This is how members reorganised JHL’s Union Council: 70 brand new representatives rose to power, large number of chief shop stewards

The counting of votes cast in JHL’s elections is complete. The elections result only needs a final confirmation. The power relations of political groups will remain unchanged in comparison to the current Union Council.

Heavy winds of change are blowing in Trade Union JHL’s Union Council. In the elections, there were 120 representative seats available, out of which 70 have been filled by new representatives. 50 representatives succeeded in being re-elected.

All seats in the Union Council were filled by representatives of two electoral alliances. JHL’s social democrats and those who are politically independent nagged 87 seats. The rest were filled by candidates of the left wing and those who are politically independent. There were only six candidates who did not represent an electoral alliance. None of them were elected for the Union Council.

Several top professionals familiar with terms and conditions of employment were elected

In the elections, JHL members relied on candidates familiar with their own sector’s terms and conditions of employment. The majority of those elected are chief shop stewards. A total of 63 chief shop stewards were elected, which is over half of all the representatives.

In addition, many new representatives work as practical nurses (12 people) or within occupational safety and health (12 people).  Out of those elected, six are members of the Finnish Parliament, one is a member of the European Parliament.

The new Union Council is slightly more female dominated than the current one. Out of those elected, 80 are women. There are 74 women among the current representatives.

The youngest representative is Miikka Kortelainen, 28, who works in Kajaani. The median age of the Union Council decreased slightly, it is 52 years. The median age of the current Union Council is 53 years.

Highest number of votes was cast in Lapland

The voting turnout in the elections was 30.9 per cent, a delightfully larger voting turnout than in the previous elections. In 2017, the voting percentage of the elections was 27.6.

The highest number of votes was cast in the electoral district of Lapland, where the voting turnout was 35.7 per cent. Southern Finland’s electoral district had the lowest voting percentage, 26.6.

The number of women elected increased: 80 women were elected now, 74 in the previous elections. The number of men on the other hand decreased from 46 to 40.

The candidate with the most votes was Jari Kivimäki from the electoral district of Ostrobothnia. He works as a chief shop steward, and he received a whopping 406 votes.

Regional vote-pullers and the number of votes they received

• Southeast Finland, Pirjo Mussalo, 267
• Southern Finland, Jyrki Fahlström, 326
• Inner Finland, Marko Moisio, 204
• Lapland, Tarja Aavio-Järvelä, 218
• Eastern Finland, Kati Pussinen, 248
• Oulu, Maarit Nyman, 157
• Ostrobothnia, Jari Kivimäki, 406
• Satakunta, Satu Joensuu, 271
• Southwest Finland, Susanna Kronlund, 260

The results have not yet been confirmed. The Central Elections Committee will confirm the result on 4 April.

Warm congratulations from Trade Union JHL to everyone elected for the Union Council!