News release

May 1, 2005

Ed Cashman re-elected PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President for the National Capital Region

              OTTAWA - Delegates to the PSAC’s National Capital Region Convention have elected Ed Cashman as their Regional Executive Vice-President for a second term. 

“Workers’ rights are constantly being threatened on both sides of the Ottawa River and everywhere in Canada,” said Cashman after his election. “We need to work together in this region in the coming months to defend our rights. There is a lot to do and our 45,000 members deserve that we give it our best.”

Cashman was first elected at PSAC’s triennial national convention in 2003. Delegates to at this convention changed the process to allow for the election of the union’s seven Regional Executive Vice-Presidents at a triennial convention in each region. 

Prior to his election as REVP - NCR, Ed was National President of PSAC’s National Component from 1999 to 2002.  Ed has been a PSAC activist for many years, starting out his union career as National Director for Countries outside of Canada from 1996-1998.  He was President of his Local from 1998 to 1999.

Gordon McAllister was elected as the alternate Regional Executive Vice-President for the NCR.  He would become the REVP in the event that Cashman could not complete his term of office.

McAllister has been a PSAC member since 1984 and active in the union over the last three years. He is currently President of Local 70125, Foreign Affairs, and Assistant Regional Vice-President for Outside Canada at National Component. He is also Chair of the Ottawa Area Council and was a member of the Program and Administrative Services (Table 1) bargaining team during the last round of negotiations.

The 119 delegates to the regional convention met from April 29 to May 1 in Ottawa. On Sunday, Ontario New Democratic Party Leader, Howard Hampton gave a passionate speech to the delegates on the importance of defending workers’ rights.

The PSAC represents 45,000 members in the National Capital Region, primarily in the federal public sector.

At another PSAC regional convention, held in Toronto this weekend, delegates re-elected Gerry Halabecki as the Regional Executive Vice-President for the union's Ontario Region.

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For information:           Louise Laporte, PSAC Communications

                                          (613) 558-4975 (cell)

15-010505