News Releases    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2007

Warren "Smokey" Thomas

Biographical Notes

Warren “Smokey” Thomas, of Kingston, Ontario, was elected President of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) April 20, 2007.

He was elected First Vice-President and Treasurer of the union in 2001, and returned to that position at provincial conventions in 2003 and 2005.

Thomas, 54, works as a Registered Practical Nurse at Providence Continuing Care Centre, Mental Health Services, in Kingston. He has been employed at that institution (formerly known as the Ontario Hospital, and later Kingston Psychiatric Hospital) since 1975.

He has been an active member of OPSEU for about 23 of those years, in many capacities, including serving as president of Local 431 for eight years. He has represented Region 4 (Eastern Ontario) on the Executive Board of OPSEU since 1993.

Thomas lectures at the Queen’s University School of Industrial Relations, and donates his pay from this position to the Partners in Mission food bank.

Born and raised in Kingston, Thomas is the father of five boys, Danny, Matthew, Andrew, Jesse and Scott, has one grandson, Brady, and is married to Val. His hobbies include time at the cottage and attending his children’s sports events.

OPSEU represents over 120,000 workers in the Ontario Public Service, the Community Colleges and the Broader Public Service throughout Ontario.

(Note: for the purpose of updating, his date of birth is, Sept 10, 1952.)

April 20, 2007 News Release:  Thomas elected sixth president of OPSEU at Convention