UFCW 1518’s nomination period for officers concluded yesterday with just one candidate nominated for each position, leading to an unopposed election for President, Secretary-Treasurer, Recorder, and Vice Presidents by acclamation.

Kim Novak, who has served as UFCW 1518 President since 2019, will continue her role as President for the 2024-2027 term.

“I am honoured to serve as President of UFCW 1518 for a second term,” Novak said. “These last four years were different than we expected and planned for, with a global pandemic throwing all of our members in every sector onto the front lines in the work they do. Despite the challenges we faced, we strengthened our union by growing our membership, organizing new workplaces, training thousands of members, increasing member engagement, substantially improving the financial position of the union in the member action reserve fund and more. We look forward to where we go from here, and congratulate the newly elected executive board members!” 

Also returning for the upcoming term is Patrick Johnson, who will continue to serve as Secretary-Treasurer.

“It is a privilege to work on behalf of all UFCW 1518 members for a second term,” said Johnson. “I am again looking forward to bolstering the union’s financial and political power, driving us towards greater achievements. Our union has been on the forefront of organizing and we look forward to growing that momentum as we continue to see more and more workers standing together to build better workplaces.”

In addition to the President and Secretary-Treasurer, a Recorder and 23 Vice Presidents were elected to the executive board by acclamation. Compromising of dedicated UFCW 1518 members, their presence ensures a diverse and representative team to lead the union on a mission to advocate for worker rights, respect, dignity, and interests:

Recorder: Nanette Fredericks—MacKenzie Co-Op
Vice President #1: David Gutierrez—Save-On-Foods 910
Vice President #2: Linda Wilson—Port Alberni Home Support
Vice President #3: Marylou Fonda—Save-On-Foods 2223
Vice President #4: Kathleen Guerin—Save-On-Foods 0931
Vice President #5: James (Jimbo) Grant—Save-On-Foods 0935
Vice President #6: Jennifer Brown—Sobeys 4966
Vice President #7: Virgilio Encarnacion—Sofina Foods, Port Coquitlam
Vice President #8: Jhoelyn Cantil—Sunrise Poultry, Aldergrove
Vice President #9: Eleanor Smith—Penticton Home Support, Penticton
Vice President #11: Rajiv Mehra—Grand River Foods, Abbotsford
Vice President #12: Jaime Emerson—Save-On-Foods 2208
Vice President #13: Connie Buckner—Cowichan Home Support, Duncan
Vice President #14: Anita Letendre—Save-On-Foods 0999
Vice President #15: Kevin Sparkes—Sunrise Poultry, Maple Ridge
Vice President #16: Jennifer Vecchio—Nelson Home Support, Nelson
Vice President #17: Teresa-Lyne Dziedzic—Sobeys 4920
Vice President #18: Raven Morningstar—Save-On-Foods 6690
Vice President #19: Dennis Sato—Sobeys 4976
Vice President #21: Christine Holowka—Save-On-Foods 0967
Vice President #22: Armin Reyes—Sobeys 4996
Vice President #23: Erica Jones—Save-On-Foods 0995
Vice President #24: Peter Dombrowski—Sobeys 4920
Vice President #25: Marlene White—Sobeys 4977

UFCW 1518 President Kim Novak, Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Johnson, and the executive board are passionate about the labour movement and advocating for member rights. Their unwavering commitment to engage, educate, and empower members to create positive change comes with tailored in-store visits, training and education sessions, and appreciation events for a diverse range of industries across British Columbia and the Yukon, including the retail food, community health, seasonal agriculture, and professional service sectors spanning over 26,000 members.