British Columbia Federation of Labour

Jim Sinclair

President
CAW/UFAWU
exec@bcfed.ca

Jim Sinclair is president of the British Columbia Federation of Labour, the umbrella organization that represents 54 unions and 450,000 private and public sector employees in the province.

He was elected to that position in 1999 after serving more than 18 years in the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union - CAW. During his career in the fishing industry Jim served as associate editor of the Fisherman's Newspaper, Health and Safety Director, staff representative and spent the last eight years as an elected leader of the union.

During his term at the Federation of Labour, the federation has grown by more than 75,000 members as unions representing teachers, nurses and worker's compensation board employees joined the central labour body.

Jim began his working career as a journalist, working in both radio and print media. He was editor and contributor to Crossing the Line, a book on the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also served on the board of the Vancouver Richmond Health Authority for four years and on the board of B.C. Hydro for four years.

Irene Lanzinger

Secretary-Treasurer
British Columbia Teachers' Federation
sectreas@bcfed.ca

Irene Lanzinger is a long-time union activist and teacher. She began her teaching career in 1978 and taught in Abbotsford and Vancouver. She also travelled overseas and taught in Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Irene was very active in the B.C. Teachers' Federation serving as president of the Vancouver Secondary Teachers' association, as a negotiator on provincial bargaining teams and as vice-president and president of the BCTF. Irene served as and officer of the B.C. Federation of Labour from 2007 to 2010.

Irene was elected to the position of Secretary Treasurer of the B.C. Federation of Labour in 2010. She is the first teacher to assume a top post in a provincial federation of labour.