Our Team

Your Elected Representatives

The CPSU is proud to be a member-led union, and has been since 1897 – we’re one of the oldest democratic organisations in Lutruwita/Tasmania.

The CPSU is managed by a committee of management that we call the Council. It’s made up of Councillors elected by CPSU Members from their own work areas (electorates), as well as Officers elected by the whole membership across the state!

Thirza has worked in the union movement for more than 20 years, organising and campaigning with workers from both the private and public sector in Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and in the U.K.

Passionate about the public sector and its critical role in our community, Thirza is committed to growing the union while ensuring public sector workers’ wages and conditions continue to improve.

Thirza is Senior Vice President of our federal union and sits on the ACTU Executive representing all CPSU SPSF members nationally and is a member of Unions Tasmania Executive. She has also held position on the ACTU Women’s Committee, Chair of the Unions Tasmania Women’s committee.

A key architect of the Tasmanian Needs a Pay Rise campaign, she has led strike action across the tube network, and coordinated the historic Your Rights at Work campaign against the Howard anti-worker WorkChoices legislation in W.A. Thirza holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and industrial relations from the University of Western Australia.

Thirza is passionate about improving understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity. Thirza is lucky to call South Hobart home and is a mother to three young children.

After seven years with the union as an Industrial Officer, Natalie was appointed Assistant General Secretary by the CPSU Council following the resignation of Tom Lynch in 2024.

Prior to working with the CPSU, Natalie staffed for several members of the Commonwealth Parliament and has been actively involved in the labour movement for over fifteen years.

Natalie graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (public policy) in 2016, attaining a specialisation in environmental law. She completed the Tasmanian Legal Practice Course and was admitted to the Tasmanian Supreme Court in 2017. Natalie completed a Certificate in Executive Management and Development at UNSW in 2023. Natalie has served on the Industrial Relations Society Tasmania (IRST) committee since 2019.

Natalie is proud to be part of the union that delivers public services to the Tasmanian community based on public good, not private profits. She firmly believes that the range of occupations and geographic diversity of the CPSU membership is its greatest strength, and that by working together the CPSU can protect public assets and safeguard public services for future generations.

Our Council

The CPSU is proud to be a member-led union, with a Committee of Management known as the Council elected directly by members that meets quarterly.

Council elections are held every four years and are conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission. Councilors are elected by CPSU members from their own work areas and Officers elected by the whole of membership.

The function and powers of the Council are set out in the Rules of the union. In a nutshell, it’s responsible for the operation of your union. All members are eligible to stand for Office bearer positions or as Councilors in their work electorate. Council establishes a sub-committee called the Executive, which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the union between meetings of Council.

All Councilors and Executive members are honorary Officials, other than the General Secretary and Assistant Secretary.