John Savage, a long-serving union officer in the printing industry, passed away at Christmas, at home and surrounded by family, after a lengthy illness. He was 79.
John began his working career as a commercial pressmen, but spent most of his working life advocating and fighting for working people in pressrooms and other parts of the newspaper and commercial printing industry, throughout British Columbia.
For much of that time he was secretary-treasurer of Local 25 of the Graphic Communications International Union and led that local through some of its most turbulent moments as the printing industry was radically changed with the emergence of the Internet in the 1990s.
“During those difficult times, John worked tirelessly to uphold the rights and conditions of his members,” said former Local 2000 president Mike Bocking. “He was a solid, calming influence during those upheavals and he enjoyed the absolute trust and confidence of his members.”
In 2007, John negotiated a merger agreement of Local 25 with Local 2000, with which he had built a close working relationship. John continued to serve the union as a vice-president in the expanded Local 2000. He retired in November of 2008 but he continued his union involvement, attending conferences, as well as national and international union conventions, and serving on the board of directors of BC Forum (the BC Federation of Retired Union Members).
Through his work in the union movement, John has touched and improved the lives of countless BC workers.
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