Paul Moist

Paul Moist
Moist speaking at a Peoples' Social Forum rally in 2014
5th National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees
In office 2003–2015
Preceded by	Judy Darcy
Succeeded by	Mark Hancock
Personal details
Political party	New Democratic Party
Alma mater	University of Manitoba

Paul Moist is a former national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canada's largest trade union, having served from 2003 to 2015.^[1]

Career

Moist first joined CUPE as a teenager in 1975, working first as a lifeguard, then as a greenhouse attendant for the City of Winnipeg.^[1][2] He was elected to his local executive after university and worked as a CUPE staff representative from 1983 to 1993.

Moist served for 10 years as the president of CUPE Local 500, representing Winnipeg municipal workers. He also served for six years as president of CUPE Manitoba.^[3]

Moist became the first western Canadian elected to lead CUPE's 600,000 members in October 2003.^[2] Under Moist's leadership, CUPE has focused on branding itself as a community union, advocating strongly for the new deal for cities, and playing key roles in the defense of public health care, the fight for public, quality, child care, and in resisting attempts to privatize water and electricity services across the country.^[4]

Moist has served as co-chair of Manitoba Premier Gary Doer's Economic Advisory Council^[5] and vice-chair of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation.^[1] He has also served his community as treasurer of the United Way and as a director of the Winnipeg Library Foundation and the Misericordia Health Centre. He is a vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress.^[1]

Moist studied Canadian history and politics at University of Manitoba from which he received a bachelor of arts degree.^[4] He is a member and a supporter of the New Democratic Party.^[6]

References

1. "Paul Moist, National President". Canadian Union of Public Employees. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
2. Seguin, Rheal (October 30, 2003). "In a first, Westerner is elected president of CUPE". The Globe and Mail. p. A12.
3. Dougherty, Kevin (October 28, 2003). "CUPE head lashes out: Outgoing president blasts 'right-wing' agendas". Montreal Gazette. p. A15.
4. "Paul Moist: National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees". Shareholder Association for Research and Education. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
5. "Doer Announces Appointment of Members to Premier's Economic Advisory Council" (Press release). Government of Manitoba. November 16, 2001. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
6. Moist, Paul (March 29, 2011). "Why am I a New Democrat?". Paul's Page. Canadian Union of Public Employees. Retrieved July 24, 2012. … I have spent my entire adult life as [an NDP] member, a constituency association president, a convention delegate and I guess in short, an active social democrat.