Sharon DeSousa Elected First Racialized President of PSAC

Sharon DeSousa has been elected as the new national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), becoming the first racialized leader in the union’s history. She succeeds Chris Aylward, leading one of Canada’s largest public sector unions.

At the National Triennial Convention in Ottawa, nearly 600 members elected DeSousa as national president and Alex Silas as national executive vice-president, according to a PSAC news release.

“I am honored by the support and confidence members have placed in me to lead our union through the challenges ahead,” said DeSousa. “Our solidarity makes us stronger, and we will need to be more united and resilient than ever before as we fight to uphold justice and the rights of workers so that every member, in every corner of the country, is treated with dignity and respect.”

DeSousa served as the national executive vice-president from 2020 to 2024, the first visible minority to hold this title. She was previously PSAC Ontario’s regional executive vice-president from 2011 to 2020.

Silas, a PSAC member since 2010, was elected as national executive vice-president. He started as a shop steward at the Bank of Canada and served as regional executive vice-president for the National Capital Region since 2021.

“It has been a privilege to serve PSAC members in the NCR, and I am humbled that members have now put their faith in me as I take on this new role to represent our diverse membership coast-to-coast-to-coast,” said Silas.

Craig Reynolds was elected as regional executive vice-president for Ontario and alternate national executive vice-president. The elected officers will serve a three-year term from 2024 to 2027.

Aylward served as national president since 2018 and as national executive vice-president from 2012 to 2018.

PSAC represents over 245,000 workers across Canada, including federal public service workers, provincial, territorial, and municipal workers, as well as those in post-secondary education, law enforcement, and public safety. The union faces significant challenges, including potential strike action by over 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency personnel and disputes over the future of telework for federal workers.