Letter from NSGEU President Joan Jessome

Good afternoon,

It is with mixed emotions that I write this letter to you today. After approximately 20 years as an officer of NSGEU, with 17 of those years serving as your President,  I have decided that it is time to move on to new endeavours.

I will be running for a position with our National Union, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) in Ottawa this June. If elected, I hope to make a positive difference in the labour movement at a national level. But this means that I cannot reoffer my name for election as President of the NSGEU in May 2016.

This was not an easy decision for me: throughout my decades of involvement with the NSGEU, I believe we have made great strides together and achieved much for the membership and working people of Nova Scotia. With great local leadership and NSGEU staff this work will continue.

Rest assured, I will be seeing out the remainder of my term with the NSGEU (until elections are held at Triennial Convention in May 2016): working to address the privatization threat to many of our members and the ongoing attacks by the McNeil government, as well as ensuring the Civil Service negotiations are concluded and rounds of Health Care negotiations begin as planned. During this time, I will remain dedicated to the beliefs and principles that have always guided me as your President.

I remain faithfully yours, in solidarity,

Joan Jessome

President, NSGEU