NATIONAL PRESIDENT/VP ONTARIO VISIT TO ONTARIO LOCALS – OCT / NOV 2005

Brother MacLennan and I conducted the annual visit to the UNDE Ontario Locals during the week of 31 October to 4 November 2005. This was my first visit as VP of the Region, and I was looking forward to meeting the members and conducting Local elections. At all meetings members were given an opportunity to raise their questions and concerns on a wide variety of issues: Classification, the Elimination of Zones, Bargaining, ASR, MASOP and in particular growing concerns in regards to staffing of positions and the new changes in the Public Service Employment Act, which will be in effect the end of December.

We started out Monday afternoon in Trenton with Local 637 to conduct their elections and visiting with the members. With 83 members signed in, Brother Grant Gabovic - 1 st Vice President, Brother Ryan Ayres - 2 nd Vice President, Brother Evan Hendry - Secretary/Treasurer, and Brother Denis Miluck - Chief Shop Steward, were all acclaimed to their positions and Sister Celine Alexiuk was elected Deputy Chief Steward.

After Local 637’s elections, Brother Barry Turner, President Local 637, Brother MacLennan and I attended the general meeting at the IMP worksite where we had an opportunity to talk to the members, and I had the honour to conduct the first ever elections for UNDE Local 642. Since receiving their certification a couple of years ago, the members have been part of Local 637 under the excellent guidance of Brother Barry Turner, now I am very happy to announce that they have a complete executive of their own and will soon be receiving their Charter from the National Office. With 25 members signed in, Brother Blair Dirks was elected President, Brother Mike Leblanc - Vice President, Sister Lisa Wilcox - Secretary; Sister Kim Hambley –Treasurer, and Brother Jim Steward - Chief Shop Steward.

Tuesday afternoon we were in London where Local 623 elections were conducted following a meeting with the Commanding Officer ASU London. Sister Cathy Chapin - President, Sister Dianne Redman - Vice President, Sister Denise Lang – Secretary, and Sister Barbara Szarkowski - Treasurer, were all acclaimed to their positions. Brother MacLennan also swore in Brother John Fullick as a Shop Steward at the same time.

On Wednesday, we made out way to Borden. With 336 members signed in, Local 619 elections saw Brother Brian Spinks elected as President, Sister Frankie Nash elected as 2 nd Vice President, Brother Jacques Sequin elected as Treasurer and Brother Murray Welch acclaimed as Chief Shop Steward. Brother Larry Woodward and Sister Karlin Roat, Local Secretary remain in their positions until next year when their positions will be up for election. Brother Neil LaChappelle was the recipient of the Don Butcher award for this years’ Steward of the Year award. Congratulations Brother LaChappelle! Brother Roy Wilson received a certificate of Achievement for his years dedicated as a union activist. Brother Wilson is retiring in January. I would also like to thank the entire membership for giving me such a warm welcome home, and for presenting me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and card. I have to admit I was speechless, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the card. Thank you very much.

We didn’t meet with the members of Local 636 (SunLite Cleaners) during this tour. However, I will be conducting their elections later this month.

Local 620 elections were conducted in the evening at the Base Firehall. With 12 members signed in and, after a slight delay to the elections because of a call out when the alarm went off, the executive were all acclaimed to their positions. President - Serge Desbiens , Vice President - Grant McCulloch, Secretary/Treasurer - George Peacock, Chief Shop Steward - Dave Wesley, and Health and Safety Representative - Nathan Clarke.

On Thursday the 3 rd Nov, we made our way up to North Bay to meet Brother Scott Steward, President Local 635 North Bay/Sault Ste Marie and the members from his local. As there where no positions up for election this year, I took this opportunity to introduce myself to the members and visit with them. Brother MacLennan also took the opportunity to fill the members in on current and upcoming issues and answer any of their questions particularly applying to the staffing of positions in the future.

Friday found us back on the road again as we headed to Petawawa to meet with Brother Bob King his Executive and members of Local 629. As there was no elections required this year, we again took the opportunity to meet and visit with the membership and answer any questions or concerns they may have. It was an excellent meeting for a Friday night during hunting season, the meeting was well attended.

Later that evening we met with Local 639 (SunLite Cleaners) to conduct their elections. With 20 members signed in all the executive were acclaimed to their positions: President - Sister Helen Logan, Vice President - Sister Donna Fowler, Treasurer - Sister Eve Rye, and Secretary - Sister Laura Zettler. Brother MacLennan and I also took this opportunity after the elections to meet with the Local membership and to answer any of their questions or concerns. It was an excellent meeting and many members stayed for pizza afterwards.

Brother MacLennan and I will be visiting and conducting elections with Locals 625 and 649 Toronto, later in the month while we are in Toronto at the OFL.

A hectic, but very fulfilling week. I took full advantage of my first official visit to the Locals to meet as many members as possible as well as conducting Local Elections. As we traveled from Local to Local, I was amazed just how big the Region really is, even with a week, we didn’t get to visit all the locals. Over the next 3 years I look forward to visiting all the locals in the Region, meeting the members and representing them as their National Officer.

Fraternally,

Submitted electronically,

Debra Nadeau
UNDE VP Ontario
Nadeau.D@forces.gc.ca
anadeau@csolve.net

(750) 727-2816