I am pleased to announce that Ms. Anita Bleick has been appointed as PSEA's new Director of Labour Relations.

For the past three years Anita has served as a Negotiator in the Metro Vancouver / GVRDs Labour Relations Department. In that capacity she has served as chief spokesperson at a number of different bargaining tables and as second chair at a number of additional tables. She has also worked on a range of labour relations matters, including contract administration, for the GVRD. Prior to her current position, Anita worked for one year as Legal Counsel in the GVRDs Legal Department.

Anita graduated from the University of Victoria's Law Co-op Program and was called to the BC Bar in 2001. Prior to joining the GVRD in March 2005 she worked with a local government law firm in Victoria (Staples McDannold Stewart) for four years and then worked for a year as a sole practitioner in her own firm in Victoria, focusing on labour and employment law.

As PSEAs Director of Labour Relations, Anita will be providing strategic advice, direction, and assistance to PSEAs member institutions in the areas of bargaining, contract administration, and policy and mandate development.

Anita will be commencing her work with the PSEA on May 25, 2009.

I and the PSEA Secretariat staff are very much looking forward to working with Anita in her new role. On behalf of her new colleagues and all the PSEA member institutions, I welcome Anita to PSEA. Over the next few months I will be arranging for her to meet our member institutions CEOs and senior administrators as well as the personnel in government, the unions, and other organizations with which PSEA works.

As you know, Anita will be filling the position in which I have served for the past nine years. As the PSEA Board and I agreed this past September, I will myself be continuing as PSEA's CEO until the end of August 2010.

John Waters
CEO