by Linda Straker
- Outgoing President Brian Grimes did not contest for any executive position
- A little more than 1,000 members of union’s over 5,000 membership voted
- Hazzard promised to bring direct representation for staff at over 20 statutory bodies
Daisy Hazzard, who served as the Public Relations Officer of the Grenada Public Workers Union (GPWU) from 2017 to 2025, was elected as the new president on Wednesday, 12 March 2025.
Outgoing President Brian Grimes did not contest the election for any position on the executive. The other person campaigning for the president’s position was Fimber Thomas, a former first and second vice president who resigned from the union’s management team in August 2022.
The union’s membership is over 5,000, but just a little more than 1,000 members voted in the elections, which saw aggressive and combative campaigning using social and traditional media formats. Hazzard, according to the preliminary counts of the votes, received 593 votes, while Thomas received 507.
The outspoken PRO with a communications degree and is currently attached to the ICT Ministry was concluding her third term as PRO. She promised, among other things, that as the new president, she would open a sub-office of the union in St Andrew and bring direct representation for the staff at the more than 20 statutory bodies under different government ministries.
Thomas, who is an officer at the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO), promised, among other things, to reverse the 1% increase in union dues — a decision made by the membership during the 2024 annual general meeting and which went into effect on 1 January 2025.
The other new executive members are: Lindon Farray, 1st Vice President; Nekisha St Bernard, 2nd Vice President; and Paula Phillip, Treasurer. The Public Relations Officer is Wendy Chasteau; the Secretary is Atasha Joseph; Hermione Elcock and Janelle Palmer are assistant secretaries.
