George Heyman
Interviewed by Ken Novakowski
George Heyman was born in Vancouver to parents who were survivors of the Holocaust. They were assisted by the Japanese Consul in Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, to escape Poland. George attended high school in Vancouver, working the night shift at Safeway, and then attended UBC in Vancouver. He operated a chain saw on Mt. Seymour where he first became a member of the BCGEU, wrote poetry and later lived off the land in a bay in the Sechelt inlet. George then moved to Terrace where he set chokers in the logging industry, encountering many close calls fostering a strong commitment to improving occupational health and safety. George then became a log scaler and active member of the BCGEU.
George served the union during the Operation Solidarity days organizing union and community support from Haida Gwaii to Houston and was sent to Vancouver to do the same. His commitment to democratization of the union, social justice, the environment, and his organizing and leadership skills built him support in the union and he became vice-president of the BCGEU in 1987 and president in 1999. After retiring from the BCGEU in 2008, he became head of the Sierra Club B.C.
A socialist and New Democrat, George sought the nomination for Vancouver-Fairview and was elected in 2013. He served first in opposition, then when the NDP was elected the next government, George became the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
Keywords:
BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU); John Shields; Terrace; Solidarity; Holocaust; health care; workers’ compensation; occupational health and safety; Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy; president; vice-president; strikes; community health; Community Social Services; BC Federation of Labour (BCFed); International Woodworkers of America (IWA); Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU); Jim Sinclair; Geoff Meggs; public sector; New Democratic Party (NDP); Christy Clark; BC Ferry and Marine Workers; Jackie Miller; Vince Ready; social justice; environment; shop stewards; Sierra Club B.C.; MLA; Vancouver-Fairview; David Eby