FFAW elects Greg Pretty as new union president

The Fish, Food & Allied Workers union has a new president.

In a secret ballotThursday at the Comfort Inn in St. John's, Greg Pretty walked away with the top job.

"Thanks to everybody in the room today,particularly those who put their faith in me and chose me to be the leader of this incredibly historic, important union," Pretty said during his victory speech.

"I bring experience and gumption to get things done. But most importantly, I have a robust network of dedicated individuals behind me."

The election marksthe end of Keith Sullivan's eight-year tenure as leader. Sullivan announced his resignation in December. At the time, the announcement was unexpected, as Sullivan was just one year into a three-year term.

Pretty who was a director with the union hadbeen endorsed by the executive boardat the union. Hetookon west coast fisherman Dave Callahan.

The vote tally from theinshore council and the industrial/retail/offshore council was 43-11 in favour of Pretty.

Pretty will nowlead the union's 15,000 members, primarily in the fishing industry, with smaller segments in the industrial, retail and offshore sectors.

"I can tell you today that we will stand together and fight and take on the people who would put us down. That will start tomorrow," said Pretty.

"We're putting these companies, these fish merchants on notice that if in fact they want to play the same trick they did last year in posting prices, something they did 40 years ago, if they do that this year they're going to be shut down."

Pretty said the union is going directly to Premier Andrew Fureyto develop a long-term strategy for the sector and will also "hold the feds' feed to the fire" on the seal issue.

"That has to be done," he said.

"The other issue is mackerel, the northern cod we have the product, we have the resources, we need the drive to create more and better jobs and longer fishing seasons. Out of the gate, we're going to start doing that."

Pretty isjust thefourth president in the union's more than 50-year history.

Controversy ahead of vote

The election saw controversy earlier this week, when longtime FFAW opponent Jason Sullivan was disqualified from the race. Jason Sullivan was a member of the former upstart group Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters N.L., which aimed to break away from the FFAW and form a new union for fish harvesters.

"For the better part of the last decade, Jason Sullivan has made it his mission to discredit our union and the hundreds of democratically elected members who volunteer their time and energy on the executive board, councils, and various committees," said FFAWsecretary treasurer Jason Spingle in a press release Wednesday.

Sullivan lashed out at theunion leadership for allowing Pretty's ex-wife to sit on the election board.

"Having an election that is chaired by one of thecandidate's ex-wife is unbelievable; however, nobody in Newfoundland and Labrador is surprised by the dirty antics of the FFAW anymore," Sullivan wrote to news outlets in the province.

Spingledefended the union and hit back at Sullivan in a personal way.

"He continues to make vile, slanderous attacks on individuals, making it abundantly clear the type of character he embodies," he said.

The next general election takes place in 2024. If theposition iscontested,a full-membership vote will take place.

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