It is with heavy hearts that the MGEU mourns the passing of dedicated labour activist, Joseph Grenier.

Joe began his union activism with the Institutional Employees Union. He was the President of his Local at Hospice Tache, which is now known as MGEU Local 99 - Actionmarguerite (Saint-Boniface).

The MGEU is a strong health care union, with over 16,000 of our members in health care, largely because of the work Joseph was involved in merging the IEU with the MGEU (then known as the MGEA) in the early 1980’s.

At the time, the IEU represented 2300 members in 24 health care institutions across the province, and the IEU’s leadership initiated merger discussions with the MGEA. By the end of 1983, the merger was completed.

Joe was honest, low-key, and a committed and dedicated activist for the IEU Componentand. In 1994, an MGEA bursary was created in his name. The bursary is available to any registered, dues-paying MGEU member of the Health Care Support Services (HCSS) component, spouse of an HCSS member, or child or ward of an HCSS member.

Joe is survived by his wife of 60 years, Rollande (née Leblanc), daughter Léona Troia, and sons Alphonse (Clydine), Robert (Deana), Raymond (Rose), Roland (Colette) as well as six grandchildren Scott, Jacques, Justin, Tia, Brittany, Ciara, and several great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held tomorrow, Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 10 a.m. at Green Acres Funeral Home. For more details, or if you’d like to share your memories of Joe, please visit his obituaryhere.