Bob Sawchyn, CUPE 1063’s President, is somewhat of an enigma. He is quiet, unassuming and very reluctant to talk about himself. But don’t let the quiet demeanor fool you. Beneath his humility is a passionate man who is willing to fight fiercely on behalf of his members. Just ask any member of the executive team.

“Our time on the Bargaining Committee is where I first got to work closely with Bob,” says Stefan Gudmundson, 2^nd Vice President. “His experience and demeanor were invaluable and his input was well respected by all members of the committee. Without question I can attest that Bob has put the members first and foremost during his tenure as President.”

Bob has been with the WCB since 1999. Between then and now, he has held positions of Adjudicator 1, Adjudicator 2 and Case Manager.

Bob became involved with the Union in 2005 as a Shop Steward. With an eye to improving labour relations for our members, he progressively took on the challenges of Chief Shop Steward, Vice President, and then as is true to his character, when our previous President resigned and the need was identified, Bob stepped up to fill the void.

It was a critical time. CUPE 1063 was in the midst of a very challenging bargaining period with the employer. Jumping in as President while also being the lead of the Bargaining Committee demanded a lot of Bob’s time. And his commitment never faltered.

“In the midst of a challenging round of bargaining Bob stepped into the role of president to ensure members received the best deal possible,” says Colleen Ashby, long term CUPE 1063 member, past Union Executive member, and member of the Bargaining Committee.

“In every role he has taken on with the union Bob is strong in his resolve to help union members and ask the tough questions on their behalf without hesitation. His sharp wit, cut to the chase approach and unwavering commitment to seeing things through make him a formidable opponent no matter what arena he finds himself in,” says Colleen. “He was the perfect fit for the job at hand.”

She goes on to explain that Bob is an encyclopedia of union information, a well-organized catalogue of information gleaned from his various roles with the union over the years. “Bob is the Ken Jennings of union knowledge and can recall facts and outcomes that date back decades. This served the Bargaining Committee and the process of reaching a deal the membership could accept.” (If you don’t know who Ken Jennings is, he is worth a Google search – highest form of praise for Bob’s knowledge).

While it wasn’t without its stresses, Bob and the Bargaining Committee managed to rally the troops, literally and figuratively, to stand strong and not accept less than they believed we deserved.

While bargaining is over for the time being, Bob still has until the first quarter of 2025 in his term as President. Whether he opts to run for the job in the next election or not, he is not content to simply manage the status quo, Bob has his eye on the future and those issues that may affect our membership in the years to come. Committed to transparency, Bob regularly communicates with members about issues as they arise. He shares the successes and the challenges and the strategies we need to consider. He doesn’t rest.

He does this because he wants to help members. From the outset, this has been his mandate. When dealing with the employer about common sense issues, he remains steadfast in his convictions.

Anyone in our union family can take a page from Bob’s storied journey. Bob explains, “if you are comfortable with your workload in your current position, and you want to help your coworkers with labour issues that will inevitably arise, you should consider becoming a part of the CUPE 1063 team in some capacity. There are ample opportunities to be a part of an organized commitment continuously seeking the betterment of our workplace.

Written by Denise Wiebe, September 2023