Canadian Labour Reporter

4 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2015 December 14, 2015 MOVERS AND SHAKERS Movers and shakers A rundown on the who's who in the labour realm BY SABRINA NANJI MARYANN MIHYCHUK Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Canada's new labour minister was appointed this fall after the Liberals won a sweeping vic- tory. MaryAnn Mihychuk, MP for Kildonan- St. Paul, Man., said she is looking forward to fulfilling a mandate that focuses on fixing em- ployment insurance, addressing youth unem- ployment and mending relations with orga- nized labour. "It's a great honour to be involved with a government that's made a commitment to real change. And that sounds maybe a bit, what, ste- reotypical — we all want change, don't we? But I think the prime minister has proved that we have the authority and mandate to make it hap- pen," Mihychuk told us in an interview. "There was a funny call from one of my volunteers, she said, 'MaryAnn, your job description is on the Internet! How do you sleep at night?'" JIM STANFORD Unifor's chief economist (outgoing) Probably one of the country's best-known la- bour economists, Jim Stanford's career spans nearly two decades with the Canadian Auto Workers (hired by ex-president Buzz Har- grove) and, now, Unifor. But he recently an- nounced he'll be heading overseas to Australia to accompany his wife, who was just named chair of the social work department at the Uni- versity of Sydney. Stanford was a key advisor during major contract negotiations in the auto- motive industry, and stuck by the union when it expanded beyond autos into the wider ter- ritory now covered by Unifor. While he's due to depart in January, one tweet from @Jimbo- Stanford hinted Canadians may not have heard the last from the economist. BOB KINNEAR President, ATU Canada Bob Kinnear, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union's Local 113 chapter in Toronto (which represents TTC and York Region tran- sit workers), was voted national president of ATU Canada. He will now represent more than 30,000 public transit workers across the country and said in a statement his focus will be on devel- oping a national transit strategy. Kinnear takes office immediately and will serve out his term as Local 113 president until the end of the year. MARK HANCOCK President, Canadian Union of Public Employees Canada's biggest public sector union has a new leader at the helm — Mark Hancock, who was elected in early November, replacing 12-year veteran leader Paul Moist. Hancock hails from British Columbia, where he has been a mem- ber of CUPE Local 498, the Port Coquitlam municipal employees' union since the mid- 1980s. Charles Fleury was also re-elected in November as national secretary-treasurer. CHRIS BUCKLEY President, Ontario Federation of Labour At its November convention, the Ontario Federation of Labour (the umbrella group for 54 unions and a million workers in the prov- ince) voted Chris Buckley its new president, to replace long-time leader Sid Ryan. Ryan an- nounced he was stepping down after six years earlier this fall, amid controversies between unions, with more than one withholding or threatening to withhold dues. Buckley is a former president of Unifor Local 222, the chapter that represents General Mo- tors workers in Oshawa, Ont., among others. He brings with him Patty Coates, from the On- tario Secondary School Teachers' Federation as secretary-treasurer, and Ahmad Gaied from the United Food and Commercial Workers as executive vice-president. "We owe it to workers today and to our col- lective future to champion a provincewide campaign to reshape labour laws in the interest of every worker in Ontario," Buckley said dur- ing his victory speech. MIKE PALECEK President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers CUPW got a new leader in May — Mike Pal- ecek, who replaced Denis Lemelin. He is the youngest president in the union's history — perhaps fittingly tasked with reviving the white elephant the Crown corporation has become. Palecek said he would bring new energy and life to the federal postal service, includ- ing bringing back door-to-door delivery and restoring cuts imposed by the former Conser- vative government. Jan Simpson was elected national vice-president, also winning the title of first black woman to sit on CUPW's national executive board. Their term runs up until 2019. Canada's newly minted cabinet — including labour minister MaryAnn Mihychuk (fourth from left, in the second row) — poses for a photo alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chris Buckley (third from left) in 2012 as chair of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW)/GM Master Bargaining Committee during contract negotiations with GM in Toronto. Photo: Chris Wattie (Reuters) Photo: REUTERS/Brett Gundlock

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