Ali Butcher Award

Following her passing in 2024, Unions Tasmania resolved to establish the Ali Butcher Award in memory of Alison (Ali) Butcher, whose example shines brightly for the union movement in Tasmania.

The Ali Butcher Award recognises a woman who has actively sought to improve women’s rights through their union or made an outstanding contribution to our movement, and shown the following attributes:

Persistence
Courageousness
Gutsiness

How to nominate

To nominate someone for an award, nominations need to include:

Name of the award nominee
Name and contact details of the nominating union leader
The union including the nominee’s union branch
Why the nominee should receive the Award (maximum 700 words)

Nominations may be supplemented with digital audio and visual content, where available.

Nominations must be emailed to: [email protected] by no later than 30 June 2025.

Nominations for the Ali Butcher Award will be reviewed by the Unions Tasmania Women's Committee, with the recipient announced at the Unions Tasmania Women's Conference in August 2025.

Alison Butcher in Rooke Street Mall Devonport, smiling, wearing sunglasses and a purple t-shirt that reads 'I've had enough. Australian women have had enough. When I see sexism and misogyny I'm going to call them for what they are.'.

About Alison [Ali] Butcher

Ali Butcher (1977-2024) was a formidable contributor to the union movement, who time and again spoke up for justice, often facing tough opponents.

As a delegate at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and Section Councillor representing Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members in Tasmania and Victoria, Ali was relentless in advocating for her colleagues. She took her workplace to almost 100 per cent membership and supported fellow delegates to increase union membership and activism across the country. Ali was integral to CPSU’s Every KPI is a Person campaign, leading to changes that granted NDIA staff more time to assist NDIS participants.

Ali spearheaded the development of the NDIA Domestic Violence Policy, setting a benchmark for Australian Public Service workplaces. She also championed domestic violence survivors in the community, driving legislative reform to ensure they are notified of perpetrators' release from prison, successfully lobbying for increased state government resources for women at risk during the Covid Pandemic, fundraising for a women's shelter in Ulverstone, providing practical support to those transitioning to safer environments and advocating publicly for Engender Equality.

Ali, a former Early Childhood Educator, was highly involved in the United Workers Union (UWU). Proudly speaking to state Labor Conference motions on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) quality and the Big Steps campaign within a year of joining. Even after leaving the sector, Ali continued supporting UWU members by collecting winter clothes for Farms members and establishing the Ali B scholarship for ECEC professionals to attend the Anna Stewart Memorial Project.

Ali Butcher was one of the kindest and most generous of activists, always willing to give up so much of her time, using her personal experiences, skills and knowledge to support her local community.