Passing the torch is one of the most important decisions a business or Local will make. Do it right, do it with trust. By / Jessica Kirby Passing the torch, passing the baton, taking up the cause, rising through the ranks, stepping up, or stepping down. Whatever way an organization looks at succession, it is as much a part of sustaining and advancing a business or Local as payroll and materials, and it has to be done right. In a business scenario, there are many options for business owners to exit a venture—transfer to a family member, sale to an outside business or employee group, or simply shutting down and walking away. Many business owners opt for ESOPs (employee stock ownership plans) under which employees become owners. There are both advantages and disadvantages to that model. Within the sheet metal industry, where labor-management partnerships are the glue that holds sector-wide successes together, it is important to bring succession planning into every aspect of the industry—business transfer, Local leadership, and special project committees. Although quick turnovers are possible under duress, the more thought and time dedicated to transitions, the more stability and trust afforded the industry as a whole. In June 2021, Jim Paquette, business manager and financial secretary at Local 280 in British Columbia, decided he would 4 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
Jim and Sonya Pacquette
not seek reelection for a ninth term. Part of that decision was planning far enough in advance to give the Local time to select a replacement and prepare him or her for a smooth transition. “I promised my wife Sonya after the eighth election that it would be my last,” Paquette says. “So, from that point I knew we needed to start thinking about who would hold this position next. Unions—by their very nature democratic organizations— work on an election schedule, so at a minimum planning should
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Successful Succession
