Nominations for the 2021-22 Executive Committee closed on February 28, with three contested positions: Treasurer, Vice President Unit 1 and Vice President Unit 2. The candidate statements for the contested positions are below. Voting for the contested positions (via Simply Voting) will start on March 16 at 5pm, and continue until March 21 at 5pm.
Click through for statements for:
- Treasurer:
- Vice President Unit 1
- Vice President Unit 2
CANDIDATES FOR TREASURER
Michael Laurentius for Treasurer
I’m Michael Laurentius and I’m seeking re-election as Secretary-Treasurer. During my six years as an active member, I’ve sat on numerous committees as a rank-and-file member and served on the Executive as Vice-President Unit 3 and Secretary-Treasurer.
The strength of this Local stems from its member-led/member-driven decision-making practices and unwavering commitment to Social Unionism. While the Secretary-Treasurer plays an important oversight role in ensuring transparent and sensible financial management, the role is ultimately a collaboratory and conciliatory one, one that must further empower, rather than limit, the membership in pursuing their collective political goals.
While Secretary-Treasurer, I have:
- Made a concerted effort to increase the accessibility of monthly financial reports to the membership and restructure the budget, emphasizing them as communication tools rather than mere obligatory disclosures.
- Prioritized accessibility through significant, dedicated budget lines for access concerns.
- Acted as a resource person for caucuses, working groups, and committees in the creation/execution of internal budgets that fulfil their unique mandates, while resurrecting the practice of having non-caucus budgets approved at GMMs.
- Restructured the Strike Fund into the Local Defence and Strike Fund, so that previously locked-away contributions can be used for bargaining mobilization/support, strike aversion, and bargaining unit organization campaigns. Also, designed a new regular contribution structure, so the Fund won’t rely on sporadic deposits to remain financially healthy.
- Initiated and oversaw the Local’s adoption of online forms and digital fund transfers which allowed uninterrupted expense and fund payments throughout the pandemic.
- Spearheaded the Local’s upcoming adoption of Union1—a member management and grievance tracking system
- Assisted staff and members with various finance, funding, and payroll-related concerns, issues, and grievances
- As many of these projects are ongoing into the new fiscal year, I hope to have your support in continuing this work and all new initiatives that the membership decides upon.
Sylvia Peacock for Treasurer
My name is Sylvia and since 2010, I do contract teaching as a U2, in several departments and faculties (Labor Studies, BuSo, GWS, and FES). You may have heard me raise points during membership meetings. But most of my activism happens in the background, where – in various volunteer roles – I do checksums, go over balance sheets, or oversee numbers. For example, in my function as a chair of our finance committee at a housing coop in downtown Toronto, I learned how to explain balance sheets, audits, and budgetary planning to stakeholders.
Since 2015, I represent CUPE 3903 on the York University Pension Board of Trustees. Our pension is $1.2 billion dollar fund invested in equities, real estate, currencies, and infrastructure. My voice is one for sustainable, ethical investments with an eye to divest from fossil fuels and transition to a 2ᵒC scenario. I feel comfortable going over very large numbers until they balance. Also, in my final third term now, I study the books for CUPE 3903 in my function as your Union Trustee. A Union Trustee has a good grasp on all our local policies and bylaws, and evaluates the degree to which our committees remain within their funding mandate. Union Trustee ought to establish a cooperative, friendly, but arms-length rapport with staff and executive, which is what we do at 3903.
Other functions I fill are in the volunteer finance sector and include several stints for the CITPV (Community Income Tax Program Volunteer ), treasurer for a parent association at a primary school (TDSB), and stakeholder input for budgetary planning at city hall and YorkU. Effective management of our finances gives us credibility when we ask questions of the university administration, the provincial, or federal government and their way to raise moneys or allocate it. It is important to lead by example in our sector, not only when it comes to questions of social justice but also when it concerns our open and transparent management of our union finances. It’s what we do and I will continue to improve on this goal. In my private life, I’m a mom of two children, one started in their first year at YorkU, and one is a young teen. I like to cycle, hike, or do road trips, or see friends, whenever there’s time.
CANDIDATES FOR VICE PRESIDENT UNIT 1
Ali Gholami
My name is Ali Gholami and I am the third-year PhD candidate in the Lassonde School of Engineering, the Department of Mechanical Engineering. As a student and teaching assistant, I have been a CUPE unit 1 member for the last three years and have faced numerous challenges a CUPE member can have. As an international student, I am entirely familiar with the ups and downs of CUPE unit 1 members’ difficulties. For the last year, it has been my privilege to be a member of the “International Graduate Student Committee” and “Health, Safety & Employee Well-Being” and actively tried to address the committees’ responsibilities in collaboration with other members. From these experiences, I have broadened my knowledge about unit 1 members’ rights and benefits. Now I am confident to apply as the Vice-president of unit 1, the biggest unit among all CUPE units.
Some of the responsibilities of the VP of Unit 1 are:
- arranging the committee elections and by-elections
- helping and facilitating the activities of union committees
- reporting to the executive of all inside and outside university matters related to unit 1 members
- liaise with other universities, union, student and other organization
I understand the past year has been a challenging year for Students and post-doctoral fellows, Teaching Assistants, course instructors and other unit 1 members of CUPE 3909. I will do my best to reduce part of the difficulties the COVID-19 situation is causing for unit 1 members. I will apply all my experiences gained through the last years to help unit members and be a valuable asset. It would be my pleasure to serve the unit 1 members in the 2021-2022 calendar year.
Chris Little
I’m Chris, a second year PhD student in Political Science and TA, currently in the Department of Equity Studies. Here’s why I’m running for VP Unit 1.
First, the work of our local to win – and keep – some of the best workplace benefits within the higher education sector in Ontario is a big part of why I came to York. It is our work together as a union that makes York a viable option for study and work for a diverse group of early-career scholars. We as members bring a rich array of experiences and challenges with us to York, and our local should continue to push an optimistic vision of what our workplace can and should be. Both during this bargaining period and beyond it, I want to work as VP Unit 1 to ensure that we continue our organising for an ambitious agenda, grounded in equity, for rights and benefits in our workplace.
Second, my experience organising will help me make a strong contribution to the work of our local. I’m in my second year as a steward in my department, where I’ve focused on member outreach, departmental mapping and working with colleagues who need workplace support both formally and informally. I was a steward for three years in my previous workplace too, where I participated in successful bargaining to secure an equitably distributed pay rise that prioritised those on lower wages. For six years, I served as a committee member and organiser at a volunteer-run community social centre in London, UK, helping to open and keep it running in the first few years of its existence.
It would be an enormous privilege to bring these experiences to our local, particularly as we bargain for our next collective agreement and then work to ensure its implementation.
CANDIDATES FOR VICE PRESIDENT UNIT 2
Julie Allen
My name is Julie Allen and I am a candidate for Vice President, Unit 2 on the Executive Committee for the upcoming year. I have been teaching at York, as a Contract Faculty member since 2002. I have served CUPE 3903 in various roles. In 2009, I was elected Chair, and thus have experience organizing GMMs and SGMMs. In 2010, I served on the committee tasked with the overhaul of our Local Bylaws. I served on several committees from 2010-2012, including the Ways and Means committee. I was a Trustee for six years and helped conduct the internal audits of 3903 finances between 2011 and 2017. Thus, I have a solid understanding of the financial regulations within CUPE, the operations of funded Committees. I am currently a Senator and a member of LAPS Faculty Council and have on several occasions worked with members of York’s Administration, YUFA members, YUSA members and other CUPE locals on Campus. I will advocate for CUPE 3903 within the Cross-Campus Alliance (CCA) and will work in solidarity with campus groups and organizations such as OUWCC, if I am elected.
During the past 6 months I have attended most Executive meetings, most Bargaining meetings, joint meetings and bargaining with the employer. I was acclaimed as a Labor-Management Committee representative (LMC) for 2020-2021. Although LMC does not meet during Bargaining, my attendance at various bargaining related meetings has positioned me to be aware of upcoming issues and to work in tandem with the VPs of our other units to facilitate monthly LMC meetings going forward. If elected I will advocate for all Unit 2 members, and the entire membership by advocating in their interests both internally and externally and by insisting upon the proper enforcement of our collective agreements.
Lina Nasr El Hag Ali
I would be proud to serve as your Unit 2 Vice-President. I have been a member of our local since 2012, and most recently as a contract faculty member in the department of Politics. My involvement in the local has ranged from working elections, participating in committees; representing the union in Senate; Steward’s Council; helping to facilitate GMM’s to serving on the 2018 Bargaining Team. As media liaison during the previous bargaining round, I have familiarized myself with the concerns and issues specifically relating to Unit 2 –particularly relating to job security, equity appointments, class size and overwork. As your VP, I will focus on outreach as well as liaising with different university bodies, including continuing to cultivate my former relationships in the senate and connecting with our Cross Campus Alliance. I have previously worked alongside representatives on the Board of Governors and aim to bridge those working in the senate and BOG on behalf of contract faculty, an area that requires greater advocacy. In terms of connecting contract faculty across the university, as a bilingual member, I aim to increase and strengthen connection with our members at Glendon campus. The more day-to-day tasks of VP Unit 2 will be carried out efficiently. My experience using platforms like zoom/discord/slack will help maintain open communication during this period of online organization. I ask for your vote because I want to take part in improving the experience for members of Unit 2 within the union, as well as advocate on our behalf throughout the university. I am knowledgeable about our collective agreement and hope to put my years of experience in the local to use as your next Vice President Unit 2.