Joan Jessome, NSGEU president, staying in Nova Scotia

The president of Nova Scotia’s biggest union says she won’t run for a national union and will instead stay in Nova Scotia.

In December, Joan Jessome said she wouldn’t re-offer as president for the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, NSGEU, because she wanted to run for a position with its federal counter part.

However, she says after further consideration she’s decided to stay in Nova Scotia, consulting and doing advocacy work on mental health in the workplace.

“I’m staying in Nova Scotia to work for Nova Scotians,” Jessome said in an interview with Global News.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm staying in Nova Scotia to work for Nova Scotians," Jessome said in an interview with Global News.

Jessome was expected to run for the position of secretary treasurer with the National Union of Public and General Employees, NUPGE, in Ottawa in June. She says she’s been “waffling” on the move for the last month and decided two weeks ago not to run.

On Monday, Jessome told the NSGEU board and NUPGE executive that she won’t run nationally.

In her 20 years working with the NSGEU, Jessome says she has advocated for better mental health supports in the workplace, and against bullying in the workplace.

She also helped start a Bully-Free Workplaces program at the NSGEU, where facilitators from the union go into workplaces to train colleagues on how to prevent and stop bullying.

“I am going to retire but I’m not going to not work,” Jessome said.

The NSGEU will elect a new president at its convention in May.

So far current first vice president Jason MacLean is the only confirmed candidate vying to replace Jessome. In MacLean’s message to NSGEU members he says filling Jessome’s shoes will be “no small task.”

Asked whether she is considering running for a political position Jessome said “not on your life.”