Greg Pretty not seeking re-election as FFAW president, opting for retirement

Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) union president Greg Pretty is retiring after more than 40 years with Newfoundland and Labrador's largest private sector union.

Pretty presided over the fisheries' union during a tumultuous term that included two contentious tie-ups in back-to-back snow crab seasons.

When asked on Friday if he would do anything differently, Pretty said no.

"We had to have tie-ups to move this agenda. It was contrary to regulations and legislation, but it had to be done and it paid off," he said. 

"We're in a much better situation right now in 12 short months. So no, I don't have any regrets."

Pretty came into the presidency after Keith Sullivan resigned at the end of 2022, when he was one year into a three-year term. The union's executive council threw its support behind Pretty, who has been with the FFAW since the days of Richard Cashin in the early 1980s. 

He filled several roles throughout his time with the union, and was one of its most seasoned negotiators when he took over as president.

Pretty was known as a firebrand within the union, never mincing words. In an interview, Pretty said he felt he "changed the tone" of the union during his 16 months as president.

The FFAW has dealt with volatility within its ranks since at least 2016, when Ryan Cleary founded FISH-NL in an attempt to lure members away from the FFAW and start another union representing fish harvesters.

While FISH-NL fizzled out, several other factions emerged within the fisheries with their own de facto leaders. Many of them came together during a month of intense protests this past March, as they demanded more control over their own enterprises.

At the time, Pretty said the union became more united than ever before.

"With the amount of criticism [facing] this union — the hate groups in particular that attacked us, the elected leadership — where are they now?"

The FFAW will hold its next election this summer. As it stands, two candidates — both FFAW staff members — have gone public with their intentions of seeking the presidency. Pretty said on Friday that he's not prepared to go public with his endorsement yet.

Pretty will stay on with the union until November.