In Memoriam

CEIU extends its condolences to the family of Michèle Demers, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), and to the thousands of PIPSC members who have lost their national leader. Ms. Demers passed away February 10 after suffering a brain aneurism the previous day.

Michèle Demers became President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada on January 1, 2005. The 50th president in the Institute’s 85-year history, Michèle was elected by universal ballot in December 2004. Michèle has been active in the union for over twenty-five years having served most recently as Vice-President. As a social worker at Veterans Affairs Canada, Michèle first became politically active as a Steward in 1981 and continued to be more and more involved with the Institute on behalf of the members.

In recent years, Michèle has championed issues such as collective bargaining, science funding for the public good, union-management consultation, contracting out and public service renewal, to name but a few.