The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of workplace fatalities. If you need somebody to talk to, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you are a worker in the industry, you can access Incolink's Counselling Support service anytime by calling 1300 000 129, or find out about their Bluehats Suicide Prevention program here.  Series 8, Episode 2: Ralph Edwards with Part Two of his conversation with industry stalwart Terry Riggs about his experience as an industry all-rounder. This part of their discussion begins in the 1980s-90s;Terry recalls his varied industry experiences, including getting injured on the job and subsequent break, his current work, and some reflections for younger folk to consider in turbulent times.Part One of this interview was published on Friday 25 April, and Terry's interview featured as part of 3CR's special programming for on May Day 2025, International Workers' Day.

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of workplace fatalities. If you need somebody to talk to, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you are a worker in the industry, you can access Incolink's Counselling Support service anytime by calling 1300 000 129, or find out about their Bluehats Suicide Prevention program here.  Series 8, Episode 1: Terry Riggs started his stint in the industry in 1971 as a builders labourer. In the first interview of Series 8, Terry chats with Ralph about his experiences at from Sale & South Gippsland at Barry's beach, and riding his motorbike from Vic to northwest QLD, and WA, and back to South Gippsland. Terry worked for decades in all sorts of jobs across the country, and his thoughts about workplace custom and practice, scaffolding, and TAFE. Part Two of this interview will be published on Friday 9 May, or you can tune in to 3CR at 1pm on Thursday 1 May for an exclusive listen. Find more on our May Day 2025 coverage at 3cr.org.au/mayday2025

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of workplace incidents, and mention of fatalities. If you need somebody to talk to, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you are a worker in the industry, you can access Incolink's Counselling Support service anytime by calling 1300 000 129, or find out about their Bluehats Suicide Prevention program here.  Series 7, Episode 10: Part Two of Ralph's interview with Ray Smith aka Rowdy, who begins this episode looking back at the highlights and lowlights of his time in the industry, with also a discussion of the recent ALP Government's Administration of the CFMEU, moving later to an in-depth discussion of his time in the music industry, getting free tickets for the boys on the tools for a Chisel's 'Ringside' tour, and comparisons of construction vs. music industries. To round out the interview, season 7, and 2024, they circle back to their thoughts on Admin and the overreach of this Labor Government on builders and workers in construction. Listen to Part One of this Interview HERE.

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti  Series 7, Episode 9: Part One of Ralph's interview with Ray Smith aka Rowdy, who talks about his entry into construction with help from a friend from the Concrete Gang, leaving behind his past life in the music industry. He talks about his start on a couple of smaller jobs, significant contaminated sites in Melbourne, then on to the infamous AWU-managed Eastlink Project, where he maintained CFMEU sensibilities amongst the shenanigans. He finally escaped the civil sector, working on schools and becoming a delegate in Cheltenham, Rowdy offers his thoughts on OH&S, big vs small jobs, common dodgy business practices, and the importance of Incolink, plus wising up on superannuation and long service leave benefits.Part Two of this Interview will be published on Friday 20th December.

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all pictures and links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti  In Part Two of his conversation with Ralph Edwards, bricklayer and organiser George Paterson starts in the late '80s, with his work as an organiser in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and the early days of Building Industry Group (BIG) campaigning. He describes his memories of when the brickies' union rejected amalgamation and becoming a full-time organiser with the CFMEU, with comparisons of organising under the Vic Building Industry Agreement (aka the 'Green Book') compared with the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) system.  Later, they circle back to the role of the BIG in recent times, the importance of stewards and cross-union solidarity in post-amalgamation organising, and the future of trade unionism with the current ALP administration. Check out Part One of this conversation, where George describes the landscape of the bricklayers unions VOBS and the VSBTU and the entrenched corruption of subcontractors within them, and more.

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all pictures and links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti  In Part 1 of this episode of Creatures of the Industry, Ralph's starts his conversation with bricklayer and organiser George Paterson discussing Creatures in his small hometown in central Scotland that helped lay his own path toward construction and unionism in Australia. They delve into his subby jobs, blues and characters, and his own experiences with the AWU, BLF and other unions after arriving to the country in '73. This episode ends with an in-depth explanation of the various conflicts of interest (the major subbies' "cartel") and ins-and-outs of the brickies' unions at the time before he joined the CFMEU - namely the Victorian Operative Bricklayers Society (VOBS) and later the Victorian State Building Trades Union (VSBTU), with the latter including also plasterers and roof tilers. Stay tuned for Part Two, where George revisits his experiences organising against dodgy builders in the eastern suburbs, and reflects on the events of the '80s til now - to be published on Friday 22nd of November.

Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of workplace fatalities, and some strong language. If you need somebody to talk to, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you are a worker in the industry, you can access Incolink's Counselling Support service anytime by calling 1300 000 129, or find out about their Bluehats Suicide Prevention program here.  Series 7, Episode 6: Part 2 of Ralph's extended interview with fellow Liverpool fan, and member and official of the CFMEU, Nigel Davies.This one begins in the mid-90s and post recession period, where he recalls the transition from offices to apartments and developments in the Docklands, with increasing demands for labour hire and demo jobs, where networking got him through the sometimes thankless work - both as as a labour-hire steward and later a side steward with ABD and various other companies. Nigel discusses the highs and lows of OH&S, organising, and more through his roles as a country organiser (northwestern Vic), then Assistant National Divisional Secretary, and finally his trips with international affiliate group Building and Wood Workers' International which brought him in contact with workers in Qatar ahead of the World Cup and unionists and workers from the Bangladesh Rana Plaza disaster, yet another true Creature of the Industry.

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of workplace fatalities, and some strong language. If you need somebody to talk to, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you are a worker in the industry, you can access Incolink's Counselling Support service anytime by calling 1300 000 129, or find out about their Bluehats Suicide Prevention program here.  Series 7, Episode 4: This episode features part 1 of Ralph's extended interview with fellow Liverpool fan, and member and official of the CFMEU, Nigel Davies. Hailing from Rhosgadfan, a small blue-slate mining village in northern Wales, he reflects on his working class family history, his self-employed brickie father, and differences in health and safety between jobs there and the bigger jobs he worked labouring all over the UK in the mid-80s. When Nigel came to Australia on a holiday in 1987 (later deciding to stay and work), he worked a number of harsh and tedious jobs to survive. This episode covers the recession in the early '90s, playing soccer (football) in Australia, memorable characters, good teachers, shenanigans, wages and conditions, and heaps more.

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti  Series 7, Episode 4: Ralph interviews Ron Owens, former Builders Labourers Federation Secretary in South Australia, and the last Federal Secretary of the BLF, now 90 years old and living in Port Pirie in South Australia. In his time, Ron faced the task of negotiating the amalgamation of the BLF into the CFMEU after the unprecedented attacks on that Union in 1980s, and the sorry state of industry unionism that followed. He helped end the industry civil war that only assisted employers and their political mates. This episode, Part 2 of the extended interview, explores all of these events, beginning in the early '80s. Ron discusses his perspective on these issues, his time as last Federal Secretary of the BLF, juggling state and federal roles in the union, and more. We extend a special thanks to Ron for persevering through the telecommunications service issues that persisted through the interview and that required 12 separate recordings.

The COTI podcasts are sponsored by the Concrete Gang in cooperation with 3CR Community Radio.  For a full list of episodes and access to all links, visit www.3cr.org.au/coti  Series 7, Episode 3: Ralph interviews Ron Owens, former Builders Labourers Federation Secretary in South Australia, and the last Federal Secretary of the BLF, now 90 years old and living in Port Pirie in South Australia. Ron kicks off this episode describing his first job in the industry - a 6-year-long stint (building bridges in the states of SA and NSW) and joining the union (then 30 members strong when he started as one of two organisers) in the 1950s when the work was rugged as he helped fight for fair wages and conditions in a time when the award rate was notoriously low. In his time, Ron faced the task of negotiating the amalgamation of the BLF into the CFMEU after the unprecedented attacks on that Union in 1980s, and the sorry state of industry unionism that followed. He helped end the industry civil war that only assisted employers and their political mates. Stay tuned for Part Two, which begins in the '80s. We extend a special thanks to Ron for persevering through the telecommunications service issues that persisted through the interview and that required 12 separate recordings.