Federal union elects new leaders at national convention

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Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have elected Sharon DeSousa as their new national president.

The votes took place at the union’s triennial convention at the Shaw Centre in downtown Ottawa on Thursday morning.

Only two nominees put their names in the hat for national president ahead of election day – former national executive vice-president Sharon DeSousa and Union of National Employees national president Alisha Campbell.

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And there was a last-minute candidate who joined the race, Union Of National Defence Employees president of Local 70605 Patrick Bourassa.

DeSousa took the win with 355 votes, followed by Campbell with 175 votes and Bourassa with 35 votes.

“I am honoured by the support and confidence members have placed in me to lead our union through the challenges ahead,” said DeSousa, who is the union’s first racialized national president. “Our solidarity makes us stronger, and we will need to be more united and resilient than ever before as we fight to uphold justice and the rights of workers so that every member, in every corner of the country, is treated with dignity and respect.”

Just under 600 delegates attended the national convention and participated in the votes. Candidates needed to have a clear majority of votes to be elected.

Candidates took part in debates on Wednesday, discussing topics like supporting Black members, the future of technology use in the public service and union finances.

Delegates also selected the union’s new national executive vice-president and alternate national executive vice-president.

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Alex Silas, PSAC’s former regional executive vice-president for the National Capital Region, was elected as the union’s new national executive vice-president with 418 votes. He beat out Amanda Wakeford, president of Union Of Canadian Transportation Employees Local 30301, who received 104 votes, as well as Ontario Area Council member Wendy-Ann Moulton, who finished with 44 votes.

PSAC’s new alternate national executive vice-president Craig Reynolds.Candidates for the position of alternate national executive vice-president included regional executive vice-president for PSAC Ontario Craig Reynolds, Local president of the Association of McGill University Support Employees James Newman, national president of the Union of Health and Environment Workers Shimen Fayad and Union of National Employees regional Vice President for outside Canada Shawn Walker.

Moulton was nominated but withdrew her candidacy before voting took place.

The election for an alternate national executive vice-president took several rounds of voting for a winner to get a majority. Craig Reynolds, the former regional executive vice-president for PSAC Ontario, ultimately prevailed with 314 votes, besting the local president of the Association of McGill University Support Employees James Newman, who received 254 votes

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The PSAC is the largest federal public sector union, representing over 260,000 workers.

This newspaper reported earlier this month that former national president Chris Aylward would not be running for re-election.

In a statement, Aylward said that after “more than four decades of fighting for workers” with PSAC, he decided it was time to step down.

While giving an address at the convention on Wednesday, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said Aylward was a “fierce president for the union” and a “great fighter.”

PSAC’s new leaders will serve a three-year term from 2024 to 2027.

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