Giroux elected to CUPE National Executive Board

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 5, 2015) - Long-time North Bay-area resident Henri Giroux was re-elected to represent Northern Ontario members on the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) national executive board for a fourth two-year term at the union's convention in Vancouver, B.C.

Giroux, who will serve as Regional Vice-President for Northern Ontario, is also president of the North Bay and District Labour Council. An outspoken advocate of workers' rights, he is a cook at Cassellholme Home for the Aged.

"I look forward to continuing the fight for working people and for human rights across Northern Ontario," said Giroux. "We are seeing terrible results from Liberal and Conservative austerity and privatization. Just look at the jobs and health-care services we've lost in our hospital and the foolish sale of Hydro One. Unless governments start respecting workers and supporting public services, we'll see more beds lost, schools closed and more labour unrest, as we're seeing now at Nipissing University."

More than 2,300 CUPE members are gathered in Vancouver this week for their union's biennial national Convention.

Giroux is one of four CUPE members from Ontario elected to the national executive board. CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn was re-elected as General Vice-President. CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick and Ontario Council of Hospital Unions President Michael Hurley were elected Regional Vice-Presidents. Yolanda McClean, a Toronto school board worker and CUPE Ontario Second Vice-President was elected as Diversity Vice-President.

"I look forward to serving our members in their efforts to promote equality and fairness in their workplaces and across the province," said Giroux.

CUPE is Ontario's community union, with more than 250,000 members providing quality public services we all rely on, in every part of the province, every day. CUPE Ontario members are proud to work in social services, health care, municipalities, school boards, universities and airlines.