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Young Workers Centre YWC
The Team
Supporting young workers
James Lea - Acting Director

James (he/him) began his union journey after reaching out to the Young Workers Centre for help while working in hospitality and is passionate about the role young people have in ending wage theft.

Since then he has participated in Union Summer 2018, volunteered with Hospo Voice and campaigned during the state and federal elections. James loves a good dinner party, plays Dungeons & Dragons every week and starts hobby projects faster than he can finish them.

Kelly Thomas

Kelly uses her legal skills to work in service of working people and their unions. Dignity at work and dignity of work are important guides for Kelly’s approach to helping employees and ensuring that employers do the right thing. Prior to coming to YWC, Kelly worked for a national union and a national plaintiff law firm, as well as the Fair Work Commission.

She is proud of her advocacy for workers and highlights winning a huge compensation payment for a young victim of sexual assault. Working on the $100million class action for workers with an intellectual disability who were underpaid will always be an honour for her.

Outside of work, Kelly enjoys walking her dog, Harvey, having a laugh and is otherwise busy raising a future feminist.

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Wallace Huang

Wallace (he/him) has always been a political nerd and passionate about workers' rights. It's no surprise that most of his working life has been dedicated to unionism and community organising. Prior to joining the Young Workers Centre, Wallace was an industrial organiser at the Migrant Workers Centre.

When Wallace is not spending quality time with his two cats, he can also be found around Melbourne chasing the best cheap eats and latest food trends.

Shannen Bethune 

Shannen is a junior lawyer passionate about worker’s rights. Prior to bopping over to YWC, she worked at the United Workers’ Union for over 5 years, primarily assisting Cleaners and Early Educators. Off the clock, she loves a cult doco, a drink with friends, and alternating between reading theorybro books and memoirs of the chaotic female genre. 

Alessandra Galletti 

Alessandra (she/her) had no idea what area of law she wanted to specialise in after completing her legal studies until she became involved in the union movement. She developed her passion for unionism and workers rights whilst working as an Industrial Advocate.  

She has the title of owning the most cats in the Young Workers Team (three) and spends her free time with friends and family watching, playing and talking about sport. 

Bree Booth

Bree (she/her) has been a union member all her working life, but really came to be involved in activism during her time at university through community organising and student politics.  She was an advocate at the Young Workers Centre in Semester 2 2021 and participated in Union Winter in 2022. She has since completed her law degree and is now pursuing a law masters.

Outside of YWC, Bree works as a research assistant and spends her spare time hanging out in her local coffee shop, catching up on reading.

Maddy Spooner 

Maddy (she/they) has been a union member for their whole working life, but became more of an activist during their time as an Advocate at the Young Workers Centre in Semester 2 of 2023. Maddy is currently completing their law degree and practical legal training, and spends their free time learning how to sew. 

Monique Vitiritti 

Monique (she/her) has worked with Youth for many years, primarily helping young people who have experienced disadvantage, marginalisation, and a range of barriers to employment. She came to be involved with the Union whilst being surrounded & inspired by people in her life who showed her the power of the Union movement.

She is passionate about helping young people have a positive, not only first experience, but career in employment and hopes to educate young workers on their rights & safety whilst in employment, as well as support workers to create positive experiences while in the workforce.

Outside of YWC she enjoys spending time with her puppy Toby, weekends at the snow and slow rainy days at home.’

Siane Grant-Hayes

Siane (she/her) has a background in education and is passionate about young people’s wellbeing. Far from just a morning journal and a walk (though she is partial to both those things), Siane sees wellbeing as a structural issue and is passionate about young people leading the changes that effect them.

Siane’s also had her fair share of dodgy bosses and is proud to be helping young people have positive experiences at work. Outside of the YWC Siane loves sitting in the sun, eating and swimming.

Katie Hanh-Vo

Katie (she/they) is experienced in youth-focused work, especially youth from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. A great part of Katie’s work and activism has been on assisting and empowering newly arrived youth and adults to connect with their community.

Outside of the YWC, Katie loves hanging out with their cat, Sushi and making their own clothes as a form of protest against the fast fashion industry.

Nina Mountford

Nina (she/they) has a background in theatre making and a strong commitment to unionism. Dedicated to worker’s rights, accessibility, and the arts, Nina joined the YWC excited to help young people reach safe, secure, and well-paying employment through education and support.

Outside of their union work, Nina can be found making and watching theatre, reading, lounging, and gesticulating wildly.

Olivia Baldwin

Olivia (she/her) has a background in political science and has been involved in social justice advocacy since high school. After spending her early years in the workforce in retail and hospitality she learnt the importance of standing up for yourself and organising in the workplace. Having also spent time at the Fair Work Ombudsman, Olivia also has insight into how complex understanding your rights can be but also how important it is to fight for them!

Outside of work you can find her at a concert, a gig, or just watching music videos on the couch with her friends.

Lyndon Caswell

Lyndon (he/him) is about to finish his law degree and has been passionate about workers’ rights and social justice for as long as he can remember. As someone who worked a lot of hospo jobs after high school, he has seen how young workers are treated firsthand and believes they deserve better. Before his time as an outreach organiser, he was a legal advocate with The Young Workers Centre in 2024.

Outside of YWC, you can find Lyndon driving virtual race cars, watching sport or spending time with his dog, Betty.

Shannon Colee

Shannon (she/her) first got involved in the union movement when she was 19 and started volunteering at her university’s student union. From there it was a quick journey to helping out with wider union campaigns and eventually giving over the phone industrial advice.

After growing up in regional Victoria, Shannon has a passion for making sure that young people there know their workplace rights and are active members of their union. She also wants to make sure that work is a fair and inviting place for other queer people. 

When not at work, Shannon can be found with her friends and family, talking about her dog, reading or taking part in her hobby of the month.

Angus Leech
Angus (he/him) began his career entering the engineering trade as an apprentice boilermaker at the young age of 16. Although he found great independence and value from his newfound career, Angus experienced many instances of unfair treatment that had become the norm in the industry. Working closely with his union, Angus sought justice for his unfair treatment and won.
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Since then, he has pursed studies within mental health to help advocate for young workers experiencing similar treatment and aims to elevate working conditions across the board. Angus understands the pressures involved in speaking out and aims to educate and encourage those around him to speak out and tell their story.
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In Angus' spare time he enjoys riding motorcycles and enjoying recreational activities in nature.