James Barry is the Executive Secretary Treasurer of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Council of Ontario (IBEW CCO). He is an active and passionate advocate for the skilled trades and occupational safety for more than 25 years, including his time on the Ontario-Québec Bilateral Construction Labour Mobility Committee for over a decade.
After many years spent on the tools, James became active in his local union, rising through the ranks between 1996 to 2015, and served five uncontested terms as Business Manager and Financial Secretary of IBEW Local 586 in Ottawa representing over 1,700 workers and overseeing all operations, including bargaining with over 200 signatory electrical contractors, and trusteeship of the pension and benefits fund. Since 2012, James has served as President of the IBEW CCO, and shortly after was elected and has continued to serve as the Executive Chair and Secretary Treasurer of the IBEW CCO, made up of 11 local unions and 18,000 members across the province. He also previously served in various capacities on the College of Trades.
James studied Business Management at Algonquin College and is certified as 309A Electrician in Construction and Maintenance. He is the proud father of four children, Sarah, Thomas, Clare and Patrick.