Pharmacare, $15 minimum wage among top priorities for new labour council head

The newly elected president of the Peterborough and District Labour Council says he plans to encourage the council to continue fighting for $15 minimum wage and pharmacare for all.

Tyler Burns, a city bus driver and president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1320, was elected on Tuesday evening as incoming president of the labour council.

Starting Jan. 1, he will replace Marion Burns, who has been president for 12 years but didn’t see re-election.

Burns was in Ottawa this week lobbying MPs for dedicated operational funding for public transit; he wasn’t available for comment following the election on Tuesday.

But he emailed a written statement to The Examiner on Wednesday outlining some of his plans as president.

Burns wrote that he will be “the voice of both organized and unorganized labour” and that he will reach out to workers in Peterborough city and county.

He also wrote that Burton will leave “a great void”, but that he will do his best to provide mentorship to workers.

Burton works as a steward with Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 345 at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

She was the head of the union, but has been slowly stepping back as she approaches retirement in 2019.