‘Inspiration, that’s what she gives us’
THE MOTHER of an NUJ chapel that stopped a move for compulsory redundancies in its tracks has just become a mother herself.
THE JOB killers came for seven journalists at the weekly Derry Journal just before Christmas last year and Julieann Campbell helped the NUJ chapel to send them packing.
Owners Johnston Press wanted to get rid of seven NUJ members as it centralised production of its Northern Ireland titles in Portadown but it reckoned without the determined leadership of the new Mother of Chapel.
“Julieann just stepped up to the plate and took over,” says her colleague Theresa Casey. “She was absolutely fantastic. Julieann is very bossy, in a good way, and she stirred us all up. She’s a natural union leader.
“She is also good at taking up problems in the office. As soon as something starts she will go to the management and get it sorted out before it becomes too serious.”
The 15-strong chapel held a ballot on taking industrial action and voted 100 per cent “yes” — a rare occurrence that was enough to make Johnston Press back down. All the NUJ members’ jobs were saved, though one non-member was made redundant.
Eamonn McCann, a Northern Ireland representative on the NUJ national executive and a veteran union activist who lives in Derry, said he had been impressed by the enthusiasm Julieann Campbell had raised in her colleagues.
“She leapt into action and the chapel reflected the feisty personality of its leader. She absolutely transformed the situation.”
The new inspirational spirit of the chapel came out in its campaign publicity as well as its industrial approach. Its first press statement ended with a portentous reference to Irish history: “The Derry Journal survived the Famine,” it said, “but we fear it may not survive Johnston Press.”
Theresa Casey is now acting MoC herself, because Julieann Campbell is on maternity leave — and has a baby girl, Saffron (pictured). But Theresa Casey insists: “When Julieann comes back from leave she will be MoC again, that’s for sure. I have no problem saying that.”