachers Association (NSTA) and then for Lake Macquarie.

While NSTA Secretary, Mr Johnson, together with other activists in his association and the Newcastle Teachers Association (of primary teachers), disbanded sectional associations, which were replaced by area associations, inclusive of teachers from all types of schools.

Mr Johnson served as a Country Organiser from 1982 to 1990 in the Newcastle, Hunter Valley, lower North Coast, Port Macquarie, Wauchope and Camden Haven areas.

Mr Johnson is also a Unions NSW (and previously NSW Labor Council) Vice President.

The election to fill the casual vacancy will be held at May Council, the same day Mr Johnson will officially open Federation's new auditorium at 39-41 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills.

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