CTU People

For a full list of CTU staff and contact details, click here 

Helen Kelly

President

Helen Kelly was elected CTU president at biennial conference in 2007.  She had been CTU Vice President since September 2003.

She has a long history in the union movement, primarily in the education sector, as an organiser for the Association of University Staff and holding several positions including Assistant Secretary in the New Zealand Educational Institute. Within NZEI she played a prominent role in the pay parity campaign for kindergarten and primary teachers.  Helen became the general secretary of AUS in June 2002, a role she held until becoming CTU president.  

Helen trained as a teacher and has an LLB from Victoria University.  Her CTU responsibilities include economic development, employment law, climate change, social partnership, ACC and pay and employment equity.  She co-chairs the Workplace Health and Safety Council.

Helen is responsible for CTU international work through the International Trade Union Congress and the International Labour Organisation.  

Sharon Clair

Vice President Maori

Sharon Clair was elected vice president Maori in 2005 after 29 years working in nursing and health, and most recently as the Policy Analyst Maori of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation.

Sharon qualified as a Psychopaedic Nurse and has a post graduate diploma in Rehabilitation with Otago University and is currently completing her thesis for a Master of Arts in Maori Development at Auckland University of Technology.  Sharon is a member of the Maori Women’s Welfare League, an executive on her hapu trust and continues her involvement in her whanau/hapu development and is a member of the Raukawa Treaty claim team.

As a union activist, commentator and advocate on Maori worker interests Sharon was the very first Maori woman to speak to the plenary of the United Nations International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference, at its 95th session in 2006. 

Sharon is the co chair of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY in Aotearoa, an executive committee member on the National Consultative Committee for Disarmament, an executive committee member of the Peace Foundation Aotearoa, a representative on the inmate employment advisory committee and a regular political commentator on Radio Waatea.

With CTU Officer responsibilities that include the environment and Maori development Sharon is also is a heading the Maori workforce development project for Hui Taumata and is a member of the Maori reference group on Climate change.

Sharon is of Raukawa, Ngati Ranginui and Scottish descent. 

Richard Wagstaff

Vice President

Richard Wagstaff was elected CTU Vice President in 2007. 

He is one of two national secretaries of the Public Service Association.

He began working at the union in 1988 as a researcher. He became an organiser three years later, working with PSA members in the health and disability sectors in Auckland. In 1997 he was appointed operations manager, responsible for PSA members throughout the country in the health and community sectors.  He took up his current position as a national secretary of the PSA in 2000.

Peter Conway

Policy Director/Economist

Peter Conway advises unions on economic issues.

Peter has been active in unions since 1977, when he became assistant secretary of the Canterbury, Westland, Nelson and Marlborough Clothing Trades Union. Peter also was been assistant national secretary of the New Zealand Distribution Workers Federation, an advocate for retail workers in the National Distribution Union, an educator with the Nurses Organisation and was also a director of Auckland’s Yellow Bus Company. He was also a Coordinator of the Hounslow Trade Union Support Unit and Centre for the Unemployed in London for a period.

Peter’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration and an MA in Economics. He is on the Board of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and is Chair of Oxfam NZ.

Peter is currently acting Secretary.

Bronwynn Maxwell

Director of Organising

Bronwynn Maxwell is the Director of the CTU Organising Centre which encompasses all areas of worker representation and education.  Bronwynn manages two teams associated with the Organising Centre, one based in Auckland which delivers training nationally for union members, delegates and paid officials, and works with affiliates to support the work of key campaigns at a strategic and operational level; and a team in Wellington responsible for key CTU projects such as Learning Reps, Health & Safety and the Workplace Productivity Education Programme.

Bronwynn has been actively involved in the union movement since the early 1980s.  Her first union experience was a formative one, helping to establish the Early Childhood Workers Union (ECWU). Bronwynn worked for the ECWU as a paid official for five years having first served her apprenticeship as a delegate, member of the regional and national executive and then National Vice President.  Bronwynn then worked as a Regional Educator for TUEA (Trade Union Education Authority) before joining the Engineers Union as one of their first women organisers in 1991. As a paid official, Bronwynn has worked under four different industrial legislations and has experience in both private and state unions. Before joining the NZCTU in 2003, Bronwynn was employed as a Regional Branch Organiser for the Association of University Staff.

Bronwynn forms part of the CTU management team along with Helen Kelly, Carol Beaumont and Peter Conway.