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"At NUPGE, we will miss his generous nature, his logical thinking, and his strong support. We wish him the best in the years to come, and know our paths will cross again. Thank you, Brother." - James Clancy, NUPGE National President.
Ottawa (17 Sept. 2013) - On September 11, after serving five years in his position, Reid Johnson, President of the Health Sciences Association of B.C. (HSABC/NUPGE) has stepped down.
"I want to thank Reid, on behalf of NUPGE's 340,000 members across the country for his tireless efforts in the labour movement," said James Clancy, National President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). "His leadership has transformed HSABC/NUPGE into a strong voice for health professionals across B.C. and a solid defender of public services, even under enormous pressures."
Larry Brown, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer, said, "Reid's dedication to ensuring health professionals are recognized for being the backbone of our health system is never-ending. From working on the National Finance Committee to his abiding interest in understanding how broader issues in the economy affect public services, Reid was a strong member of the National Board."
First elected as President in April 2007, Johnson earned his Masters of Social Work at the University of British Columbia and holds a post-masters certificate in family therapy. He has worked in psychiatry, spinal cord and vocational rehabilitation, and in family therapy. Johnson originally joined HSABC/NUPGE in 1988 and has been a full-time member of the union since 1990. He joined the Board of Directors in 1997, and previously served as the union's Secretary-Treasurer.
Under his leadership, the union has focused on increasing staffing to support labour relations services to members, including specialized support for disability management and pension advocacy, as well as raising the profile of health science professionals as integral members of the modern health care team. Since his election in 2007, unprecedented resources and support have been committed to a long term advertising program, and developing a sophisticated and professional government relations strategy involving direct lines of communication between HSABC/NUPGE members and elected officials.
"It has been a privilege for me these past six and a half years to represent HSABC members working throughout the health care and social services systems in British Columbia," Johnson said.
"In that time, members have been under continuous pressure to deliver excellent and compassionate services in spite of growing shortages, tightening budgets, and continued assaults on those very services," he said.
"For personal reasons, the timing is right for me to step away from the leadership of the union. I join with the rest of the board of directors in welcoming Val Avery who will take over as President until an election is held in April 2014. Val has served in many important capacities in the union and is fully prepared for the work ahead in the coming months," he said.
"At NUPGE, " Clancy continued, "we will miss his generous nature, his logical thinking, and his strong support. We wish him the best in the years to come, and know our paths will cross again. Thank you, Brother."
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE