Saturday 7.30 - 9 am

Currently presented by Annie McLoughlin. 

The Saturday morning 3CR timeslot has a proud history of coverage of union issues and industrial disputes. Preceded by the Strikeback Show and Par Avion, the Saturday morning presenters have included trade union leaders, activists, radical intellectuals and ratbag troublemakers – sometimes all four! Solidarity Breakfast covers industrial current affairs and issues from a rank and file unionist perspective, with a focus on the broad labour movement and democratic struggle - both locally & internationally. Discussion and interviews with experts on bigger picture matters; global capitalism/workers rights, hotbeds of democratic insurrection and struggle. Serious coverage is broken up with 5 minutes of satire by Kevin Healy, with “The Week That Was”. Join us every Saturday Morning 7:30AM. And for your turn on Talkback call in on 9419 0155 at 8:30AM. Check us out at  Facebook or at our website www.solidaritybreakfast.org.au Guests have included: Brendan O'Neill, 'spiked' online journal (UK), Steve Jolly, Socialist Party (Yarra Council), Dean Mighell, ETU, Humphrey McQueen, labour theorist, Rodney Cavalier, Labour Party critic/writer, Dr Noah Bassil, Macquarie Uni academic/commentator, Gary Foley, indigenous activist, Dave Kerin, Union Solidarity.

Everyone at 3CR is feeling deeply the loss of our dear comrade.  The flag was flown at half mast at Trades Hall for Bill.

A wonderful Memorial Meeting to celebrate the life of BILL DELLER (3 August 1949 – 17 October 2014) was held on Saturday 8 November 2014 at the Council chamber, Victorian Trades Hall Council.

If you would like to send a message of condolance, solidarity or share a story about Bill please email your messages through to station manger. We will publish them on this page.

Solidarity Breakfast Special - October 27th 2014 - Tribute to Bill Deller

PART ONE Listen Here Duration 65mins Size: 33.24

PART TWO Listen Here Duration 55 mins Size 22.85

Bill Deller 3.08.1949 – 17.10.2014

Tribute from Lynn Beaton

In my first memory of Bill he is sitting at my kitchen table telling me that he had loved reading my recently published book, Shifting Horizons, about women in the British Miner's Strike. At the time few left wing men could be bothered to read a book about women, let alone claim it as one of their favourites.

I repeat this because it is so typical of the way Bill was. He loved a book about ordinary people, moved by political conditions around them to do extra-ordinary things. Over the years that followed we fought together in many struggles and discussed endlessly what we were doing, how we were doing it, how we should be doing it. We always tried to understand what we should be doing by understanding the world as it was unfolding around us and understanding the motion underlying events.

Bill became the Vice-President of the State Public Services Federation and extended a hand to farmers who were having their farms foreclosed on by banks. He talked, way before any one else of setting up a Red, Green and Black Alliance. He worked to establish a 'Working People's Charter for Justice', we tried to build a broad left 'Progressive Labour Party'. He helped build the massive peace movement of 2003 and to work on too many struggles to list. And in more recent years his work at 3CR is already legendary.

There were victories along the way, but there were more defeats. This was an era when the forces of reaction were on the rise and too strong for us to overcome. I believe that if born in a different time, Bill Deller would have been great leader, a household name around the world. In the time he was born he was limited by the conditions that favoured followers of fashion over advocates for change; obedience to the dominant ideology over the quest for truth; living the myth over understanding reality. Nevertheless all of us who knew him saw great leadership in Bill; the inspiring orator, the man whose energy was in abundance, the one who ceaselessly looked for opportunities to advance and broaden the struggle, who made connections with a wide range of people but at the same time never lost his own political or moral compass.

The strength of his commitment, the breadth of his vision, the power of his mind with his courage and incorruptibility were a powerful mix. We, as a movement will miss him, but we are stronger for having known him. As an individual I will miss him enormously because when he applied his mighty skills to friendship he was a mighty friend to have.

Dear Comrades

I was shocked and saddened to learn of the recent death of Bill Deller. I first got to know him during the dark days of the Kennett government. During that period, Bill played a prominent role as a leader of the Victorian public service union in opposition to the government's neo-liberal wrecking operation. Later, I worked with Bill in a number of left wing organisations, including the first Socialist Alliance, the Militant group, and the Progressive Labour Party. In general, it was a fruitful collaboration and I deeply regret falling out with him during the last days of the PLP. Regardless of any differences we may have had, Bill's commitment to the socialist cause cannot be doubted. My heart goes out to his family, friends and comrades. While I will be away during Bill's memorial meeting, I will be there as the saying goes in spirit. 

Dr John Tully, Senior Lecturer in Politics and History, Victoria University, Melbourne.

Dear Trainers

Most of you will now have heard that 3CR's lovely and amazing Bill Deller sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning, Aug 17. He suffered a big heart attack (to match his big heart) on Monday night and never recovered consciousness.

I am terribly sad and heart broken today as I know everyone who has worked and trained with Bill will be. He was a true delight to be around, always looking out for any 3CR folk and offering to help the station in a myriad of ways. In fact in the last couple of years since his retirement, he was at the station most days in a range of roles: programmer on Keep Left and Solidarity Breakfast, receptionist, Committee of Management member and Programming Sub Committee member and last but not least a committed 3CR TRAINER.

And so I particularly want to acknowledge amongst this trainers group the wonderful work that Bill has done in inducting most of our new volunteers to the station over the last six years or so when he really started to make the Intro his own! It was definitely the Bill school of political education and may have terrifed some newbies but mostly people thought it was fabulous to have such lefty politics and history engagingly articulated when they walked into 3CR - he proudly showed them where they were, no ifs no buts!

And that large intellect and gorgeous enthusiasm was so charming and infectious that he could pretty much get away with all the scrapes he got into at times due to his passionate temper, impatience for suffering fools and slap dash ways.

His enquirying mind and enthusiasm for getting to know people was an amazing assest for 3CR and we really will feel a hole in the social glue that he fostered. Bill helped to forge links between all sorts of people, programs, and activisit causes. He brought so many people together not only at 3CR but in the vast world of left circles. He loved his comrades. And we loved him and he will be sorely missed.

Vale dear Bill.

Leanne McLean, Training Coordinator, 3CR.

Solidarity Breakfast Special - David Rovics 06.09.2013

A special broadcast from the Solidarity Breakfast team. An interview and live recording with US based troubador David Rovics.

Listen here

If you have queries or stories for the above program contact Michele Vescio 3CR's Current Affairs Coordinator.

Tune into 3CR Breakfast across the week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday