Dwan Street elected as president of the FFAW
CBC
Dwan Street is celebrating her election to lead the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union, calling it a historic moment.
The first woman to lead the union, Street announced her victory late Wednesday evening on her candidacy Facebook page.
"Tonight you put your faith in me and I am humbled, amazed and forever indebted," Street wrote on her election Facebook page.
The FFAW confirmed the results late Thursday morning.
Street was elected over businessman Dave Callahan and Marine Institute PhD student Abe Solberg, who is also the head of FFAW policy negotiations and its fishery scientist.
She will be replacing Greg Pretty, who announced in May he was not seeking reelection but would stay in the post until November.
During his tenure, Pretty presided over the fisheries' union during a tumultuous term that included two contentious tie-ups in back-to-back snow crab seasons as well as a days-long protest that shuttered the Confederation Building.
Street, originally from Spillar's Cove on the Bonavista Peninsula, is already the FFAW staff representative for harvesters on Newfoundland's south and southwest coasts and has worked for the union for several years.
"The membership spoke and they spoke loud and hard today. I will not let you down. It has been a long day and it is late but I will have more to say later. The tide has changed," said Street in her post.
She thanked her parents, a former plant worker and a harvester, as well as her other supporters.
"The new era of FFAW is coming," she said.
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