Hassan Yusseff elected President of the Canadian Labour Congress
May 13, 2014
Hassan YusseffNew Canadian Labour Congress President
Last week, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) held its triennial convention from May 5 to 9 in Montreal where on Thursday, May 8th, the almost 5000 delegates to the convention elected a new leadership team to lead the CLC and its 3.3-million members.
Hassan Yussuff, the Secretary Treasurer of the CLC since 2002, was elected President, defeating 15-year incumbent Ken Georgetti. Yussuff is the first worker of colour to hold the position. Georgetti made a motion shortly after the results were announced to declare Yussuff's election unanimous.
"I'm truly honoured to be the next CLC president," Yussuff told the CLC convention where he was elected May 8. "You have voted for change, you have voted for a strong labour movement."
Unifor National President Jerry Dias congratulated Yussuff on his election. "Members of the CLC have voted for change. Working with all of the affiliates of the CLC, that is what Yussuff will deliver," Dias said. "I would like to congratulate all the candidates in this election. They have contributed to an important debate on renewal, and that can only be good for the labour movement."
Hassan Yussuff, the Secretary Treasurer of the CLC since 2002, was elected President, defeating 15-year incumbent Ken Georgetti. Yussuff is the first worker of colour to hold the position. Georgetti made a motion shortly after the results were announced to declare Yussuff's election unanimous.
"I'm truly honoured to be the next CLC president," Yussuff told the CLC convention where he was elected May 8. "You have voted for change, you have voted for a strong labour movement."
Unifor National President Jerry Dias congratulated Yussuff on his election. "Members of the CLC have voted for change. Working with all of the affiliates of the CLC, that is what Yussuff will deliver," Dias said. "I would like to congratulate all the candidates in this election. They have contributed to an important debate on renewal, and that can only be good for the labour movement."
(From left to right) Unifor Local 4003 Chairperson Mark Robinson,Local 4003 President Frank Consiglio, Unifor Council 4000
President Barry Kennedy, Hassan Yusseff, and
Council 4000 Regional Representative Wesley Gajda
Veteran Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) negotiator and Canadian labour movement activist Hassan Husseini, who was the first candidate to put his name forward to run as CLC President, withdrew from the election Thursday morning to support Yussuff.
Yussuff campaigned on a platform to reinvigorate the labour movement in Canada, pledging to reach out to workers of colour and to lead a more inclusive CLC that pushes back against the anti-labour and austerity agendas of Conservative governments across Canada.
Yussuff began his involvement in the labour movement while working as a truck mechanic and member of the Canadian Auto Workers (now Unifor), later becoming the CAW's first Director of Human Rights.
In 1999, he was the first person of colour to be elected to the CLC executive. Three years later, he was elected Secretary Treasurer of the CLC.
Yussuff campaigned on a platform to reinvigorate the labour movement in Canada, pledging to reach out to workers of colour and to lead a more inclusive CLC that pushes back against the anti-labour and austerity agendas of Conservative governments across Canada.
Yussuff began his involvement in the labour movement while working as a truck mechanic and member of the Canadian Auto Workers (now Unifor), later becoming the CAW's first Director of Human Rights.
In 1999, he was the first person of colour to be elected to the CLC executive. Three years later, he was elected Secretary Treasurer of the CLC.
Replacing Yussuff as the CLC Secretary Treasurer is Barbara Byers, who served as an Executive Vice-President of the CLC since 2002. Prior to that, Byers was the first woman to be elected as President of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU-NUPGE). In 1988, she was elected as President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL).
Re-elected as Executive Vice-President is Marie Clarke Walker (CUPE), and newly elected Executive VP Donald Lafleur from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
Congratulations to all and we wish them success in their new three year terms as the CLC leadership team.
Re-elected as Executive Vice-President is Marie Clarke Walker (CUPE), and newly elected Executive VP Donald Lafleur from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
Congratulations to all and we wish them success in their new three year terms as the CLC leadership team.
Thanks to Ken Georgetti
Ken Georgetti
We must acknowledge the work of past CLC President Ken Georgetti, who served Canada’s labour movement for more than 30 years. He was elected President of the United Steelworkers of America Local 480 in 1981, a position he held until his election as a Vice-President of the BC Federation of Labour (BC Fed) in 1984. Georgetti was then elected as President of the BC Fed in 1986 as the youngest person ever elected to that position. He served in that role until the time he was elected as President of the CLC in 1999, replacing Bob White.
We thank Brother Georgetti for his years of remarkable service to Canada’s labour movement, which earned him many awards and achievements over the years, including in 2000 when he was made a Member of the Order of Canada, only the 10th labour leader to be so awarded. We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.
We thank Brother Georgetti for his years of remarkable service to Canada’s labour movement, which earned him many awards and achievements over the years, including in 2000 when he was made a Member of the Order of Canada, only the 10th labour leader to be so awarded. We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.
