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Former NAPE boss Tom Hanlon supports idea of a more assertive union

Former NAPE boss Tom Hanlon supports idea of a more assertive union

Former NAPE president Tom Hanlon says he is "pleased" by the change at the top in the union and supports the notion that it's time for a more affirmative, assertive style of leadership.

Tom Hanlon served two terms as president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, beginning in the 1990s, and had his share of disputes with the provincial government.

He led a public sector strike in 2001, and during another strike three years later when he was no longer president, Hanlon was caught on tape suggesting that anyone who crosses a picket line should have their legs broken.

During an interview Wednesday with On The Go, Hanlon seemed to echo the sentiments of the newly elected union president, Jerry Earle, that it's time for a more aggressive stance on labour issues.

​Earle ousted longtime NAPE president Carol Furlong on Tuesday, with 4,538 union members casting a ballot in his favour.

Furlong received the support of 3,875 voters.

Hanlon said it's very difficult for an incumbent to unseat a president, but believes it's an indication that Furlong's "cerebral" style of leadership was no longer what the members wanted.

"I'm pleased he was successful," Hanlon said of Earle. "I believe that from some of his earlier comments, there is a need to lead the union in a more affirmative, assertive role."

That has been Earle's mantra from the start of his campaign to lead the province's largest public sector union.

The union is facing plenty of uncertainty as the provincial government grapples with a sharp decline in revenues, and a deficit that is projected at more than $900 million this fiscal year.

The province is also projecting a shortfall of some $1.5 billion for next year unless serious cost-saving measures are implemented.

Premier Paul Davis and others in the government have openly talked about the need to consider every possible option, including job reductions.

Davis has also mused about leaning more heavily on the private sector in order to deliver services, and used long-term care as an example.

Hanlon said it's common that governments point their knives at the public service when the financial ship enters rough waters.

He said that's "simply unfair."