Elections

I have been an Ontario Regional Council Delegate for nine years and look forward to continuing on in this role.

This council provides an amazing opportunity for all locals within Ontario to meet and share information on labour issues and come together as Unifor members to support locals through their struggles.  While at Ontario Regional Council we hear from speakers who provide information on Ontario specific initiatives that can be brought back to the Local.  There is opportunity to connect with other locals and follow up on specific issues that may also affect Unifor 5555.   While a delegate to this council the ability to focus on the political landscape of Ontario and what I can do, not only as a Union Advocate, but as a citizen of Ontario provides context to allow me to represent Unifor 5555 to the best of my ability.  

I would like to continue to represent Unifor 5555 at Ontario Regional Council and would appreciate your vote. 

Thank You

I have been a full-time employee and member in good standing in Unifor Local 5555 since 2008. I have a post-secondary education in Labour Studies and Political Science. My interest in these areas has driven me to be an active member of the local. In that capacity, I have served the membership as Vice-Chairperson (2017-2018) and Chairperson (2019-2021) for Unit 1, and served as the Guide (2018-2019) on the Executive Board . I have also chaired the Women’s Committee and the Political Action Committees at the local and am currently the Chair of the ORC Women’s Standing Committee. To say that I love my job as a full-time Union representative is an understatement. I have learned so much in these roles and look forward to growing and learning more to better serve the members of our local.

As the Chair of the Women’s Standing Committee for the Ontario Regional Council, I have been involved in the push for universal childcare in Ontario. Unifor is calling on the provincial government to accept the transfer funds being offered by the federal government to build an affordable, quality childcare system in Ontario. I have had the opportunity to speak to MPPs and big city Mayors with our national union to advance the agenda on universal childcare as I believe it will make a real difference in the working lives of Ontario families, not to mention that it is a long overdue initiative for this province. I am also actively involved as a member of the United Way of Halton and Hamilton Period Promise Task Force whose goal is to provide free menstrual products in businesses and community outreach centres for our community members who may not be able to afford them. While my activism on these initiatives won’t end if I am not elected as a delegate to the ORC, I will not be permitted to continue this work as a member of the ORC Women’s Committee without delegate status.

Thank you for considering my candidacy for this position. Sarah-Kai Antanaitis

Attendance at Ontario Regional Council is similar in many ways to Canada Council, but with the focus obviously being on issues specific to Ontario.  The Local delegates that are attending are often those that are closest to us geographically and are facing the same economic and political highs and lows as 5555 is.  Determining the direction of Unifor in Ontario is important as we have all recently seen how provincial politics can have a tremendous impact on our membership.  I have attended Ontario Regional Council almost every year since I have been involved in our Local and once again feel my experience both ensures that I am representing the Local at ORC well but am also gaining knowledge that I am able to bring back to the membership.  I ask for your support for my candidacy as Ontario Regional Council Delegate.

As an active member of the McMaster Community for more than 37 years and of MUSA, CAW and Unifor most of those years. I bring a wealth of experience in my representation duties to the councils.

Seeking Delegate positions on several councils within Unifor for the next term. I believe that I can take the concerns and interests of the Local 5555 membership to those bodies and represent our local values passionately and fully.

As a Unifor Health and Safety activist I believe I can bring my wealth of experience to the table and floors of these bodies to represent the interest of the Local 5555 members to the best of my ability and make important liaisons with the greater Unifor community on our behalf.

If you know me, you know I am a committed and concerned member of the local. If you are just meeting me for the first time, I welcome your support and an opportunity to discuss your perspectives, priorities and concerns to help me better represent you and the larger local community at those councils for which I am standing for election.

I hope that you can support me as one of your choices to represent you and our local at the Councils for the next 3 years.

I have been with the University for more than 15 years, and involved with the Union for almost 10. For
the last 17 months, I have been on full-time release working as the Unit 1 Vice Chairperson. This has
allowed me a unique opportunity to see how the Collective Agreement is applied to our everyday
working lives, as well as how it is interpreted by the University. It has also allowed me the opportunity to
see first-hand the deficiencies of the Collective Agreement, and where improvements and changes need
to be made.
Participating as a delegate to the external committees would provide the opportunity to learn new ways
to represent our members, as well as keep up to date with the industry standards and happenings. It
would give me the insight and networking opportunities to learn what improvements we can work
towards for our members.

I am seeking re-election for Executive Board Trustee and Unit 1 Workplace Committee, and am seeking election as a delegate to Unifor Canadian Council, Constitutional Convention, and Ontario Regional Council.

I currently serve as the lead Trustee, as a Unit 1 steward, and sit on the Unit 1 Workplace Committee. Since joining the Union in 2014 I have also held delegate positions for:

• Unifor Education, Technical, Office Professional Industry Council
• Coalition of Post-Secondary Workers of Ontario
• Hamilton District Labour Council
• Ontario Federation of Labour
• Unifor Canadian Council
• Unifor Constitutional Convention
• Unifor Ontario Regional Council

I have also represented our Local at Canadian Labour Congress meetings, at the United Nations as a Youth Ambassador, and most importantly, on picket lines.

I pride myself on being a strong trade unionist whose primary goal is to serve our members by fighting for positive change. We are entering a difficult bargaining year post-Bill 124 and I feel that my union experience would be a strong asset to our bargaining team. I promise to put our members first, to ensure that you are well represented at the bargaining table as we fight for a stronger collective agreement, and to ensure that your interests are kept at the forefront in all trustee meetings. I am proud to serve this Local and our members, and hope to continue to fight the good fight.

I am running for some delegate positions to represent the local Union at Council and conventions.

In seeking these roles, I will promote maintaining and strengthening our alliances with Indigenous groups and Canada’s various progressive communities.

Over the years I have been involved in our predecessor organization, the McMaster University Staff Association since about 1981, serving two times as the President of MUSA, including the period in 1999 when we transitioned into becomeing a legal bargaining agent under the Labour Relations Act.

More recently I served in the Union’s unit 1 on two different occasions as the Unit Chairperson.  On many occasions I was on the bargaining committee, helping to negotiate our first collective agreement and many renewal agreements since.

More recently I have been active on the Retiree’s Chapter of our local union and on the McMaster University Retirees Association.  I have also recently been active in meetings of the Strathcona Community Council and the Workers’ Arts and Heritage Centre.

I would like to also do more to assist new immigrants to Canada to become settled in our community and develop a productive co-relationship with existing communities.

I am asking for your support to represent you at Ontario Regional Council.  I have served in this role in the past and would like to continue to do so.

I have been active in our Union since before we joined the CAW, being on the Affiliation Investigation Committee, researching which Union would be a match for us.  I have been the Recording Secretary since taking over the role in 2014.  I am a member of the Women’s Committee and have chaired it in the past.  I am a delegate to ETOP, our sector council and I am also the Women’s Advocate for our Local.  I have held other Union positions in the past as well and hope that you will see my long service to the Union as beneficial to serve you as a delegate to Ontario Regional Council.   I hope I can count on your support.

I have been a full-time McMaster employee and member in good standing in Unifor Local 5555 since 2012. I have served the past three years as the Guide, where I have been able to meet many new members and provide orientations about Unifor Local 5555. This experience has been a great one, and I am proud to continue to serve the members of Unifor Local 5555. 

I have been an active participant and the chair of the Unifor 5555 Women’s Committee where we have planned the International Women’s Day Luncheon, Take Back The Night events, the Backpack Project, Period Promise, as well as other fundraisers and events. 

I would be honoured to serve as a delegate for Canada Council, Unifor Constitution Convention, Ontario Regional Council, and ETOP to expand my knowledge, skills, and to be able to bring back what I’ve learned to assist our members further. 

Thank you! 

No bio submitted yet.

Brothers and Sisters, thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself: my name is Judy Leullier and I am a 14-year employee of Unit 5. I am honored to have served you as a trustee this past term on the executive board; a position which I am aspiring to retain, with your support.  In addition, I worked as a steward; prior to this I was on another bargaining committee. I have graduated from the McMaster University Labour Studies Certificate course and I am currently enrolled in The Leadership series. I am health and safety certified, L2 plus instructors with current first aid CPR/AED training. I am certified in both Conflict Resolution and Human Rights from the Unifor National.   My past work experience includes working as a medical professional in a field of Lab Technology and running a successful business. The qualities I bring to the executive are knowledge and varied expertise, accountability, integrity, and the passion to pursue positive goals for all of us. To love our work, and to be genuinely happy for one another’s success is of utmost importance.  Let us stay united with equity and inclusion and keep improving our lives together! – In solidarity, be safe

Having recently retired from an Administrative Assistant position at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, it occurred to me that I am now able to run for Canadian Council, Delegate to Constitutional Convention, and Delegate on Ontario Regional Council.

In the past, I attended most of the conferences using my vacation time and own funding as I didn’t wish to inconvenience my department by seeking release time and burden unifor5555 by requesting funding or seeking election positions in order to attend these functions. I found these interesting and have attended many as an Observer. Now, I wish to have a voice and express the intentions of the retirees which is the reason I am running for the unifor5555 election positions.

In the past, I have worked for various governments and non-profit agencies dealing with people from all walks of life. Through my own life experiences and hardships, I can better understand the financial difficulties and personal barriers that affect most people. By running for these union positions, I hope to bring about change and assist where I can.

The McMaster Retirees Chapter is strong and as the years progress, more and more retirees will join the chapter, so it is important to establish a precedent for attending these functions now while the Retirees Chapter is still young. Please vote for me and I will do my best for you.