The CWU has nominated five candidates to contest the election for the five Worker Director positions on the Board of An Post.  This Union’s nominations are Pat Compton - CWU Roscommon, Jerry Condon - CWU Cork, Paddy Costello - CWU Dublin, Paddy Davoren - CWU Dublin, Tommy Devlin - CWU Dublin

All five candidates have developed a wealth of experience and have built up enormous trust and respect over many years through their Trojan and tireless work on behalf of the CWU.  Individually, they each have a long track record in putting our members’ interests first at all times. Collectively they will represent our common interest in a highly influential manner at Board level, which is the highest decision making forum in An Post.

The Executive Council has decided on a careful strategy of vote management which is devised to achieve the CWU’s ambition, i.e. to ensure that this Union’s five candidates are all elected to the five positions of the Board of An Post.

To this end each candidate has been allocated a number of Branches so as to ensure that the required
number of first preference votes is available to them.  This strategy is the most effective method of
maximising our hopes to achieve the five seats for your Union.  The allocation of Branches, as outlined in the attachment to this GS Circular, has been accepted unanimously by the Union’s five candidates.

All members are earnestly requested to co-operate wholeheartedly with this approach by voting Number 1 for their allocated candidate and to continue their preferences by voting 2, 3, 4, and 5 for the remaining CWU candidates, in order of their choice.

Introducing the CWU Candidates

Pat Compton

Pat joined the postal service as a Junior Postman in 1973.  He has worked in Boyle, Galway and Roscommon.  Active in union affairs from 1977 to 2003 he has represented staff as a Committee Member, Branch Officer, National Executive member and President of the union.  He served for twenty two years on the National Executive of the CWU and was elected President in 1985.  He is active in his local community and is a member of Roscommon County Development Board.  He served for seven years on the projects committee of the development agency Trocaire.

He was elected to the board of An Post in 1992 and has been a member since.  He is currently Chairman of the Worker Directors Group of ICTU.  Practically all of his working life he has been assisting and supporting staff at all levels. He has a wealth of experience gained from his many years involved at every level and has put that experience to good use at board level where decisions taken affect the future of the company and the welfare of its staff.

Jerry Condon

Jerry joined the Post Office in Waterford in 1971 and worked in Middleton, Mullingar, Clonakilty and Waterford again before returning to Cork in 1973. He has held various posts in the Cork Clerks and Cork Indoor Branches and was a member of the Union’s National Executive Council 1988 to 2001. He was elected President of the CWU in 1995 and has been active in Union affairs since joining the Post Office in 1971.  He has been a Branch Committee member, Assistant Secretary, Branch Secretary and Branch Chairman and he was Vice-Chairman and PRO of the Cork Strike Committee during the 19 week dispute in 1979.  

Jerry was an Executive member of the Cork Council of Trade Unions from 1980 to 1985, being particularly involved in a sub-committee dealing with the establishment of Arbour House Addiction Centre.   He was prominent in all of the Union's campaigns, addressing public meetings throughout Munster and featured regularly in newspaper and radio coverage.  He has represented the Union in lobbying MEPs on EU Postal policies.  Jerry is currently serving as a member of the Board of An Post and is a member of the Board’s Personnel Committee.  He is also a member of the Union’s Training and Education Committee.  A well established record of commitment and credibility.

Paddy Costello

 A native of Dublin, Paddy joined the Post Office as a Junior Postperson in 1964. He subsequently became a Postperson in 1966 and has been employed in Finglas Delivery Office for the last 42 years.
 
During this time Paddy has represented members of the CWU at Delivery Offices right across Dublin. He became the Office Rep for Finglas during the 1980’s and later went on to represent the Branch in various positions, including Branch Liaison Officer, Vice Chairperson, Assistant Secretary and is currently serving as the Treasurer of the Dublin Postal Delivery Branch.  He has campaigned tirelessly for the rights of postal workers over the years and his down to earth, approachable nature has brought many new members to the Union.  He is well known and respected throughout the Country and has been attending Annual and Biennial Conferences for well over 20 years.  Paddy is married to Margaret and they have four children, two sons who work in An Post and two daughters.

Paddy Davoren

Paddy Davoren joined the Post Office as a clerk in 1965.  Paddy is 59 years of age and is from Dublin.  He is married to Mary and they have three children.  His son Jason is a postman driver in Dublin.  Paddy has 43 years experience as a Post Office Clerk and is presently based in the Cash Remittance Office in the GPO Dublin.  He was first elected to the Dublin Clerks Branch Committee in 1970.  Paddy is a former National Executive member of the union and was Treasurer of the Dublin clerks Branch for over twenty years.  Paddy is still on his Branch Committee and is currently serving as a member of the Board of An Post. Paddy holds diplomas and certificates in Industrial Relations, Company Finance, Company Law, Strategic Planning and has completed courses on Health & Safety, Pensions, Corporate Governance and also on Audit Procedures and Regulations. 

Paddy has served on the Board since 1992 and has served on the Boards Personnel Sub committee, Strategy Sub Committee, Finance Sub Committee and is currently on the Audit and Security committee of the Board.
Paddy will always work tirelessly to right any injustice.  He is an honest and diligent worker and is dedicated to the Post Office and its workforce.  He has a logical mind and is frank in his approach.

Tommy Devlin

A native of Dublin, Tommy entered the Post Office as a Junior Postperson in 1976. On his promotion to Postperson, he applied to go on the driving. He became one of the youngest ever Postperson Drivers at the age of eighteen.  He spent the next twenty five years as a Postperson Driver. He was a Working Leader in Kilbarrack Parcel Depot before being promoted this year to DSM in Malahide.

He has served on the committee of the Dublin Postal Driver’s Branch and was Branch Chairperson for eight years. He has attended Conference as a delegate/ National Executive member continuously since 1996. Tommy was elected to the National Executive Council in 2002 and has served on the Finance Committee and Organising Committee. He has played a major role in recruiting members into the CWU including setting up the first UPS branch.
Tommy was selected to represent ICTU as part of a Group (Employment Status Group) set up under the Program for Prosperity and Fairness. A Code Of Practice was agreed which lists “criteria and additional factors” to provide guidance in determining whether an individual is an employee or self-employed.
He was elected to the Board of An Post in 2004 and is currently a member of the Personnel Committee.  Tommy is married to Pauline and they have four daughters and two sons.