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After 21 years as president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers' union (FFAW), through some of the toughest year to face the fisheries, Earle McCurdy is retiring.
“With a steady hand and a quick mind, Earle McCurdy has provided the fisheries workers of Newfoundland and Labrador with respected and thoughtful leadership over many years of tough times and difficult challenges,” Unifor National President Jerry Dias and Atlantic Regional Director Lana Payne wrote in a joint reflection on McCurdy’s contribution.
McCurdy took over from founding FFAW president Richard Cashin just one year after the 1992 fisheries moratoria was called, representing the biggest single layoff in Canadian history when more than 20,000 people lost their jobs overnight.
"We've built a strong union over the years, which I believe is a vital part of the social and economic life of our province, and will continue to do so for a long time in the future," McCurdy said.
The moratoria lasted many years, much longer than the two-year compensation program would indicate. Under McCurdy, the FFAW led the fight for a renewed compensation program.
McCurdy was also the longest-serving member of the National Executive Board, having been on the CAW’s NEB since 1993, and on the Unifor NEB until his retirement November 17.
