Following his graduation from Monash University, Simon Crean had a number of positions within other trade unions before joining the Storeman and Packers Union (SPU) as an official.
In order to succeed his father in the Melbourne Ports constituency, a historically safe Labor seat, he ran for ALP preselection in 1977 at the age of 28.
On the preselection poll, however, Clyde Holding, a former ALP state leader, defeated Crean by receiving 36 votes to Crean’s 34.
Crean was given a position on the board of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) when he was chosen as the SPU’s general secretary in 1979.
After rising even higher to become the ACTU Vice President in 1981, he ultimately won the 1985 election for ACTU President.
As president of the ACTU, Crean played a significant role in assisting the government of Prime Minister Bob Hawke, a previous ACTU president, in negotiating a number of agreements on wages and other industrial matters as part of the Prices and Incomes Accord.
While serving as president of the ACTU, Crean also held positions on the boards of Qantas from 1987 to 1990 and the Australian Industry Development Corporation from 1988 to 1990.
Simon Crean children: Meet Simon Crean’s two kids
Simon Crean and his wife had two kids throughout the course of their more than 40 years of marriage. Sarah Crean is the name of one of his children. Currently, not much is known about them. You’ll be updated when we get our hands on new data.