Judy Darcy

Judy Darcy
MLA

Darcy protesting outside a Conservative Party fundraiser in Toronto in 2003
Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Assumed office
May 14, 2013
Preceded by Dawn Black
Constituency New Westminster
Secretary-Business Manager of the Hospital Employees' Union
In office
2005–2011
Succeeded by Bonnie Pearson
4th National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees
In office
1991–2003
Preceded by Jeff Rose
Succeeded by Paul Moist
National Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Union of Public Employees
In office
1989–1991
Personal details
Born 1950 (age 65–66)
Denmark
Political party New Democratic Party (1985–present)
Other political
affiliations		 Workers' Communist Party of Canada (before 1985)
Alma mater York University

Judy Darcy MLA (born 1950) is a Canadian health care advocate, trade unionist, and politician.[1] She was president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees from 1991 until 2003[2] and business manager of the Hospital Employees' Union from 2005 to 2011.

Darcy was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 election, as a BC NDP candidate for the provincial constituency of New Westminster.[3]

Early life

Darcy was born in Denmark and came to Canada with her parents when she was 18 months old. Her father was a research chemist who was a shipping clerk for years until he could re-establish his credentials in Canada and resume work in his profession.[4]

She was raised in Sarnia, and moved to Toronto to study political science at York University but quit after 1½ years,[4] but not before infiltrating and disrupting the Miss Canadian University Pageant yelling "It's true it's a meat market and they do exploit women!" as the winner was announced.[5] After travelling and doing odd jobs, she became a University of Toronto library clerk in 1972 and became active in CUPE.[4][6]

Union activism

In her youth, Darcy was active with the Workers' Communist Party of Canada,[7] a Maoist group, and was a candidate for the party in the 1981 Ontario provincial election in the Toronto riding of St. Andrew—St. Patrick.[8] By 1985, she had left the party and joined the New Democratic Party saying of her earlier radicalism ""I'm older, I don't think we're going to remake the world, but we've got to change what we can."[9]

In 1983, she became a regional vice-president of the union's Ontario division and was also working at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library.[4]

By the mid-1980s, she was president of the Metro Toronto Council of CUPE.[10]

In 1986, she ran for the position of Ontario president of CUPE challenging 10-year incumbent Lucie Nicholson.[6] She was unsuccessful,[11] losing by a margin of 318-240, her defeat blamed on a red-baiting campaign by the union's leadership. Darcy, however, did manage to retain a spot on the union's executive board topping the slate of "member at large" positions.[12]

By 1988, she was first vice-president of CUPE's Ontario division[13] as well as a vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.[14] In 1989, she successfully ran for the position of national secretary-treasurer of CUPE,[15] the union's number two position. saying that said she stands for strong leadership to help CUPE cope with "some of the incredibly difficult challenges we'll see in the next few years, especially in light of free trade."[14]

In the 1988 federal election, Darcy was the NDP's candidate against Liberal Frank Stronach and Progressive Conservative John E. Cole in York—Simcoe[13] placing a "distant third"[16] in the suburban Toronto riding.[17]

In 1991, she was elected CUPE national president taking over the 406,000 member trade union.[18] By the time she retired 13 years later the union had grown to 525,000 members.[2]

After CUPE

She moved to British Columbia subsequently and ran for the provincial British Columbia New Democratic Party nomination in Vancouver-Fairview but was upset by a businessman Gregor Robertson by a margin of 76 votes on the second ballot.[19]

In February 2005, Darcy returned to work in the trade union movement acquiring a position as secretary-business manager and chief negotiator[20] with British Columbia's Hospital Employees' Union.[21] She was known as being on the left of the union[9] and an advocate of issues such as employment equity[13] and childcare.[14] She resigned from this position in September 2011 in preparation for her candidacy in the 2013 BC provincial election in New Westminster.[22][23] She celebrated her election as New Westminster's Member of the Legislative Assembly at the Heritage Grill.[24] At this party, Darcy led attendees in chanting "NDP".[25]

References

  1. ↑ Canadian, Press (5 August 2011). "Judy Darcy Seeks NDP Nomination". CBC News. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 Judy Darcy quitting after 12 years as president of CUPE, National Union of Public and General Employees, February 27, 2003
  3. ↑ Lau, Alfie (August 31, 2011). "Judy Darcy wins provincial NDP nomination for New Westminster". Royal City Record. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Papp, Leslie, "Ex-clerk leads race for top union job", Toronto Star, October 9, 1991
  5. ↑ Pratt, Sheila, "Pioneers of women's movement tell their stories," Edmonton Journal, April 17, 2005
  6. 1 2 Slotnick, Lorne, "CUPE leadership rivals battle over profile and role of union", Globe and Mail, May 21, 1986
  7. ↑ List, Wilfred, "CUPE chief survives attack by workers", Globe and Mail, May 23, 1981
  8. ↑ Spiers, Rosemary, "St. Andrew-St. Patrick profile How federal Liberals turn Tory blue in voting booths", Globe and Mail, March 13, 1981
  9. 1 2 Deverell, John, "2 women fight it out for top job with CUPE," Toronto Star, May 30, 1986
  10. ↑ "End discrimination against office staff, funds hearing told," Globe and Mail, September 13, 1985
  11. ↑ Deverell, John, "Metro challenger fails in bid to lead CUPE in Ontario", May 30, 1986
  12. ↑ Slotnick, Lorne, "Challenge for presidency falls short Nicholson keeps CUPE post," Globe and Mail, May 31, 1986
  13. 1 2 3 Todd, Rosemary, "CAMPAIGN '88 Voters 'don't think money talks' NDP sends CUPE official to fight Stronach," Globe and Mail, October 17, 1988
  14. 1 2 3 "CUPE activist plans to seek No. 2 post," Globe and Mail, January 27, 1989
  15. ↑ "GST EXPECTED TO BE TOP ISSUE AT ALBERTA CUPE CONVENTION," Canada Newswire, March 26, 1990
  16. ↑ Duffy, Andrew, "Tory hands Stronach a stunning defeat," Toronto Star, November 22, 1988
  17. ↑ History of federal ridings: York-Simcoe, Library of Parliament
  18. ↑ Galt, Virginia, "Former radical new CUPE president Darcy wants to unleash lobbying potential of largest union in Canada", Globe and Mail, October 17, 1991
  19. ↑ O'Brian, Amy, "NDP picks businessman over union leader", Vancouver Sun, November 8, 2004
  20. ↑ Penner, Derrick, "Labour reserved: Unions skeptical about public-sector funding", Vancouver Sun, December 1, 2005
  21. ↑ "Health workers' union turns to seasoned labour leader", Vancouver Sun, February 24, 2005
  22. ↑ "Darcy to step down as HEU's chief negotiator to seek public office" (Press release). Hospital Employees' Union. September 8, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  23. ↑ Smith, Charlie (September 8, 2011). "NDP candidate Judy Darcy steps down as Hospital Employees' Union chief negotiator". Georgia Straight. Vancouver, BC. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  24. ↑ Grant Granger (May 14, 2013). "Darcy rolls to victory in New Westminster". New Westminster News Leader. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  25. ↑ Theresa McManus (May 15, 2013). "Liberals take B.C. - NDP takes New West". The Record. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
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