The BCMA’s longtime executive director of the BCMA negotiations department and chief negotiator, Mr Geoff Holter, will retire from his post on 31 October, following the conclusion of the negotiation process for the current Physician Master Agreement. In Aug­ust the BCMA announced that Mr Paul Straszak would be taking over the role from Mr Holter. Mr Straszak joined the association in mid-September. 

Mr Straszak has spent his entire career in labor and employment negotiations, having negotiated on behalf of Canada Post, Air Canada, Canadian Airlines, BC Rail, CN Rail, and the BC government. He has served as Dep­uty Minister of Labour, and left that post to coordinate the strategy for all labor bargaining for the government of BC. 

Once settled in, Mr Straszak will start work on creating a mandate for the reopening of the Physician Master Agreement, a process that will start next year.