Kim Novak was sworn in as President of UFCW 1518, stepping into the position vacated when Ivan Limpright retired last month after 34 years of service. President Novak swore her oath to uphold the union’s constitution as well as the values of the labour movement at a brief ceremony led by UFCW Canada Paul Meinema earlier this week.

“I am honoured to have been elected by our Executive Board to be president of UFCW 1518, and to be the first woman in the 120 year history of our organization to hold this title,” President Novak said. “It is through direct connection with our members in their workplaces and communities that we know the priorities we need to take forward: empowerment, education and action. My focus is to execute on this vision and and lead our union forward.”

Patrick Johnson was also unanimously elected as Secretary-Treasurer by the Executive Board. “It is a great privilege to be elected to work on behalf of our members. I’m looking forward to continuing to build the union’s power, both financially and politically,” said Secretary-Treasurer Johnson.

President Novak was hired as a summer student working in the Communications Department in 2007. Soon she was offered full-time employment and moved up the ranks from union representative to director and in 2015 she became Secretary-Treasurer. A lifelong activist, Secretary-Treasurer Johnson has been organizing non-unionized workers with UFCW 1518 since 2010. He served as Executive Assistant until his election this week.

Both President Novak and Secretary-Treasurer Johnson are passionate about the work of the labour movement and advocating for the rights of members. They bring a strong commitment to member engagement, education and empowerment that is already being realized in 2019’s line up of trainings and steward appreciation events.

Members are invited to meet our new leaders at the first quarterly union meeting of the year on March 6. President Novak and Secretary-Treasurer Johnson will also be visiting workplaces and communities across the province to connect with members directly.