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The following statement has been issued by Mark Ferguson, president of Toronto Civic Employees Union, CUPE Local 416:

The members of Local 416 are mourning the sudden passing at home on Sunday of our union brother Brian Cochrane.

Brother Cochrane was the first president of our local, which formed out of the amalgamation of the City of Toronto. For a dozen years before that, he represented workers in the former city of North York.

During his 10 years as Local 416 president, Brian provided the leadership needed to build a strong, united union that overcame the hurdles of amalgamation to win good contracts for our members, even if that meant taking strike action. He fought for strong public services and against privatization. His heart was in the union.

Brian Cochrane’s legacy lives on in our collective agreements at Local 416. Indeed, workers from coast to coast have benefited from his tenacity at the bargaining table.

On behalf of all members of Local 416, I offer our sincere condolences, caring and solidarity to Brother Cochrane’s family.