Who are the people of the SDA?

Peter Malinauskas - Secretary of the SDA

Former trolley boy and checkout operator Peter Malinauskas now leads Australia’s most successful union, the SDA.

His passion for a fair go in the workplace began at Woolworths Mitcham where he worked his way through trolley collection, checkouts and nightfill. He saw firsthand the difference SDA membership makes in the workplace and he became an SDA Delegate.

Today, as Secretary of Australia’s most successful union, Peter’s passion for a fair go never wanes as he negotiates hard for the best pay rises and conditions for more than 23,000 retail, fast-food and retail distribution workers in South Australia, Broken Hill and the Northern Territory.

Sonia Romeo - Assistant Secretary of the SDA

Sonia’s first taste of retail was as a 14-year-old working at Foodland Newton’s service deli after school and during school holidays.

Even then her fellow workers would ask her for advice on work matters, a trend which continued when she joined the SDA full-time after finishing school. Her forte became conflict resolution in stores in metropolitan Adelaide and country South Australia, helping members who weren’t paid correctly or didn’t get breaks.

Making sure workers get a fair go and helping them realise they have rights is the best job around, Sonia says. And when it’s tempting for workers to just give in because it’s all too hard, the SDA can step in and help, she adds.