The TFAC logo, a graphic image of a black cat.

Nominations for the two vacancies for Trans Feminist Action Caucus (TFAC) Co-Chair closed on Sunday March 12 at 5 pm. The campaigning period is now open and will continue until voting opens on Monday March 20 and will continue until Wednesday March 22. TFAC polls will be located in the union office (143 Atkinson) from 10am – 4pm. The list of nominees is below. 

Campaign Guidelines

As the election process unfolds, all candidates are required to adhere to the following campaign regulations:

1. All campaigning practices and materials must be consistent with our CUPE Equality Statement.
2. Candidates are not allowed to use the union photocopier or union supplies.
3. The campaigning phase will continue through until the end of voting. Campaigning during the voting period must respect the following regulations:
   1. No posters, flyers or any campaigning activity within 5 metres of polling stations.
   2. Candidates and their representatives are free to go around the university (including with campaign material) to convince members to vote (“pulling the vote”). This activity cannot take place within 5 metres of any polling station. Intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated.
   3. Candidates can appoint scrutineers to each poll to ensure the impartiality of the process, and ensure that all voters are either on the list or submit a ballot within an envelope. Scrutineers must identify themselves to the poll clerks. But neither candidates nor their representatives will be able to use the voter’s lists for targeted vote-pulling once the polls have opened.
   4. Candidates are free to continue putting up posters, posting on social media, and engaging in other forms of campaigning during the voting period, as long as they respect the 5 metre rule.
4. The polling station will be equipped with a printed version of the campaign statements from the CUPE 3903 website.
5. We ask that all members who witness violations of these rules document them as accurately as possible and send the information to the Election Officer. Scrutineers/poll clerks will be briefed on what constitutes a violation. The Elections Officer will then make a presentation on any violations that occurred during the elections at a TFAC Meeting. After the presentation, if members feel that any of the violations were serious enough to warrant further action, it will be up to the membership to pursue.

TFAC Elections Officer:
Annelies Cooper
annelies.cooper@gmail.com

Candidate statements are posted below.

Candidate Statements

Niloofar Golkar

I am running for TFAC co-chair position since I think the caucus is playing a key role to push for the rights and attempt to change the structure, rules and policies of the university from bottom up in order to serve the members. My aim is to focus more on the complexities of members’ experiences on the campus from an anti racist and Queer feminist lenses. I would also try to organize actions against the sexual assaults on campus, and collaborative events with other organizations and student groups to build a stronger anti-racist and feminist community on campus. I aim to mobilize the members to gain stronger equity language and Anti O training in our collective agreement while pushing York to agree to add intersectional clause to their equity seeking group’s policy in admission and hiring. Throughout these processes I make sure to be guided by the discussion with the members.

My experience with Cupe 3903 includes being SPT steward, unit 1 representative on previous bargaining team, and member of Extended health benefit committee for the last year.

Nicole Leach

My name is Nicole Leach and I am running for the position of TFAC Co-Chair. A commitment to anti-oppressive feminist politics motivates my desire to run for TFAC Co-Chair.

I have been active in CUPE 3903 since joining as a Unit 3 member in September 2011; first as Unit 3 Bargaining Team member in the 2011-2012 bargaining round, then as VP Unit 3 Executive member in 2012 – 2013. Following my first stint on 3903s Executive, I was an actively engaged rank and file member sitting on various committees, participating and organising with TFAC, and walking the lines in the 2015 strike. I returned to 3903’s Executive Committee last year as one of the TFAC Co-Chairs.

My experience thus far with CUPE 3903 has driven home the necessity of an engaged and active TFAC.  I am running to extend my time as TFAC Co-Chair in order to continue to facilitate the important work of TFAC; including, meeting regularly with TFAC members to openly discuss and to call out the continuing systemic and individualised discrimination facing TFAC, and CUPE 3903, members at York University (both within the university space and union spaces), to continue to organize against York’s problematic and ill-suited sexual assault policy, and to continue working on a 3903 specific internal sexual assault policy. Specifically in the upcoming year, I would like to work harder to reach out to TFAC members; to build and extend our active rank and file TFAC network, and to initiate open and wide-spread discussions on the upcoming bargaining round, crafting proposals, and supporting our bargaining team. I would also like to continue in building solidarity and ties with our friends outside of TFAC; including departmental equity committees, campus based activist groups (for example, SiV), and across campuses.

Parbattie Ramsarran

My is Parbattie Ramsarran and I am a Unit 2 member who is asking for your support in my bid  for the TFAC Co-Chair.  I have several years of experience in the Local beginning with that of a Grievance officer.  As a Grievance officer, I worked with the staff, the Union executives and Grievance committee to handle grievances.  In this role, I attended to all unit members’ grievances vis-à-vis active participation in the step by step process at the departmental level, mediation and arbitration.  I have counseled members on the grievance process and on several issues that they are contending with in their respective unit and department. I am familiar with the Collective Agreements of all three units.    I was the Chair of the 2008 Bargaining Team.

As a member of the Executive, I have actively contributed to the administration of the office, so as to serve members.  I have assumed several administrative roles and I am well-versed in how the Local and the  office function.  I have excellent rapport with the staff and have worked with them collectively and individually on issues pertaining to the implementation of the Collective Agreement and other challenges.

While a member of  the Executive, I have filled in on many committees and engaged with representatives of the employer in an effort to implement or concretize singular or multiple Articles of the Collective Agreement.

I have sat on many Committees including the Grievance, Bursaries, Employment Equity, Extended Health Benefit, Professional Development Fund, Research Cost Fund, Research Leave Adjudicating and the Teaching Development Fund.

At this juncture,  one of the most important issue facing the Local is violence on campus and immediately upon being electing, I will work with my other co-chair  and TFAC members and larger body of the local to continue developing responses to  York Sexual Assault policy.

Poll Clerks Needed

TFAC members are eligible to serve as poll clerks for the TFAC elections on March 20-22. These positions are paid $15/hr. Shifts are from 10am-1pm and 1pm-4pm. If you are interested in taking one or more poll clerk shifts, please contact annelies.cooper@gmail.com

All women, trans, gender queer and gender variant members of the local are automatically members of the Trans Feminist Action Caucus whether or not you have ever attended a meeting.