Call for outstanding achievement award nominations at HEU convention

Two deadlines are fast-approaching for delegates to HEU’s 31st biennial convention – Powered by Solidarity – held at Vancouver’s Hyatt Regency Hotel (November 4-9).

Delegates wishing to run for the Provincial Executive can email (heu@heu.org) a photocopy-ready leaflet – by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 21 – to HEU’s Provincial Office. The union will print 1,000 B&W copies (single or double-sided), but will not provide folding or editorial support. Leaflets can be mailed, picked up at HEU in Burnaby, or delivered to convention.

Also, members can nominate their colleagues for special outstanding achievement awards – the HEU Social Justice Award, the HEU disAbility Rights Award, and the Mary LaPlante Sisterhood Award – to be presented during convention.

The HEU Social Justice Award 
This was first awarded to former HEU president Fred Muzin in 2008 for his tremendous contribution to the struggle for social justice. The award acknowledges outstanding work in the area of peace and global justice, and may be awarded to an HEU member, an HEU local or another organization.

The HEU disAbility Rights Award 
This award was established in 2010 on the recommendation of the HEU People with disAbilities Standing Committee. The award is to acknowledge an HEU member with a disability who has made an outstanding contribution to the union and/or the community by promoting and defending the rights of persons with disabilities. 

The Mary LaPlante Sisterhood Award 
This was first awarded to Mary LaPlante, feminist and trade union activist, at the 2006 convention upon her retirement after 22 years as the union’s financial secretary. The award is now presented at each convention to an HEU sister who has done outstanding work promoting women’s issues in the union and in her community. 

Information and nomination forms are downloadable from the HEU website. Each nomination must be signed by two nominators, and nominees must meet or exceed the criteria for the awards as stated on the nomination form. 

Please send completed forms to Patti da Silva at HEU Provincial Office, 5000 North Fraser Way, Burnaby, B.C. V5J 5M3 or by email to pdasilva@heu.org or by fax at 604-739-1510 by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 21, 2018.

Current members of the Provincial Executive are not eligible to receive these awards.