Published: 2 Feb 2018
It is with great sadness that I report to members the sudden passing of international union communications stalwart and activist Andrew Casey, who died unexpectedly in Sydney on Thursday.
Andrew was a tireless fighter for justice, human rights and refugees.
He was the son of two Holocaust survivors and was himself a refugee, arriving in Australia after his family fled Hungary in 1956.
He would often be spotted in animated conversation at coffee shops all over Sydney and Melbourne, always with a smile on his face.
A former journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald, Andrew had a lifelong interest in the plight of working people and those who don’t receive a fair go.
He was press secretary to then deputy prime minister, Brian Howe and then became the first ACTU media officer in the early 1990s before transitioning to the LHMU, CFMEU, ANMF and AWU.
Andrew was a pioneer of the use of new technology in journalism and was one of the first to embrace online campaigning.
In recent years, Andrew had been running the Asia–Pacific arm of LabourStart.org – an online activist network that provides a voice to unionists all over the world.
Many campaigns and events in our region were given coverage by Andrew and he was often found waving a flag or addressing a rally for our comrades in the ITF.
A great mentor to many, Andrew remained an active member of the Australian Journalists Association and MEAA for all his working life and was the driving force behind the establishment of the Walkley Award for industrial relations.
Andrew is survived by his children Daniel and Hannah.
Paddy Crumlin
MUA National Secretary
ITF President
