Warren "Smokey" Thomas, President, OPSEU

Warren (Smokey) Thomas was elected president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union on April 20, 2007, after serving three terms (six years) as First V.P. and Treasurer. He was re-elected for a second, two year term in April, 2009.

The 57-year old registered practical nurse has been an OPSEU activist for more than 25 years beginning as president of Local 431 at the Ontario Psychiatric Hospital in Kingston, Ont., where he represented more than 1,000 members. He was elected to OPSEU's Executive Board in 1993.

Thomas was elected OPSEU president on a simple pledge: to put the interests of the union's 130,000 members first.