Mercier was legal counsel for Teamsters Local Union No. 213 before his election as Langley MLA
The British Columbia government has announced the appointment of Andrew Mercier – a labour lawyer and a former member of the Legislative Assembly for Langley – as the new chief of staff of BC Premier David Eby.
According to the information bulletin from BC’s Office of the Premier, Mercier has replaced Cheryl Oates, who has completed her term as acting chief of staff.
Oates accepted the interim appointment in January, with the understanding that Jim Rutkowski would resume his role as chief of staff this August. However, Rutkowski has extended his medical leave to continue working on his treatment and recovery.
In the BC government’s update, Eby extended his best wishes to Rutkowski, expressed gratitude to Oates for taking on the role on an interim basis, and welcomed Andrew Mercier as he stepped into his new position.
Mercier’s BC government career
Apart from the BC government bulletin, Mercier’s biography on the BC Wrongful Death Law Reform Society’s website and on the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC’s website provided more information regarding his professional experience.
In the BC government, he served as an elected MLA from 2020–24, as minister of state for workforce development, as minister of state for sustainable forestry innovation, and as parliamentary secretary for skills training.
Before joining government
Prior to his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mercier served as legal counsel for Teamsters Local Union No. 213. He also acted as executive director of the BC Building Trades Council. In this role, he pushed for better safety standards on construction sites.
He has sat on the City of Langley’s Crime Prevention Task Group and on the University of the Fraser Valley’s board of governors.
Mercier studied at the University of the Fraser Valley. He obtained his JD from Dalhousie University and his BA from the University of New Brunswick.
Raised in Langley, he still resides in the city with his wife and two children.
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