It is with great sadness that the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) announces the passing of Bill Clark, former TWU President, on October 26, 2010. 

In a career that spanned over 35 years, Bill started with B.C. Telephone in 1951, first as a groundman where he worked his way through craft apprenticeship to lineman in construction. He worked as a full-time TWU union representative for 20 of those years and served as President from 1980 until his retirement in 1987.

Upon his retirement, Bill was quoted as saying, “Anyone who just treats unionism as just some other business never can be an effective union leader.”  Effective, he certainly was.  Bill’s outspoken views and tenacity helped the Union achieve major initiatives throughout the years which include improvements to job security, pay equity, pension reform, and other benefit successes.

Concert Properties was created in the late 1980s largely at the instigation of Bill Clark. He was instrumental in spearheading a process that led to twenty union pension plans pooling $30 million of their own funds to provide the initial capitalization to get the company up and running. Throughout its existence, Concert Properties has been completely controlled by the trade union bureaucracy and its current board of directors continues that tradition. The Concert Properties Founders Endowment, recently established in honour of Bill Clark, provides bursaries to students in BCIT’s Telecommunications Technician and Wireless Communications and Computer Networks Technology programs.

We are tremendously grateful for Bill’s hard work and dedication to the Union over the years. He always enjoyed great support from Labour activists and TWU members alike and will surely be missed.

The TWU would like to extend its sincerest condolences to the Clark family. We will inform members of any funeral arrangements as soon as this information is made available.