Employees union chooses leaders

    Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union have elected Bruce Hodsdon as their next president and Ginette Rivard as their next vice president during the union’s annual convention Oct. 26-27.
     Current union President Dana Graham was barred by union term limits from seeking re-election.
    “I’m really pleased with the progress our members have made in improving the lives of working families and retired workers in Maine, but there’s still more work to be done,” Graham said. “Bruce and Ginette will provide the leadership necessary to move this union forward.”
    Also at convention, delegates elected the several MSEA-SEIU members to the union’s Board of Directors. Elected to the board from Area I was Amy Blanchette of Hodgdon.
    During the banquet, the Southern Aroostook Chapter and the Penobscot Chapter were recognized as chapters of the year.
    The Maine State Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989, represents workers in all three branches of state government, Maine Community College System, the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, Child Development Services, and workers at two specialized health care facilities: the Green Valley Association in Patten and Treats Falls in Orono.