SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After 14 years of representing the North through the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Jean-Francois Des Lauriers is retiring to relax and spend time with his family.

Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, seen here in Iqaluit in 2009, is retiring from his position as regional executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. - NNSL file photo

"I believe it's time for someone else to take over and for myself to move on to other activities, other challenges," he said.

Des Lauriers was elected regional executive vice-president in 1997 after the organization adopted a regionalized model. Prior to 1997, vice-presidents worked primarily out of PSAC's head office in Ottawa.

Des Lauriers said working and living in the North has allowed him to be more visible and accessible to members.

Currently PSAC has 15,000 members working in the North, much high than when Des Lauriers first started.

"Over the past 14 years we've really increased the number of hamlets, villages, small towns in our portfolio," he said.

For Des Lauriers, highlights of his career include promoting equal pay for work of equal value as well as getting a collective agreement for the workers at BHP Billiton's Ekati diamond mine.

"Organizing mine workers was outside our traditional jurisdiction but it has really helped the workers there," he said.

The collective agreement ended a strike that lasted for more than two months in 2006. It was the first union contract at a Canadian diamond mine.

"It's hard to believe that there are any mines that don't have a union because mining is inherently a hazardous job," Des Lauriers said. "If you don't have a voice for the workers, sooner or later something going to happen."

Patty Ducharme, national executive vice-president for PSAC praised Des Lauriers for being a thoughtful, principled and fiery advocate.

"He is really committed to advancing workers right," she said. "He believes in improving the lot of all of us."

Ducharme also credited Des Lauriers with taking a leadership role in advancing the rights of First Nations workers.

He was involved in planning PSAC's National Aboriginal People's Conference and also encouraged PSAC to provide translations into many native languages, she said.

The first big challenge for his successor will be the steep learning curve that comes with representing such a large area, Des Lauriers said.

"The first three years are going to be about learning and becoming familiar with the region as a whole, with the union, their role and adopting their leadership style. Three years is going to go by really fast for whoever is coming in."

But the job has its rewards.

"This is the kind of job that I feel has the potential of having the most impact on improving people's lives," Des Lauriers said. "Everyday we are fighting for the rights of workers and helping them improve their economy and social standing in society."

Des Lauriers leaves his position with a warning, that the jobs of all public sector workers are at risk after the recent federal election.

"Its government has made it clear that it wants to reduce the massive deficit it has created by cutting programs and jobs," Des Lauriers wrote in an email.

He said his successor will have to work diligently to organize the members and build alliances with other progressive organizations to fight back in the region.

With no plans set for the future, Des Lauriers is looking forward to spending his time outdoors, celebrating his 35th wedding anniversary and preparing for his daughter's wedding in October.

The new regional executive vice-president will be elected on June 19 at PSAC's convention in Iqaluit.

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