A member-led ticket for a stronger union.
The VAHPA election ballot officially opened on 28 July. This means you should be receiving your ballot papers in your mailbox around now.
This is the first VAHPA election in 14 years.
It’s time for change.
We are running because we have a positive vision for our union.
We want to build a vibrant, fighting union for all Allied Health Professionals. No matter where you work or the size of your profession. A union that will challenge the government and employers for better wages, safe workloads and genuine respect in our workplaces.
We are running because we want to lead a transparent, member-led union that is accountable to its members. We will be among you - not just every four years - but every day.
We want you to be active in the union and we will build representative structures and better communication channels so you can tell us what matters to you.
We are current delegates, members and workplace leaders - so we understand the profound challenges confronting Allied Health, now and into the future. Because we are experiencing them too.
Low wages, unsafe workloads, lack of career progression, the attraction and retention crisis, burnout - the list goes on. We will build a strategy to confront these challenges head-on.
We will be different from the current leadership group.
Over the last few years, we have seen:
An attempt to force an undemocratic merger
Serious misconduct allegations submitted against the Secretary
Inordinate amounts of members’ money spent on legal fees ($104,633 in 2025 versus $7,128 in 2024)
Huge turnover of staff without explanation
These indicate a failure of leadership, poor transparency and no accountability to members.
VAHPA Unity’s leading candidates are all part of the current leadership group. They all voted to support the merger last year and have been responsible for the decisions regarding the finances, staffing and culture of the branch.
Worse, they have not developed a strategic plan to address the urgent challenges facing Allied Health.
There is no leadership. There is no strategic direction.
This is why this election is so critical for our union: 2026 marks the first genuine choice members have had in 14 years.
An uncontested election, no matter how good the incumbents are, means no one’s had to answer for their record. A contested one means leadership must front up, explain their decisions, and earn your vote rather than assume it. That’s healthy for any democratic organisation, it’s what keeps a union accountable to its members.
In order to decide the future of our union, you must vote. Make sure your ballot is in the post by 18 August at the very latest to ensure it gets to the AEC before the ballot closes on 25 August.
Vote VAHPA Pulse above the line for real transparency, accountability, governance and ambition.
Please share this message widely with your colleagues and fellow members.
Member-led. Transparent. Ready for change.
VAHPA Pulse is a group of VAHPA members running in the upcoming union election.
We are campaigning for a more democratic, transparent, and active union that puts members first.
We commit to:
1. Pay: Our wages aren't good enough. We will fight for better.
Last time, the public sector was told by the current VAHPA leadership that 2% was a good deal. We strongly disagree.
We will be courageous. We are not afraid to push for what the employers say we cannot have. This means building power in the workplace, planning ahead, and empowering workers to take collective action to win. We will fight for career progression for all AHPs, no matter how big or small your profession, or wherever you work. We will build an effective fighting union that will back members to win wages that recognise our expertise and highly specialist skills.
2. Workloads: We will develop a plan for workload controls.
We will develop a plan for enforceable workload controls. The nurses have ratios - Allied Health has nothing. We will establish a member-led working group to define safe workloads for our respective professions and develop a plan to win them.
3. Representation: We want all members to have a say in our union.
Our BCoM currently has only nine members - reduced from 12 a number of years ago - to make decisions on behalf of over 50 professions.
We don’t think this is adequate for the breadth of professions and sectors that VAHPA represents. We will expand the Branch Committee of Management (BCoM) from the current nine to nineteen members (the maximum the HSU rules will currently allow).
We will further strengthen representation by establishing Professional Reference Groups to ensure that all professions - no matter how big or small - have a voice within our union, and a delegate caucus to improve representation and accountability.
4. Accountability: We want our union to be honest, open and transparent with members. No forced mergers.
Over the last few years under the current “democratic” leadership, VAHPA has attempted to force a merger without consultation, failed to ensure proper consideration of the views of the membership, and cannot even publish the BCoM minutes.
We will not sell our union to another union. The members will always decide the future of our union. We will implement good governance practices by ensuring the Secretary and Assistant Secretary do not have a vote on BCoM, because as paid officials they have a conflict of interest.
5. AHP Identity: We deserve greater recognition and respect.
We want everyone to understand who Allied Health Professionals are, our vital role in caring for our communities, and the essential contribution we make to keeping our health services running. But that story should not be written for us, it should be led by us. We want members to define and shape the vision and identity for our professions and our sector, because the people doing the work every day are the ones who best understand what our workforce and communities need. A member-led union keeps our advocacy grounded in members' experience and accountable to the people it exists to represent.
6. Strategy: We will develop a strategy for Allied Health Professionals and our union
Our union currently has no strategic plan - not for our union overall, not for our individual sectors, and not for us as AHPs in our rapidly changing health sectors. We face challenges in funding; graduate and staff attraction and retention; student placements and support; resources and workloads; new technology; and more. We will meet these challenges head on.
7. We will have an All Union Delegates Conference
If we are elected, we will hold a delegates conference in the first 12 months for all delegates across Public, Private, Community and Disability sectors to empower members to define VAHPA’s Strategic Plan for Allied Health and our union.
The heartbeat of our union
Our members save lives.
Our union should listen.
The heartbeat of our union Our members save lives. Our union should listen.
Voting is now open
Vote
VAHPA Pulse
above the line
Post it straight back…
and spread the word in your workplace
Members Voice
Leadership
Stronger Union
Who are VAHPA Pulse?
VAHPA Pulse is a group of VAHPA members running together as a ticket in the upcoming union election. We’ve come together because we believe our union should be more open, more democratic, and more connected to the members it exists to represent.
We want a union where members are informed, involved, and able to shape the direction of our collective future. This campaign is about building that future together.
What do we mean by member-led?
The current VAHPA leadership talks about democracy a lot but what does that actually mean in practice? Over the last few years under our “democratic” leadership, VAHPA has attempted to force a merger without consultation, has failed to ensure proper consideration of the views of the membership, and cannot even publish the BCoM minutes.
We will be a leadership team that is amongst the members, present in the workplaces.
We want a leadership team that will work with and for us, and empower us, to find real solutions. We want a leadership team that responds to our delegates when they raise issues on our behalf. We want a leadership team that gets out of its remote office and comes to us in our workplaces.
Meet the Ticket
VAHPA Pulse is made up of allied health professionals from across disciplines, workplaces, and career stages. Together, we bring frontline experience, organising energy, and a shared commitment to a union led by members, for members.
This campaign is grounded in the lived experience of members who care deeply about the future of our union and want to help shape it.
Why we’re running
We’re running because too many members feel disconnected from how the union is led and how decisions are made. A strong union depends on trust, participation, and accountability — and we believe VAHPA can do better.
VAHPA Pulse is standing to bring renewed energy, stronger organising, and a more member-led culture into the union. We want a union that listens, communicates clearly, and acts with purpose.
What we stand for
Our campaign is grounded in a simple idea: a strong union is built by members who are informed, involved, and empowered to shape its direction.
-
Members should have a genuine voice in the union through consultation, participation, and shared decision-making.
-
Leadership should communicate clearly, share decisions openly, and be accountable to the members it represents.
-
We want to bring fresh energy, stronger organising, and a more active culture of member involvement across VAHPA.
-
A healthy union is one that acts with honesty, fairness, and commitment to its members.
VAHPA Pulse is not just running on frustration — we are running with a plan. We want to strengthen member participation, improve transparency, rebuild trust, and support stronger organising across the union.
Our plan focuses on practical change: better communication, more accountable leadership, stronger member structures, and a union culture that is active, democratic, and connected to the workplaces it serves.
Our plan for a stronger union
More member participation in decision-making
*
Clearer communication and stronger accountability
*
Renewed organising energy across workplaces
*
More member participation in decision-making * Clearer communication and stronger accountability * Renewed organising energy across workplaces *
Get involved *
This campaign will only succeed
if members help build it.
Whether you want to learn more,
help spread the word, nominate, or support the ticket,
there is a place for you in VAHPA Pulse.
We want to build a visible,
member-led campaign that reflects the collective strength
of allied health professionals across Victoria.