Leading Women: Meet powerhouse union leader and advocate, Jenny Kruschel

I was just 15 at the time… 

My career began as a sewing machinist at Diamond Cup, making petticoats and lingerie. I was just 15 at the time. From there, I moved to Yarragon Textile Mills, which later became Rocklea Spinning Mills, doing shift work spinning cotton yarn. After a couple of years, I then started working for Exacto making windcheaters, jumpers and tracksuit pants, where I stayed for a few years.   

After a brief hiatus to start a family, I returned to the workforce at GHA Apparel, sewing again, and then back to Rocklea. During that time, I became actively involved in the union. Even though I was always a union member, I probably wasn’t overly active until one night there was a fire.  

In many ways, it all started with the fire at the factory… 

I was working a shift one night, and we got evacuated because of a fire. Not long later, we got told it was safe to go back inside (not by the firefighters, it should be said), but the fact is — it wasn’t. There was actually a fire in the roof, but we didn’t know. We were in there for another 40 or 50 minutes, and then the whole place went pitch black and the roof lit up from one side of the factory to the other. We all just ran for it. It was terrifying; I had young kids. Of course, the factory had to be rebuilt, and things changed a bit after that; many of us got made redundant.  

In many ways, it all started with the fire at the factory. This experience, combined with the push for a better enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA), spurred me into action. My union involvement grew from being a health and safety rep to becoming a delegate, and eventually stepping into committee, organiser and leadership roles. 

I’ve always been someone who’s happy to get involved, and to understand things at a deeper level. And I believe in giving opportunities to others and supporting them to succeed, even when they may not initially believe in themselves. 

The support from women in the union and my workplace was crucial. I’ve always been surrounded by strong, supportive women who encouraged me to step up and advocate for our rights.

The other thing is that women don’t all have to be the same type of leaders. I think we have to accept that people lead differently, and it’s important to remember that not all leadership should or needs to look the same.  

One thing I love is that the women I know are diverse in their thinking; they don’t all think the same or have the same experiences, and I’ve really been able to tap into that. 

As women, I think you also have to have courage, and to be brave, with a little bit of sass. Sometimes you have to be prepared to jump off the cliff so you can fly. Because if you don’t ever jump, you’re never going to know if you can fly or not. The thing I really like seeing is women, especially, stepping up into things and realising they can actually do it. 

Just keep going 

My days are filled with a mix of emails, phone calls, meetings, and site visits, as well as negotiating EBAs and overseeing a number of teams. No two days are the same, which I love. It’s never boring.  

Despite being in a senior role, I am able to maintain a strong connection with the membership, visiting factories and engaging directly with workers. This keeps me grounded and informed about the real issues facing our members. 

My advice to other women in busy jobs would be to just keep going! It’s about working out what’s a priority, and what definitely has to get done, and focusing your efforts there. Delegating is also really important, because we can’t do everything ourselves.  

I also think we have to learn from our mistakes. Don’t assume you know everything, and don’t be too hard on yourself. Just accept that everyone makes mistakes and try to fix them as best you can.