Paul Finch was elected president of the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) at the union’s convention in June 2024. He had previously served as the union’s treasurer for three terms – being elected in 2014, 2017, and 2021.
As treasurer, Paul led efforts to create a more transparent and modernized union, introducing internal audit, procurement management and capital stewardship programs, creating the existing framework for managing the unions investments, and significantly expanding the annual budgeting process. He also spearheaded the creation of the union’s pattern language project, creating best-in-class contract language across multiple sectors and certifications. Externally, he has taken the lead on numerous campaigns and initiatives, including the union’s Affordable BC housing campaign and its new building project in Burnaby.
Paul is a past Chair of the BC Target Benefit Board of Trustees, and since 2014 has served as a trustee for the Public Service Pension Plan, and is the Plan Member Partner representative for the BCGEU under the provisions of the joint trust agreement. He currently serves on the BC Investment Management Corporation Board of Directors, a position he has held since 2019. He also serves as a Vice President of NUPGE and the BC Federation of Labour. He is a past board member of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Prior to joining the BCGEU, Paul was Speaker of Council and Finance Executive of the Camosun College Student Society, and helped lead provincial and national coalitions to democratize the student movement. During his time as a student movement leader, he was involved in organizing city-wide wildcat sympathy strikes across Victoria in support of hospital workers in 2004, and teachers in 2005.
Paul left college to become a BCGEU member, working as an auxiliary mail clerk at the BC Ministry of Health and serving as a shop steward and officer on his local executive. He subsequently enjoyed a career in the civil service, working in information technology at PharmaNet, and eventually as a real estate project administrator and finally an IT project analyst in the Ministry of Citizens’ Services. After being elected Executive Vice President of the union at its 2011 convention, Paul chaired the union’s International Solidarity, Young Workers, Constitution and Structure, Strike Pay, Local Election and Convention Review committees.
Paul is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and occasionally speaks on the challenges faced by those like himself on the spectrum. He currently serves as Chair of the board of Autism Canada. He maintains an avid interest in geopolitics, urban land economics, pensions, labour history and platonism. He has spoken broadly about the underpinnings of the BC affordable housing crisis, and teaches courses on labour economics for other labour unions. He has spoken internationally on labour struggle, economics, pensions, investment governance and capital stewardship.
Email: [email protected]
@paulgfinch
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