The BCGEU Provincial Executive has acclaimed Joanna Lord, Component 7 Vice President, to fill the Executive Vice President position left vacant when Sussanne Skidmore was elected Secretary Treasurer of the BC Federation of Labour in November.

"On behalf of the BCGEU I want to thank Sussanne for her years of service to our members, our union, and our movement," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "We are so proud of Sussanne's success at the BC Fed and, of course, we look forward to working with her in that role."

"Joanna has been a strong voice for Component 7 on the Provincial Executive," said Stephanie. "I'm excited to work with her in this new position and I know her experience as an activist, her passion for social justice, and the skills she has honed as a post-secondary instructor will make her a great EVP."

Joanna started her teaching career as an instructor at Malaspina College (which is now Vancouver Island University) in 2005. A long-time union member and supporter of trade unionism, Joanna's path to union activism started in 2008 as a full-time instructor in the Adult Basic Education Department at Malaspina when she eagerly sought out her BCGEU Steward to help with a worksite issue and learned firsthand the power of her new union and her collective agreement. From that moment onward she took every opportunity to learn about her union and get involved, eventually serving as a Local Chair as well as on bargaining committees and Component Exec.

Joanna is just as passionate about her union's work on social justice initiatives as a way of improving the working lives, families and communities of BCGEU's members and all working people in British Columbia.

Joanna will serve in the position of EVP until the next scheduled BCGEU convention in 2020, when the position will be open for election to BCGEU members and delegates.

Photo caption:
The BCGEU executive committee (l-r): EVP Kari Michaels, EVP Doug Kinna, EVP James Coccola, EVP Joanna Lord, President Stephanie Smith, Treasurer Paul Finch.


UWU/MoveUP