On 24 December 1919, Electrical Trades Union of Australia federally re-registered under the
Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904 as an association of employees. This date is now taken as the official registration date of the Federal Union. In 1985, ETU members
who were on strike were sacked by the
Joh Bjelke-Petersen Government for refusing to sign individual contracts. In 2005, plans were made to
picket the former premier's
State funeral, however those plans were subsequently abandoned following requests by the union leadership. In 2007, the ETU leader Dean Mighell was expelled from the
Australian Labor Party for supporting the Greens during the federal election. In the lead-up to the
2010 federal election, the Victorian ETU withdrew its support for the Labor Party, citing Labor's refusal to scrap laws restricting union action on building sites. However, since then it has rejoined in the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Traditionally the ETU has sided with the
Labor Left or equivalent faction in the state branches of the ALP. It enjoys a close relationship there with the
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) and the
Australian Workers Union (AWU). Despite reaffiliating with Victorian Labor, in the leadup to the
2018 Victorian Election the ETU donated $50,000 towards a competing party, the
Victorian Socialists. In November 2019, the ETU ceased donations to the federal Labor party over
Anthony Albanese supporting free trade agreements. ==References==