Ontario Regional Council

Transcription

1 Ontario Regional Council ONTARIO REGIONAL DIRECTOR Naureen Rizvi Naureen became involved with the labour movement in 1999 when she was elected President of Local 6004 (Bell Canada, Ottawa). In 2004, she was elected as staff in a telecommunications union that merged with the Canadian Energy and Paper workers union (one of the two former unions that founded Unifor). Upon Unifor s founding she continued to work and advocate for union members as a National Staff Representative. Naureen has held positions as the Toronto Area Director and as the Director of Telecommunications before being elected as the Ontario Regional Director. In 2015, she was one of 230 selected for the Governor General s leadership conference. Naureen is also a Vice-President of the Ontario Federation of Labour. CHAIRPERSON Dino began his union involvement in 1999 as an elected Workplace Representative at the Windsor Assembly Plant. Through various involvements, Dino gained the experience needed to quickly become the First Vice President in In 2012, he was elected President of Local 444 where his role continues today. As the elected Chairperson of the FCA Master Bargaining Committee, Dino led the 2012 and 2016 negotiations to fight off concessions. He is active and involved in the community on numerous committees and projects. Dino is the recipient of the Queen s Diamond Jubilee Award, and the St. Clair College Alumni of Distinction Award. When he gets a break, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his daughter Brooklynn and his wife Deborah. SECRETARY-TREASURER Dino Chiodo Tullio Di Ponti A founding member of Local 2458 in Windsor, Tullio has served on the Local s Executive Board for 16 years. He brings a total 36 years of union leadership experience to his current position as Secretary Treasurer, where he represents workers in health care, education, and other services. He is an experienced negotiator at both small bargaining tables and within large master committee negotiations. As a tradesperson out of the University of Windsor, Tullio is active in the Skilled Trades Council and serves as the Secretary-treasurer for the Windsor Essex Skilled Trades Council.

2 VICE CHAIRPERSON Candace Lavalley Candace is the President of an Aboriginal composite Local, 7-O, located in Thunder Bay. She has been President since the Local came into existence in 2006 and is serving her fifth term. Both workplaces in the Local have an Elders Council incorporated as part of their grievance procedure in their collective agreements. Candace is a First Nations person who is committed to building a strong local for women dominated agencies. She is a strong advocate and believes that Aboriginal workers need a union as many of these workers come from an oppressed background. She is also a Discussion Leader, a role which she enjoys very much. MEMBERS AT LARGE Pearl Almeida Pearl has been in the telecommunications industry for 17 years and has been an activist for many years. She has come up through the ranks having held various positions such as Steward, Secretary-Treasurer, and Vice President. She is now serving her third term as President of Local Among various committee roles, she has served on the Ontario Regional Women s Committee. She is also a Discussion Leader and strongly believes that education is the key and catalyst for activism. Pearl is committed to bringing all issues especially women s issues to the forefront such as childcare, elder care and career. She is active in her community and labor organizations, as well with various organising campaigns. Ken Cole In 1978 Ken became a member of Local 333 when he was hired as a Machine Operator in a paper manufacturing company, the following year he was elected as Shop Steward and Bargaining Unit Chairperson. Since 1988, Ken has been elected as a Business Agent and Local President; he is now serving his final term after being elected for 10 consecutive three year terms. Ken brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from servicing 46 different bargaining units in the local. He has sat on numerous committees, including: General Resolutions, Constitution, Convention and the Officers Report Committee. He is also a mentor, health and safety instructor and has been a candidate in provincial and federal elections. Stephanie Haskell Stephanie has been a union activist for many years in her Local 938, Union Gas, in London. She currently sits on her Local Executive as Vice President of the Clerical Unit, Unit Negotiator, and Steward. She has also held a position on the Gas Workers Council Executive for 10 years as Recording Secretary. Her involvement with the Gas Workers Council includes providing assistance to members dealing with WSIB issues and sitting on several committees that were assembled from collective bargaining (Benefits, Utility Services and Technological Change committees). In addition this this role, she was elected to the Energy Council Executive in 2016 and was most recently elected to the Ontario Regional Council Executive as a Member at Large. 2

3 MEMBERS AT LARGE Kari Jefford Kari is currently serving her second term as Member at Large and her third term as President and Service Representative with Local 229, Northwestern Ontario s largest local union stretching as far east as Marathon and west to Kenora. Local 229 consists of 44 workplaces and 3,300 members in primarily healthcare, social services, education, public services, hospitality and manufacturing. Kari is a strong trade unionist with community involvement and tireless activism in education, women s issues, social justice, good jobs for all and above all workers issues. Her employment history includes occupations as: social worker, heavy machine operations and transportation, hospitality worker and trades worker in the Canadian Navy, Department of National Defense. Scott McIlmoyle Scotty started work at Dehavilland Aircraft in Toronto and has been a member of the union since He has held numerous elected positions within Local 112 prior to becoming a full-time WSIB and enefit epresentative in 1999 where he was representing over 2,000 members within the Dehavilland plant. In 2010, he was elected as the Financial Secretary and within four years he was elected President of the Local. As President, he represents 14 workplaces with over 3,200 members working in the aerospace, heavy equipment repair, manufacturing, armored car industry, and the auto parts sector. Tim McKinnon Tim is currently the Chairperson of Local 199 in St Catharines, as well as being Vice Chairperson to the GM Master Bargaining Committee and a member of the Local 199 Executive Board. Tim s involvement as an active member on the shop floor started many years ago as an Alternate Dayshift Representative and he worked his way up the ranks until he was elected as Chairperson. Tim has been an active member in his community for many years. His volunteer work has been recognized by the federal, provincial and municipal governments. He was named volunteer of the year for the City of Welland in Niagara. His accomplishments and activism have given him the ability to work with people and solve a variety of issues. Debbie Montgomery Debbie has been a orkplace epresentative in the busing industry for many years. In her workplace she has held the positions of: Unit Chairperson, Health and Safety Committee Co-chair, and Women s Advocate. She has served on the Local 4268 Executive Board in a variety of roles and is currently in her second term as President. With nearly 2,000 members, the Local represents workers in busing (school and transit), trucking (inter-provincial and short/regional carriers), dock work and specialized trucking in waste and recycling. Debbie is also elected as President on the Road Transport Council. She believes the transportation sector should play a strong role because of the large membership in the union and also the huge potential for growth going forward. 3

4 MEMBERS AT LARGE Jim Reid Jim has been a member of the Executive Board with Local 27 since He served as unit Chairperson at London Machinery from 1992 to He has worked on behalf of the members of Local 27 through several roles including: full-time Workers Compensation Representative and CPP-D and EI Representative. He has also served as the Local s Recording Secretary, and First Vice President. Currently he is serving as President of the Local, representing workers in several sectors including health care and auto parts. In addition to his union experience, Jim is also a licensed paralegal. Unifor Ontario Regional Council Going Forward Together unifor.org Facebook.com/UniforCanada 4

5 ABORIGINAL & WORKERS OF COLOUR COMMITTTEE Shereta Bowers For the past nine years Shereta has worked in health care with developmentally challenged adults and children in the role of a personal support worker. At Local 1106, she serves her members as Vice Chair on her workplace committee, she is a member of the joint Health and Safety Committee and was recently elected as Trustee. She became involved in her Local with the Aboriginal and Workers of Colour Committee where currently she is the Chair. Shereta is involved with the Civil Peace and Human Rights, Organizing, Communication and Education committees and she is also a Discussion leader. In her spare time, she is a fitness enthusiast and a dedicated soccer mom of two children. Anna Grizans Anna is presently on the Executive Committee for Local 7-0, Seven Teaching of the Ojibway. She has been part of the union and active in the movement since In her Local she has held several positions including: Stewart, Trustee, and Health and Safety Representative. She is a strong activist member and is really looking forward to being part of the Aboriginal and Workers of Colour Committee. Shermain Pereira Shermain has been active in the union for the last 39 years. Over this time she has been a Steward, Certified Health and Safety working member, Discussion Leader, and active on the Human Rights Committee, the Aboriginal and Workers of Colour Committee and Women s Committee. She has contributed several articles on union history to the Banter and was interviewed about the Metro Deal in Our Times labour magazine. She is also an Area Chair on Local 414 Executive Board and a delegate to Toronto Labour Council. Shermain is always ready to help further the union s agenda and to assist workers anywhere she can be of service. Mohamad Alsadi Mohamad was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus Syria and has a lived personal experience that assists him in his current role as the Director of the Human Rights and International Department for the National Union. Prior to being Director, Mohamad was elected as a shop steward in 1985 with Local 1688 in Ottawa, and served as President of the Local in , and then as President of the Ottawa and District Labour Council He was also a National Representative working in organizing for over 26 years. In 1992, Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn awarded him the Commemorative medal for the 125th anniversary of the confederation of Canada, in recognition of his contribution to the community and to Canada. 5

6 HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE Stephanie Brownlee For 20 years, Stephanie has worked in the telecommunications sector. Her union activism started 18 years ago and she has served in many positions from Steward, Chief Steward, Secretary, and Bargaining Representative for three sets of negotiations, along with being President of the Local. She has been active with the Health, Safety and Environment Committee for the past 16 years and is currently Co-Chair of her Workplace Committee, along with sitting on the Policy Committee. Stephanie is a Discussion Leader and believes that through health and safety advocacy we not only protect workers, but this is one way we can connect with members, welcome them to the union and show the benefits of Unifor. Emil Mesic Emil began working at the Ford Motor Company in 1990 and became active in Local 707 as a trainer for workplace safety. Since his election in 2002, Emil has been the full-time Health and Safety Representative at the Oakville Assembly Plant where he represents over 5,000 members. He has held several committee positions including: Chair of the Ontario Council Health and Safety sub-committee for In both the 2012 and 2016 negotiations, he was elected to the Ford Bargaining Council. As a certified WHSC instructor, he has also attained his Canadian Registered Safety Professional designation. In 2015 Emil was awarded the Bud Jimmerfield Award for outstanding contribution to health, safety and the environment. Sari Sairanen Sari is the National Health and Safety Director at Unifor, responsible for the content of health and safety training programs, submissions for better laws, information on workplace substances, the establishment of programs to eliminate hazardous workplace conditions and the publication of the Health and Safety & Environment Newsletter. Sari comes to the National Union from the Airline division which represents members from coast to coast to coast in Canada. Sari began her union activism as a health & safety representative in a call center. In addition, she served on the Air Canada Bargaining Committee as a regional representative and as President of Local 2002 during the CCAA or Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (bankruptcy) proceedings. 6

7 LGBTQ COMMITTTEE Dana Dunphy Dana is married to Stephanie Dunphy and has two step sons, Dustin and Christian. She has been employed at Caesars Windsor since August 1994 and was elected Chairperson for a second term. In the unit she represents approximately 2,400 members. Dana has been active since the Casino certified and she has held the position of Committeeperson for 12 years. She has participated in collective bargaining and arbitration, and has been involved with organizing on a number of drives. Dana is also the Financial Secretary of the Hospitality and Gaming Council. She currently sits on a number of Local 444 committees, including: the Recreation and Women s committees, and as Vice Chairperson on the Education Committee. Craig Hallikainen Craig is now serving his second term on the Pride Committee and is the elected Chair. In his everyday life he works for Brinks Canada Limited out of the Toronto branch. He is passionate about education and has been a Discussion Leader for the Education Department for the past six years. In the past, he has held several union positions including: Shop Steward, Bargaining Committee member, as well as Council Delegate. Craig is also a co-chair for the Union s Canadian Council Pride Committee. Deanne Smith Deanne has been an activist for as long as she can remember. She has held elected student's union positions throughout her studies in CEGEP and university. Now as part of Unifor, Deanne is active in her local and is serving as a Chief Steward. She has 17 years of experience in the telecommunication industry where she continues to advocate for workers rights with key interests in the areas of women, people of colour & lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender queer (LGBTQ) issues. Kellie Scanlan Kellie joined the Organizing Department as staff in In addition to her role as an Organizer she is also assigned to coordinate the National pride file. Kellie has been a member of the Union for 24 years and comes out of Local 414. Over the years Kellie has played many roles in the union, such as: Discussion Leader, bargaining committee member and member organizer. Prior to being a National Represenative Kellie was elected to the Ontario Regional Pride Committee as chair. Kellie is a fierce defender of equity and social justice, and in her spare time she likes to travel and watch old movies with her partner Florencia. 7

8 POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Jacqueline McIntosh Jackie has been with CTV News Channel and National News since She was the first woman to be hired full time as an Editor and continues to hold the position of Senior ENG Editor. Jackie has been an active member of the Political Action Committee for several years. This role has allowed her to develop extensive experience lobbying for workers and Unifor members on a variety of issues including: TPP, Bill C-27, pharmacare, pay equity and for advocate for journalists and media workers. As a committed activist, Jackie has supported and participated in countless strikes and political protests during the municipal, provincial, and federal elections. She is a community leader, public speaker and a Discussion Leader. Jodi has been an active member of Local 240 for over 17 years. She has been employed at Green Shield Canada (GSC) for the past 14 years and was elected Chairperson in In the Local she is also the Recording Secretary and Chairperson of the Political Action Committee. Most recently Jodi was selected as the Chairperson for the Education Technical Office & Professional Sector Council (ETOP). She has been passionate about politics throughout her life and has undertaken many initiatives in her workplace, the Local and community. For several years she was active in numerous election campaigns and recently helped with Tracey Ramsey s win. Jodi volunteers with the AIDS Committee of Windsor, the Alzheimer s Society and the United Way. Ann has been a registered practical nurse for 31 years working in the London area in hospitals, long term care and home care services. Presently she is working as a full time executive for her Local and as the Vice President of Health Care with Local 27. She is a long-time activist that is an active volunteer for numerous organizations in the London region. Previously, she was co-chair with St. Joseph s Health Care in London representing 1,450 members. She is interested in politics and electoral change and decided to put her name forward as a candidate in two municipal elections in London in 2006 and She feels honoured to join the Ontario Political Action Committee. Jodi Nesbitt Ann Marie Tulett Roland Kiehne Rolly started working at de Havilland Aircraft (now Bombardier) in Toronto in 1978, at the age of 19. He is a proud member of Local 112. During his time at Local 112, Rolly held numerous positons, including: alternate Committeeperson, full-time Health & Safety Representative, Chairperson of the Political Action Committee, and he was President of Local 112 from Before joining the National Union as staff in March of 2014, he was a member of the National Executive Board. Rolly is currently the Director of our Membership Mobilization & Political Action Department. 8

9 WOMEN'S COMMITTTEE Gwen Campbell Gwen has been a member of Local 1285 since 1989, and has chaired the Local Women s Committee for more than ten years. At the Chrysler Parts Depot she holds the role of Women s Advocate, and she is a workplace trainer. As a strong believer in political action is also a trained Discussion Leader for the National Union and involved in many social justice groups. In the community, Gwen is a member of Peel Poverty Action Group, Muslims & Allies, the United Way and she is active in her NDP Riding Association. Her role continues as a Delegate to the Peel District Labour Council where she is also on the Women's Committee, the Event Planning Committee, and the Education Committee. Susan McKinnon Sue is the Local 444 Women s Committee Chairperson, she has held this position for 4 terms, and is elected as a Trustee on the Local s Executive Board. For the past 6 years, she has been elected as a Committeeperson at Caesars Windsor and previously she was a steward for several years. Outside the union, Sue is involved in the community as a Board member with the House of Sophrosyne and she has been a Director with the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association Board for six years. She has worked with Hiatus House and the Welcome Centre, a shelter for women, along with various other community agencies. Sue believes in empowering women to build a movement for social and political equality. Véronique Prévost Véronique started working at Bell Canada 13 years ago in Ottawa. She became involved in the union three years ago as a Steward and was acclaimed as Vice President within the same year. She is active in other ways in the Local as the acting Financial Secretary and Chair of her Local Women s Committee. This is her first time being elected to the Ontario Regional s Women s Committee. Although she is married she currently does not have any children except for a fur baby! Lisa Kelly Lisa is the Director of the National Women s Department. Prior to taking on this role in 2015, Lisa worked as the Director of Education and before that as a lawyer with the Canadian Auto Workers Union for over 20 years. Since becoming the Women s Director, Lisa has worked with Regional Council Committees and other activists to advance equality initiatives including closing the gender wage gap, affordable, accessible child care, Paid Domestic Violence Leave and Unifor s Women s Advocate program. Lisa s desire for justice and dignity for workers has always been a driving passion. She is thrilled to be able to advance issues of equity and social justice in her current role. 9

10 WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES COMMITTTEE Melanie Forget Melanie is the mother of two teenaged sons named Jessie and Travis. Since 2003 she has worked at Resolute Forest Products Sawmill Division. Over the years, she has held several positions at the Sawmill and currently is employed as the Canter Operator and Crane Relief Operator. In the workplace Melanie is part of the Joint Health and Safety Committee and has been involved with the First Response Team since the mill opened. Melanie is also actively involved in her Local as the Treasurer, Back to Work Rep and Women s Advocate. As a member from Northern Ontario, she is actively involved with an exceptional group of women on the Northern Ontario Women s Committee. Derek MacLeod Derek has been the President of Local 6004 for the past three years, proudly representing Bell Clerical employees in Ottawa and in smaller satellite offices across Ontario. Since becoming President, Derek has seen Local 6004 s membership grow from 450 members to the current membership of more than 750 members. Derek was elected to the 2013 Bell Clerical Bargaining Committee and has continued to participate in the Joint Labour Relations Committee to improve the working conditions for Bell Clerical employees. Derek is proudly serving his second term on the Committee, and is eager to continue advocating for workers with a disability. Angie Martz Angie has been the Financial Secretary and Service Representative for Local 229 since She is a passionate advocate and leader in her community and the union. Angie has been nursing in the long-term care and the hospital sector for more than twenty years. Her vast experience and strong leadership style complements her involvement at all levels of community and local union advocacy. Angie s passion at her Local is focused on advocating on behalf of members with disabilities, WSIB, long-term disability and short term disability cases. She is a huge supporter for members and their families who struggle with mental health issues. Niki Lundquist Since 2003, Niki has worked as in-house counsel for the National Union. She is crossappointed to both the Legal and Human Rights Departments. In these roles Niki is responsible for providing both legal and strategic advice on a wide-variety of human rights matters. She has advocated at every level of court in Ontario, and at tribunals across the country. Niki was counsel to OPT and MPT in the ground-breaking case that set a record award for damages for workplace sexual harassment. Currently, she is also the acting staff-liaison for Unifor s Workers with Disabilities Committee. 10

11 YOUNG WORKERS COMMITTTEE Samia Hashi Samia is from Local 6006, and she began her journey with Unifor after helping to organize her workplace in May She is gaining direct experience working as a member organizer on a drive to bring in new members, and as a bargaining representative for her workplace, while she advocates for a collective agreement that meets her members demands. She proudly holds a position on the Young Workers Committee and is an active member in her Local. Samia understands the power of a union and how it helps make working lives better for all. She wants to encourage the youth of today to organize and embrace unions as she has and she will continue to lead by example. Corey Nilsson Corey has been a member of local 414 for over 10 years. He first became involved with the union in 2015 when he was elected on the negotiating committee for No Frills and for the past three years he has been a Steward. While negotiating the new contract his interest on workplace safety was sparked and he has committed to advocating for safer conditions. In 2016, Corey was elected on the Executive Board as area Chairperson for the Local. To further his knowledge and involvement in the union he has taken many union education programs through Port Elgin and has passed on this information and knowledge to share with the membership. Carly Sonier Carly is a member of Local 1101 at Post Foods Canada in Niagara Falls. She has been an active member of the union, the broader labour movement and community politics for many years. Coming up through her union she has learned skills that make her the leader many young workers look up to in the union. She is a devoted union educator and a trained Discussion Leader. Carly also represents workers on a national level as the Young Workers Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress and Chair of the Congress Young Workers Committee. In this role she helps to advocate and raise young worker issues at the national level to ensure the voices of those workers are heard. Roxanne Dubois Roxanne works as an organizer for the National Union, and she acts as the liaison for young workers. She also coordinates the Community Chapter program which aims to provide a way for workers who can't organize in traditional ways to join the union. Prior to working at Unifor, she was active in the student movement and held several elected positions in her university and at the national level with the Canadian Federation of Students. As a youth and student activist, her work has long been dedicated to developing tools to educate, engage and mobilize young people in their campuses, workplaces and communities. 11

12 12