February 3, 2021 - Dear Members,

I wish to inform you that Denise Chisholm has resigned from the Local 1944 Executive Board owing to personal reasons. We are grateful for all of the many years of activism that Denise has given to our Local. There are few areas of membership representation that Denise has not turned her skills and effort to. She served for almost an entire two terms as a Regional Executive Officer for BC. In addition to being a member on many Local committees throughout the years, she most currently was Chair of the Women of Steel Committee and sat as a member on the Jems committee. She was an ELHT (My Union Plan @ Work) Trustee. Denise also had accepted the responsibility of serving on a past Bargaining Committee, one of the most intense and stressful duties a member can take on.

Denise recently returned to her position at Telus after serving in Lane Street doing project work for a year to engage our members. Another successful task that she took on with her typical enthusiasm and attention to detail. It has been a pleasure to have served with her. Now, after all of these years of activism, Denise is turning her sights to retirement. Although not in the immediate future, she is excitedly thinking about what that is going to look like in her next stage in life. We wish Denise all the best.

We would also like to welcome Alina Gherghinoiu who has been appointed to fill the vacancy of Regional Executive Officer BC. She has been with Telus and a member of the Local since 2004. Alina has long been an activist, fighting for her peers in the workplace and is a participant in our Leadership Development Student Program. Along with being the Secretary of her Unit 51, the largest in our Local, she is a member of the Political Action and Women of Steel Committees. She is also one of our facilitators that delivers Union training to our membership and other Local Unions under the United Steelworkers (USW) umbrella. Alina is about to deliver the Local’s newest endeavour with online learning. She will be training Shop Steward Level 1 in this new forum using brand new material designed and developed in partnership with the USW but with the needs of Local 1944 in mind. Alina is always striving for more.

Please join me in a hearty congratulations in wishing Alina the very best in her new role.