Hildyard has worked with the South Australian and Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Services Union (ASU) for more than 12 years. In May 2005, she became the Branch Assistant Secretary of the ASU - one of two elected paid leaders of her Union.
The ASU is a key South Australian Union covering workers employed in Local Government, community services, energy, airlines, finance, information technology, call centres and as private sector clerical and administrative workers. For the past six years, Hildyard has led the ASU’s Organising team, providing strategic advice on Union organising and education and co-ordinating broad industry campaigns and key Union and inter-Union events.
Over the past two years, in the face of one of the Australian Union movement’s most challenging times, Hilidyard has assisted to lead her Union to strategically build its influence in key industries, develop strong partnerships and modernize its structures, processes and focus. During this period Hildyard has been a leader in the Strong Community Healthy State and the Strong Community Healthy Territory campaigns. These non-Government, industry wide groups of Unions, employers and peak bodies work together in an unprecedented way to develop long-term reform in the community sector so that the most vulnerable South Australians and Territorians receive the best possible services. Recently, Hildyard has been a leader in shaping the ASU’s national campaign in the community sector based on similar goals.
Together with SA Unions leadership, Hildyard helped shape the South Australian part of the “Your Rights at Work” campaign and contributed to the formation of campaign partnerships with key sections of the South Australian community. As an elected leader of her Union, Hildyard also works in the national arena on strategic partnerships in a range of industries. Early in 2006, the Japanese Government and Japanese Trade Union movement sponsored Hildyard to be part of a New Zealand and Australian delegation to Japan to study Japanese industrial legislation, labour relations and the Japanese Union movement.
In 2005 Hildyard became the first Union participant in the Leaders Institute of South Australia’s Governor’s Leadership Foundation programme (GLF). Two years later, she worked with SA Unions, Volunteering SA and the Adelaide City Council Volunteer Co-ordinator to develop shared principles between the SA volunteering and Union movements, principles that have now been adopted. This year, Hildyard was selected as a ‘summiteer’ at the newly elected Federal Rudd Government’s 2020 Summit. Katrine participated in the Social Inclusion stream.
Hildyard lives in the western suburbs with her husband, son and step-son, and is an active member of her community. She plays the flute, is a keen basketballer and runner, and lover of the arts and music.
