The Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) (the "Missos") is one of Australia's largest unions, with around 130,000 members. LHMU members work in a wide range of occupations including hospitality,childcare, aged care, property services (cleaning, security,maintenance etc.), health, manufacturing, ambulance workers (in some states) and community services.
History
The LHMU is an almgamation of the Federated Miscellaneous Union (FMWU) and Liquor Trades Union (LTU). This occurred in 1992 and the new union had 200,000 members. Today it has around 130,000 members. The decline in membership can be explained by the end of compulsory unionism in 1996 and a lack of an organising focus until recent times. The move of flight catering and aircraft cleaning staff to the Transport Workers Union in the mid-1990s also lost the union several thousand members.
In recent years the union has reported a small but important growth - going against the trend of most union membership figures in Australia. Its major campaign for cleaners called Clean Start:Fair Deal for Cleaners[link] is inspired by the successful US campaign Justice for Janitors and has organised many new immigrant women cleaners in CBD office blocks across Australia.
The LHMU had humble beginnings, starting off as a union of watchmen, caretakers and cleaners with 1400 members in 1915.
After steady growth over the first half of the century, including winning paid sick leave, annual leave and a forty-hour week, the union really took off in the 1950s. A new rank-and-file leadership took over to create a vibrant, member-driven union.
Famous campaigns during the 1950s and 60s included organising workers paid to be Santa Clauses at Christmas and a group of dance instructors who were locked out for four months before winning their jobs back.
The strength of the "Missos" grew over these years, with membership increasing from 25,000 in 1955 to 88,000 by 1975.
