Who we are
The future of our communities lies in our youth
CUPE 2195 represents the workers of the Youth Services Bureau in Ottawa. Our members are entrusted with the essential job of supporting the youth and families of our communities to feel safe and to find, employment, housing, and someone to talk to when they need it most.
To make sure that youth have the best available supports, CUPE 2195 advocates for the best possible working conditions for its employees. In this way, CUPE 2195 is working in partnership with the Youth Services Bureau to support youth and impact tomorrow, today.
A brief overview of CUPE
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canada’s largest union.
With more than 700,000 members across Canada, CUPE represents workers in health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities, social services, public utilities, transportation, emergency services and airlines.
A strong and democratic union, CUPE is committed to improving the quality of life for workers in Canada. Women and men working together to form local unions built CUPE. They did so to have a stronger voice – a collective voice – in their workplaces and in society as a whole.
Together they have won the right to negotiate their wages and working conditions; to eliminate arbitrary action by employers; and to speak out without fear of reprisal.
CUPE members are service-providers, white-collar workers, technicians, labourers, and skilled trades people. More than half of CUPE members are women. About one-third are part-time workers CUPE is a modern, dynamic and sophisticated union with more than 70 offices across the country. Workers, united through CUPE, have the organizational strength and expertise to deal with the growing complexities of our global economy. For more information visit www.cupe.ca
Executive
The duties of the executive officers are detailed in Section 8 of the bylaws.
President
Don Baker
Youth Justice
Contact
VP1
Scott Rickman
Youth Justice
Contact
VP2
Trevor D
Youth Justice
Contact
Chief Steward
Brigitte LaRose
Mental Health
Contact
Chief Steward
Catherine A
Youth Justice
Contact
Recording-Secretary
Max L
Youth Justice
Contact
Treasurer-Secretary
Steven Boucher
Employment Services
Contact
Bookkeeper
Sergio Cacciotti
Employment Services
Contact
Communications Officer
Paige N
Equality Statement
Union solidarity is based on the principle that union members are equal and deserve mutual respect at all levels. Any behaviour that creates conflict prevents us from working together to strengthen our union.
As unionists, mutual respect, cooperation and understanding are our goals. We should neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
Discriminatory speech or conduct which is racist, sexist, transphobic or homophobic hurts and thereby divides us. So too, does discrimination on the basis of ability, age, class, religion and ethnic origin.
Sometimes discrimination takes the form of harassment. Harassment means using real or perceived power to abuse, devalue or humiliate. Harassment should not be treated as a joke. The uneasiness and resentment that it creates are not feelings that help us grow as a union.
Discrimination and harassment focus on characteristics that make us different; and they reduce our capacity to work together on shared concerns such as decent wages, safe working conditions, and justice in the workplace, society and in our union.
CUPE’s policies and practices must reflect our commitment to equality. Members, staff and elected officers must be mindful that all sisters and brothers deserve dignity, equality and respect.
| MARK HANCOCK National President |
CHARLES FLEURY National Secretary-Treasurer |
Stewards
Your Stewards are….
Youth Justice
Matt D – Float Steward
Andrew B
Fabienne Galhidi
Adam G
Catherine A
Community Services
Paige Nicks
Erick Armstrong
Matthew Kennedy
Employment Services
Sergio Cacciotti
Steve Mealha
Jacinthe Rickman
Mental Health Services
Andy Chhor
Marie Carrol
Francis Miranda
Antonio Strizzi
Brigitte Larose – Chief Steward
Committees
Mobilization Committee
Description: The Mobilization and Education Committee works to build CUPE 2195 members engagement within the Local, and within CUPE Ontario and CUPE National, including working to build members’ capacity and awareness related to political action. Key areas of work for the Mobilization and Education Committee including
- Mobilizing CUPE 2195 Membership
- Partnering with the UEC to coordinate and facilitate CUPE 2195 Steward Retreats
- Recommending and facilitating training and education opportunities to the UEC and membership at large
- Planning of engagement and social events for the Local
- Supporting the management of Local 2195 communication tools
- Supporting the components of welcoming and orienting new members to Local 2195
- Linking to local, Provincial, and National CUPE education and political action campaigns.
The Mobilization and Education Committee shall be chaired by the Second Vice President and shall be composed of a minimum of two other members. Members are able to join this Committee by identifying their interest to the Chair and with the approval of the UEC.
Members: Johnny McKnight, Christine Castonguay, Michelle Doiron
Contact: John McKnight
Email:
Grievance Committee
Description: The Grievance Committee is tasked with deciding once the first two (2) steps of the grievance process has been exhausted, whether a grievance will move to the arbitration process. The decision whether to move to the arbitration process is decided by majority vote on the Committee, after a pros and cons discussion, where at least 3 members must be in attendance for a vote to be deemed valid. The Grievance Committee shall be chaired by the Chief Steward and shall be composed of a minimum of two other members to a maximum of five committee members (including the Chair). Members are able to join the Grievance Committee by identifying their interest to the Chief Steward and UEC
Members: Vanessa Alvarado, Scott Rickman, Christine Castonguay, Sergio Cacciotti
Contact: Vanessa Alvarado
Email:
Bargaining Committee
Description: This shall be a special ad hoc committee established at least six (6) months prior to the expiry of the Local’s Collective Agreement and automatically disbanded when a new Collective Agreement has been signed. The function of the Committee is to solicit input from the general membership, prepare collective bargaining proposals and to negotiate a collective agreement. The Committee shall consist of the President, Chief Steward and two (2) other members, one of which will be the alternate, The President and Chief Steward together will appoint the other two members and will be subject to ratification at a General Membership meeting. The CUPE representative assigned to the Local shall act in a consultative capacity as an additional non-voting member of the Committee.
Members: Don Baker, TBD, TBD, TBD
Contact: Don Baker
Email:
Labour Management Committee
Description: The Union Team on the Labour Management Committee shall be composed of a minimum of two members: one being the President or First Vice President and the Chief Steward. The Team shall participate in Labour Management Committee meetings, make recommendations to the Union and to the Employer on matters of mutual concern, and fulfill the Union’s obligations as per the Terms of Reference of the Labour Management Committee in the Collective Agreement.
Members: Don Baker, Scott Rickman, Vanessa Alverado, Michelle Doiron
Contact: Don Baker
Email:
Bylaw Committee
Description: The Bylaw Committee shall be chaired by the Recording Secretary and shall be composed of a minimum of two other members, one of which is the Second Vice President. The Bylaw Committee facilitates the yearly review and re-confirmation of CUPE 2195 Bylaws: documented guidelines to protect the rights of members and ensure responsible administration of the Local including proper practices of standards and procedures. The yearly review of the Bylaws shall include facilitating open communication with the membership to request feedback and/or recommended changes, reviewing the CUPE Constitution and any recommended updates to CUPE bylaws from CUPE National, and following proper voting process to affirm any proposed changes or amendments. The Bylaw review process shall be conducted by the Bylaw Committee during the period of April to June, each calendar year.
Members: Michelle Doiron, John McKnight, Steven Boucher, Max Levesque
Contact: Michelle Doiron
Email:
Elections
CUPE 2195 Elections
There are two types of elections, one for the officers (on every odd numbered year), and one for the stewards (one every even numbered year). Section 13 of the bylaws contains detailed information on how elections are carried out.
The Basics: Officers Election of Officers (the Union Executive Committee)
Nominations are put forward at the October general meeting.
- For a nomination to be accepted, the member has to be at the October meeting, or has to have filed their written acceptance of the nomination (duly witnessed by another member) by the time the nominations are requested at the start of the meeting.
- All Nominees are asked to answer the following 3 questions; and the answers will be posted on the Local’s website, along with their
- Tell us something your YSB colleagues wouldn’t know about you?
- What would be your priorities for this position and CUPE 2195?
- What do you bring to the table if elected into this position? (strengths, ideas, past experience, lived experience, etc.)
- At the October general meeting an Elections Committee, of neither current officers of the Executive nor candidates for election, is appointed to run the election voting process.
- The election vote is then held at least two weeks after the October general meeting. Two time frames for voting are normally established, and are announced at the October general meeting.
Officers that are up for election
Descriptions of the positions are found in Section 8 of the CUPE 2195 Bylaws and have been highlighted here : Officers Roles