A library technician from Prince Edward Island has been chosen as the new diversity vice-president to represent aboriginal CUPE members on the National Executive Board.
Leo Cheverie, 42, was chosen at a meeting in Ottawa over the weekend by consensus of seven aboriginal CUPE members sent by their provincial divisions to seek the board position. The NEB will be asked to ratify the selection at its meeting in March.
Aboriginal people are the fastest growing population in Canada, Cheverie said. We need to make CUPE members and leaders representative of them and all peoples.
The DVP designate said the meeting in Ottawa underlines the need to continue our work of building aboriginal councils, including a national council.
Cheverie, whose Inuit ancestors hailed from Labrador, replaces Randy St. Denis of Saskatchewan who stepped down after serving three years in the post.
Cheverie works as a library technician at the University of P.E.I. and is a member of CUPE Local 1870. He has served as co-chair of CUPE nationals rainbow committee for the past two years. He also serves on CUPEs national literacy working group. He is a past president of the P.E.I. Federation of Labour.
The other candidates were Barbara Ames from Alberta, Audrey Barr from British Columbia, Brian Barron from Manitoba, Gerri Harris from Saskatchewan, Fred Loft from Ontario (the first national DVP aboriginal) and Trudy Stiller from the Hospital Employees Union, CUPEs B.C. health care division.