PIAA Board should go quietly now – Andy McCourt’s Reverb
(The opinions expressed in this article are those of its author and not those of the publishers of Print21).
It was a media release that would sit proudly in George Orwell’s ‘Ministry of Truth’ from the book/film 1984, that announced the Printing Industries Association of Australia has a new President in BJ Ball’s Commercial Manager Ross Black, replacing David Leach. Mr. Black was formerly Deputy President.
Deputy President is now Kieran May, principal of Across Business, an ACT-based consultancy. The new Honorary Secretary is Craig Pearce of Tasmania’s Flying Colours – the only working printer in the new triumvirate.
Stephen Edwards, CEO of Snap franchising has resigned from the board, leaving three vacancies that are to be filled with ‘casual’ directors. The remaining directors are Graham Jamieson of WA’s Picton Press, Peter Lane of Lane Print Group and Chris Seagart of Permanent Press, Bathurst, NSW – all working, press-owning printers.
I’m told this is the first time in the Association’s history that non-working printers have filled the two top positions with the unusual potential conflict of the members also being their customers. Mr. Black is a paper merchant and Mr. May is a business consultant. Paper merchants typically tend to be active members of the Australian Paper Industry Association, supplier association GAMAA (now Visual Connections) or the National Paper Council.
Not so long ago, suppliers, consultants and print brokers were welcome to join the PIAA, but as associate members, with limited voting rights. It seems that proviso was somehow redacted from the PIAA’s constitution (rulebook) that is public domain on the Fair Work Commission’s website under section 13, here.
So, what is the new PIAA board make-up? I think the answer is that it is the same animal in a different skin – a shape-shifter. For reasons best known to the remaining board, instead of a total resignation followed by a new ballot – for which existing board members can re-nominate – they have elected, without consulting members, to morph into ‘something new.’ But this new board supports the same policies, same visions and same strategies that have caused such discontent amongst members, particularly in Queensland.
Supreme control is by members
Section 41, item 1) of the PIAA’s constitution says under: Powers of the Board: (1) The supreme control of the Association is vested in the members of the Association in General Meeting.
Not only do members have a right to know everything, but also they have a right to challenge decisions made in secret, without consultation or to their detriment.
I refer to the lobbying by Queensland members numbering over 50, for the re-instatement of the best PIAA member services officer they have ever experienced – Mel Ireland and also her support officer Rebecca Sutherland. I was asked to help co-ordinate this lobbying following my last ReVerb column (see comments) and this report.
The result was a letter delivered to each member of the partial-board, detailing seven ‘Member Requirements’ to be addressed by today, Friday 5th February, or that a formal request for an SGM would be presented.
Ireland is still employed by the Association under her contract that expires on February 10th and her position has been advertised by PIAA sales & marketing manager Sandrine Dart who proposes to travel to Brisbane to try to placate members and presumably to conduct interviews. The mood north of the Tweed is summarized by this member email:
“A simple message would be: save the plane fare and reinstate our membership officers, step aside and let someone who knows what they are doing look after our interests!”
The PIAA’s in-house lawyer, Charles Watson has responded by suddenly alleging misconduct (the two Queensland staffers were originally dismissed for ‘missing sales targets’) and adding two more expensive litigation cases to the mounting number against the PIAA. If they go ahead, costs would be borne by members. They will not be if this board resigns. The nastiness of this is echoed by threats of defamation action by Mr. Watson against the media and false allegations of ‘purloining’ theft against one of his own members who, in good faith, rescued some irreplaceable books from going to the tip. I didn’t think associations existed to focus on such hair-trigger litigation, but to consult, negotiate, conciliate, reconcile, lobby.
While noble statements are made such as: “The Board welcomes greater communication with members and is very supportive of the imminent engagement plan being coordinated by PIAA. We strongly welcome the opportunity to increase our open and transparent dialogue with members,” it would seem the thrust of action is still going against members’ wishes.
It seems to have been forgotten that the PIAA is a non-profit member services organization and not a sales and marketing one, although this, of course, is a function. Employing sales people to ‘sell memberships’ to a body that is falling apart at the seams (en masse resignation of the bulk of Queensland members has been mentioned), is not only unachievable but against the principles of the association. Members join associations because they see they have some services to offer. Members are already resigning and have done over the past two years. Two iconic Melbourne printers including one run by a former President have pulled out. Others are teetering on the brink of resigning; held back only by the prospect of a Special General Meeting.
Suppliers are now also questioning the worth of their membership and support of the PIAA’s vision. That the same policies are likely to be pursued under the current Board is indicated in the statement from the media release that: “This Board is extremely excited to continue the fantastic work we have been undertaking in 2015.” Ministry of Truth. Shape-shifter.
Too much, too fast
It is all too easy to view the situation as a battle between change and a dowdy ‘old guard’ wanting to turn the clock back, but it is not. Having seen the growing list of protest, many run businesses that are all-digital and cover the ‘magic three’ areas for print prosperity; offset, digital and wide-format. They are also running advanced automated workflows and some web-to-print e-commerce with twitter, facebook, linkedin and instagram social media. Some of the design studios probably create as many websites as they do files for print.
We all know change is a must but it should be positive, well thought out, researched and communicated. The changes at the PIAA since mid-2015 have been too much, too fast and too destructive.
Let’s hope there will be no SGM and that communication, understanding and negotiation is re-established, particularly in Queensland. And those two valuable staff members who love their jobs and are in turn respected by members (53 of whom have signed up in support) are reinstated.
This can be achieved by this board resigning now, today. Go! And go quietly, with some remaining dignity that you tried to change circumstances but were too late.