Delegates elect new provincial executive, prepare for 2001 round of collective bargaining
B.C.’s largest health care union wraps up its twenty-second biennial convention today with the installment of its new provincial executive.
Delegates ratified Chris Allnutt as secretary-business manager for a further two-year term. Allnutt is the chief spokesperson for the 46,000-member union and has held that position since 1996. Fred Muzin was re-elected to a fourth two-year term as president and Mary LaPlante will continue to serve as financial secretary, a position she has held since 1984.
Allnutt, Muzin and LaPlante will lead the union through the next round of bargaining. Collective agreements covering health care workers in hospitals, long-term care and community health agencies expire March 31, 2001. Next week, the union will hold a wage policy conference in Richmond to set its bargaining priorities and elect a bargaining committee for the upcoming round of talks.
Also elected to the provincial executive for two-year terms are David Ridley, who retains his position as first vice-president, Dan Hingley as second vice-president, Colleen Fitzpatrick as third vice-president, Tom Knowles as fourth vice-president and Louise Hutchinson as fifth vice-president.
Donisa Bernardo is the senior trustee-elect and will serve a four-year term while Kelly Knox will serve a two-year term as trustee. Joanne Foote and Marty Norgren were elected to two-year terms as members-at-large.
Delegates also selected eight regional vice-presidents for two-year terms: Iris Reamsbottom (Fraser Valley), John Evans (Kootenays), Jackie Pretty, Casey O’Hern, Gilbert Tessier (Lower Mainland), Mary Nicholls (North), Kathy Dunn (Okanagan) and Marilynn Rust (Vancouver Island).
Julia Amendt is at the half-way point in her four-year term as senior trustee. More than 600 delegates from across B.C. attended HEU’s convention this week in Richmond
-30- For more information, please contact: Mike Old, communications officer, 828-6771