The top ten: most influential labor leaders in Saskatchewan.

Chris Banting (No photo provided)

Secretary-Treasurer, Retail Wholesale & Department Store Workers

A career employee of the Regina-based, 6,000-strong RWDSU, Banting joined the organization straight out of the U of R in 1971. This quiet-spoken veteran points to the recent unanimous Supreme Court ruling on secondary picketing as a major victory. The Court accepted the union's charter arguments that secondary pickets amounted to a freedom of expression for the members in a dispute with Saskatoon Pepsi plant.

Barb Byers

President, Saskatchewan Federation of Labor

As head of the province's federation of labor, Byers has access to the corridors of power and little trouble being heard, given labor's affiliation with the NDP. This former social worker currently co-chairs--with a business representative--the Saskatchewan Labor Force Development Board, a broad partnership working to strengthen workforce training and development. She is a member of U of R board of governors and the Canadian Labor Congress Executive Council.

Bob Bymoen

Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union

Bymoen is a high-profile chair heading up 70 bargaining units, including the unit representing the largest number of provincial government employees. Along with the 10,000 members who work for the government or, as they call it, executive government, the SGEU has another 7,000 members working in everything from SIAST to treasury Crowns like Workers' Comp or community-based organizations. While working his way to the top post, he spent two years as chair of the Prince Albert and District Labor Council and ran for P. A. city council.

Ron Carlson

Administrative Vice-President, Western Region CEP 

This Weyburn native worked his way up through the union ranks at SaskTel to the role of administrative vice-president Western Region with the CEP--Communications, Energy and Paperworkers of Canada. The union represents 160,000 workers in Canada and roughly 9,500 Saskatchewan employees at firms such as SaskTel, SaskPower and Weyerhaeuser. He was pivotal in securing the CEP's sponsorship of the Regina-based Crown Ventures Fund Labor-Sponsored Venture Capital Fund two years ago, raising $12 million for investment in the province.

Tom Graham (No photo provided)

President, CUPE Saskatchewan Division

This City of Saskatoon sign maker heads the largest union in the province with 24,000 Saskatchewan members. It is also the largest national union with roughly half a million members across Canada. Graham assumed the top job four years ago after more than 15 years in union activity which included stints as a local president before joining the provincial executive. Fighting privatization of services delivered by the public sector--notably health care and water services--is the chief issue facing the union.

Larry Hubich

Staff Representative, Grain Services Union

Hubich's involvement with the Grain Services Union (GSU) is something of a family affair; his father was a grain buyer for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool before assuming district and head office duties. After joining the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool's information technology unit, Larry became active in union affairs and joined the GSU in 1982. The union represents several thousand workers in the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and related companies or former subsidiaries. He spent four years as an SFL vice-president and has been the organization's treasurer for the last eight years.

Rosalee Longmoore

President, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses

As head of the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses, Longmoore gets more airtime than most news anchors in the province. The recent settlement between the nurses and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations put her in the media spotlight once again but it was the strike of 1999 that raised her to provincial prominence, after assuming the presidency from Judy Junor. She also sits on the board of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Saskatchewan Branch.

Paul Meinema

International Representative, United Fond & Commercial Workers

The Saskatoon-based national representative for 7,500 Saskatchewan members, he began his career in a Fletcher's packing plant in Alberta. Shortly after being active in union affairs, he was hired by the local and then the international and posted to the east coast before returning to Saskatchewan in 1996. The members he represents work for firms such as Mitchell's in Saskatoon and Westfair Foods. An active New Democrat, he is a past riding association president and was a key advisor in Chris Axworthy's leadership bid.

Hart Rayer

President, Saskatchewan Building Trades Council

Elected by 14 unions to chair the Saskatchewan Building Trades Council, Royer is an ironworker by trade. He is also chair of the Ironworkers Trade Advisory Board. He started out in Montreal in 1974 and, after the completion of the Olympic Stadium, work dried up so he headed west and found work at the Coronach Power Station project. After holding every position within the ironworkers union, this avid golfer and hockey fan now concentrates on developing plans to retain qualified Saskatchewan young people in the province.

Sharlene Stewart

International Canadian Vice-President, Service Employees International Union Canada

As national president of this 85,000-member union, this former health care worker's first contact with organized labor was when she organized her workplace in the retail sector, prior to entering the health field. Willing to explore new approaches to worker-employer relationships, with an aim towards improving co-operation and relationships, she helped pilot ideas such as interest-based negotiations in the province. The union has 12,000 Saskatchewan members and its largest employer is SAHO.