TEU welcomes Huia Welton.

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education is excited to welcome Huia Welton, who joined the staff a fortnight ago as our new Te Pou Whirinaki | Women’s and Equity Lead.

Huia describes herself as “an optimist, mother, lesbian, feminist, wife, political nerd and someone who is committed to doing what I can to make things better for those that come after”. She joins us with a wealth of experience gained from previous roles, including at Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa | New Zealand Nurses Organisation and Te Kauae Kaimahi | New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, and working for former Minister of Education Jan Tinetti in the Beehive before the last election.

Working for TEU members feels like “an excellent fit” for Huia. “I care deeply about public provision of tertiary education I even got arrested for it once, during an occupation of the Massey University registry building!”

“The diversity of TEU members is super exciting to me and the tentacles of connections that diversity brings with it. I’m looking forward to supporting our members in campaigning for improvements to their working lives and especially in ways that intersect with equity and gender."

Huia benefited from exposure to union values and principles from childhood. “My Dad took me, as a small child, to anti-apartheid protests and events in 1981. From a really young age the importance of a power analysis was instilled in me which I think is the fundamental reason why I am drawn to union work; contribute to shifting and changing the power balance. Collective and people power excites me and fills me with hope for a better world.”

Huia would welcome hearing from any TEU members who are keen to share ideas and or get involved in equity work. Click here to send her an email!