CUPE Connects! Webisode 9—Undervaluing Care Work: Unmasking Gender Inequity.
Listen in to hear CUPE frontline workers and experts discuss the systematic undervaluation of work predominantly performed by women in this special episode that took place on International Women’s Day.
Tiffany Balducci is the 4th Vice President of CUPE Ontario and President of Durham Northumberland CUPE Council and Durham Region Labour Council. Tiffany loves advocating for strong public services, grassroots and community organizing, fair working conditions and wages, menstrual equity, human rights and social and climate justice. Tiffany also has a scrappy rescue cat and an adorable pug. Her writings have appeared in Oshawa This Week, Rabble, VOYA, Our Times, and rankandfile.ca. She is a member of CUPE Local 1281.
Laurie Lucciola is a Head Custodian in an Elementary School in the city of Peterborough. She has worked for Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board for 20 years, starting out her career as an Education Assistant, then moving over as a custodian. She is also an Early Childhood Educator.
She is a proud member of CUPE Local 5555 Education Workers of KPRDSB. She is currently the Recording Secretary for her Local and has previously served as a steward, health and safety rep, education chair and job evaluation chair. She also sit on the Equity and Diversity Committee for our Local.
Laurie is the Co-Chair of the CUPE Ontario Women’s Committee and in 2014 was a recipient of the CUPE Ontario Sister’s in Solidarity Award.
Candace Rennick, CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer
Born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Candace Rennick has been a member of CUPE since she began working at a local Long-Term Care facility when she was 16 years old.
Becoming a local union steward and bargaining committee member at the age of 19, Candace was elected the President of CUPE Local 2280 at 22, a position she held for seven years. Candace was first elected to the CUPE Ontario Executive Board in 2002, where she served four terms as a Vice-President.
In 2010, Candace made history when she was elected Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Ontario, the province’s largest union, becoming the first woman and the youngest person ever elected to the position.
Candace is also a Regional Vice-President on the CUPE National Executive Board, a position she has held since 2003. During her time on the CUPE National Executive Board, Candace has served on a number of national committees, as well as representing CUPE internationally with the union’s global partner, the Public Services International.
Connie Ndlovu is the President of CUPE Local 7797 and active member of CUPE for nearly 20 years now. Prior to being President of the local, Connie held many union positions in her local, as a Chief Steward, Vice President, bargaining committee member, health and safety rep to name a few. Currently she is a member of CUPE Ontario RJC and Home Care Rep on HCWCC. Connie works as a PSW in home care. As a worker in the sector Connie has spent most of her union time advocating for change in the broken system of HomeCare due to lack of government funding and neglect of the sector. According to Connie in the field she sees the sector very broken with poverty wages and lack of decent work for the many immigrant and black women who predominantly work in this sector. Connie says this is wrong and also adds that the pandemic has clearly shown all of usthe horrible issues faced by women working in the sector and it’s time for the government to make meaningful change starting by making the pandemic premium pay for PSWs a permanent wage increase and must create decent jobs for these women. The fight in HomeCare is not about decent work and high wages but also it is a racial and gender equity issue.
Angella MacEwen is a Senior Economist at CUPE National, and a policy fellow with the Broadbent Institute. Her primary focus is understanding precarity and inequality in the Canadian labour market. She also studies the impacts of Canadian economic and social policy on workers, especially climate policy and international trade and investment treaties. Angella writes a quarterly publication for CUPE members, Economy at Work. She holds a MA in Economics from Dalhousie University.
Leila Meskine arrived in Canada from Morocco in 2017 to complete her MA in Mathematics at Brock University. She soon started getting involved with her CUPE local 4207 to learn and fight and stand up for workers in her sector.
Leila was elected as Vice President for her local in 2018 and was the first worker of color to sit on the executive board and take active roles with various committees. She was on the bargaining Committee of her 1200 unit where they recently reached a deal with the employer. Leila is a delegate to the Niagara District CUPE Council and a delegate to the Niagara Regional Labour Council. At the provincial level, she sits on the CUPE Ontario Women’s committee as a young worker representative and on the Ontario University Workers Coordinating Committee (OUWCC) as a migrant workers representative to advocate for the rights of women, young workers, migrant workers and voice their struggles and concerns.
My name is Veriline Howe. I am an employee with Community Living Toronto which is in the Developmental Services Sector. I am the vice-president of Local 2191. I have been active within the union for over 15 years. I am currently the Equality Chair for CUPE Ontario Racial Justice Committee. I also sit on various committees within CUPE Ontario, such as AROAP, and the Labour Relations committee. I am a member of CUPE National Rainbow Committee. My passion is to see an end to the casualization of workers and I fully support PSW’s and their struggles which they consistently face.
Sharon Stanley
Sharon is originally from Trinidad & Tobago migrating to Canada in 1974. Sharon has held many roles throughout her working career in Toronto….working for organizations like North York General Hospital, Royal Trust and OMERS. While working Sharon completed her Business Administration Diploma at Ryerson University and continued to the Canadian Institute of Management to further her career.
Sharon is a highly respected and accomplished Finance Lead. As the Finance Coordinator of the SWLHIN, she championed process improvement and fosters standards in the organization. At SWLHIN, Sharon has continued to drive better team processes and outcomes, including leading many aspects of supporting team and Union Membership. Of note, she is a Stewart Representative for the local Union including Health & Safety, Union/Management, Negotiations and Pay Equity Committees. She also was elected in the Union to the Ontario level representing the Racial Justice Committee and the Ontario Women’s Committee.
She was also appointed to the National Level as a Representative on the Rainbow Committee. Within the organization, Sharon is part of an Advisory group for the Internal Staff Culture Council and Ontario Health’s Black Community of Inclusion. The latter fosters a comprehensive look at Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism framework. Sharon’s interest in Indigenous issues led her to take the ICS or Indigenous Culture Safety Program. Her commitment to bridging gaps is rooted in actively listening; engaging and educating to help us better recognize and address anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism.
Yolanda McLean is CUPE Ontario’s 2nd Vice-President, Equity Vice-President for CUPE 4400 (representing 13,000 Toronto Education Workers), and President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Canada.
Dr. Jill Andrew is the MPP for Toronto-St. Paul’s and the first Queer and Black person to sit in the Ontario Legislature, and reportedly any legislature across Canada. She is also the Women’s Issues, and Heritage and Culture critic for the Official Opposition. She is also a founding member of the Ontario NDP Black Caucus, a first of its kind in Ontario’s history.
Aubrey Gonsalves is the President of CUPE Local 2316, representing bargaining unit workers at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. Aubrey received his B.A and B.S.W from York University and began work at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, as a Family Service Worker. Aubrey is also one of three elected representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario Social Service Workers’ Coordinating Committee, addressing, raising and resolving the issues, concerns and challenges faced by Children’s Aid workers and unions across the province.
Peter Stapper—CUPE Ontario Executive Board Member: Representative, Workers with Disabilities
Yasmeen Mirza—CUPE Ontario Executive Board Member: Representative, Women
Fred Hahn—CUPE Ontario President
Dawn Bellerose, CUPE Ontario Executive Board Member, Indigenous Workers Representative, CUPE Ontario Human Rights Chair, Member of Thessalon First Nation
Dana Wesley is a member of Moose Cree First Nation and was raised in her home territory. She has lived in southern Ontario for many years and most recently has made Ottawa her home. She currently holds the position of Senior Officer (Indigenous Issues) at CUPE’s National Office in the Human Rights Department.
Suze Morrison is the NDP Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre. MPP Morrison is the official opposition critic for tenant rights, urban Indigenous issues, and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. She has overcome significant adversity to get to where she is today. Poverty, precarious housing, and learning how to understand her identity as a woman with mixed settler and Indigenous heritage are all critical parts of how she looks at policy from a progressive and intersectional lens. MPP Morrison lives in Toronto Centre with her husband Trevor and their dog Nova. When she’s not working for her community at Queen’s Park, she is an avid motorsports enthusiast and spends her free time competing in autocross events.
Skyler Williams is a Mohawk, Wolf Clan member of Six Nations Of The Grand River, who is an activist and Ironworker. Skyler has received national media attention as the spokesperson for 1492 Land Back Lane – the site of an ongoing struggle to protect traditional territory from a planned housing development. Skyler is driven by the need to protect this Haudenosaunee territory for future generations, even while facing threats by political leaders, police, and developers.
Joanne Webb is a retired CUPE member and community activist from Hamilton. Joanne was involved with CUPE from 1985 until her retirement in 2016, serving in various roles with CUPE Ontario, including as the Aboriginal Representative on the Ontario Executive Board. Joanne was an active member of CUPE Local 4800, Local 794, and Local 7800, holding various positions within the local. Joanne was active in the Hamilton and District CUPE Council and the Hamilton and District Labour Council. Joanne was the Aboriginal Vice President at the Ontario Federation of Labour.
Daniel Stevens, Alternate VP for the OFL FNMI Circle, Citizen of Nipissing First Nation of Anishinabek descent, and Member of OSSTF.
Lindsey Bacigal is a Chickasaw, Polish and Irish Indigiqueer. She was born and raised in Michigan, but now lives on Anishinaabe territory in Ottawa, Ontario.
Lindsey comes from a working-class family and was not raised around activism, so her activist journey didn’t begin until her secondary education. Attending a primarily white, Catholic institution presented itself with many opportunities to work against conservative values and through this, Lindsey became an outspoken advocate for the rights of structurally oppressed groups. Following her graduation, Lindsey then earned a Master’s in Gender, Globalisation and Rights from the University of Ireland, Galway. Her final thesis explored the intersections between gender-based environmental violence, Indigenous women, colonialism, and human rights.
Lindsey then moved to so-called Canada, beginning work as the Communications Coordinator at Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada and becoming heavily involved with the climate justice movement. She is now the Communications Director at Indigenous Climate Action.
Liisa Schofield, OCAP Organizer
Debra Maxfield, Chair of the CUPE Ontario Health Care Workers Coordinating Committee
Debra Maxfield is the Chair of the CUPE Ontario Health Care Workers Coordinating Committee and member of CUPE Local 2557. Debra was first elected as her local’s Recording Secretary in 2006 and she remained in that role until 2013 when she became President of the local. Debra previously served as the Area 1 Representative for HCWCC beginning in 2010. Debra works in long-term care, where she began as a personal support worker, and has now transitioned into recreation and leisure.
Carrie Lynn Poole-Cotnam, Chair of the CUPE Ontario Social Services Sector
Carrie Lynn Poole-Cotnam is Chair of the CUPE Ontario Social Services Sector. Carrie Lynn is the Treasurer of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the 2017 Olivia Chow Child Care Champion Award winner. Carrie Lynn comes from Ottawa and is a proud CUPE 503 member where she serves as the Treasurer.
Candace Rennick, CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer
Born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Candace Rennick has been a member of CUPE since she began working at a local Long-Term Care facility when she was 16 years old.
Becoming a local union steward and bargaining committee member at the age of 19, Candace was elected the President of CUPE Local 2280 at 22, a position she held for seven years. Candace was first elected to the CUPE Ontario Executive Board in 2002, where she served four terms as a Vice-President.
In 2010, Candace made history when she was elected Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Ontario, the province’s largest union, becoming the first woman and the youngest person ever elected to the position.
Candace is also a Regional Vice-President on the CUPE National Executive Board, a position she has held since 2003. During her time on the CUPE National Executive Board, Candace has served on a number of national committees, as well as representing CUPE internationally with the union’s global partner, the Public Services International.
Florence Mwangi, Personal Support Worker & CUPE Member
Florence has been employed as a personal support worker working in long-term care for the City of Toronto for over 10 years. She is an executive board member of CUPE Local 79. She takes pride in caring for her residents and making their days more enjoyable and livable.
Sharleen Stewart, President SEIU Healthcare
The eldest of six siblings, Sharleen Stewart grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She credits her mother for inspiring her to be strong and independent and her father for teaching her the importance of love and respect.
Dating back to the start of her career as a frontline hospital worker, Sharleen has always been an activist. Never one to shy away from what she believes in, she has spent decades amplifying the voices of healthcare workers and advocating for equality, respect and dignity. She knows that hard work should be rewarded fairly and equally, regardless of gender, race and beliefs.
Sharleen’s ability to mediate and find common ground is at the core of her solution-based personality. She sees herself as someone who supports people to get where they need to be. These are just a few of the qualities that led to her becoming the first woman elected as SEIU Healthcare President in 2003.
As SEIU International Vice-President, Sharleen is the first Canadian woman to sit on the SEIU International Executive Board. She is also the first SEIU woman to sit on the Canadian Labour Congress Executive Committee.
A proud Métis, Sharleen is humbled and honoured to represent SEIU Healthcare’s 60,000 members. She believes being a leader in the labour movement was what she was born to do.
As a mother and grandmother, Sharleen understands the importance of creating innovative and sustainable solutions that not only benefit today’s workers, but future generations as well.
Through hard work and innovation, Sharleen envisions SEIU Healthcare as a 21st century, solution-based union; a union that all members know makes their lives better; a union that teaches employers and governments that the labour movement is a valued partner, not an opponent.
Jackie Esmond, CUPE Lawyer
Jackie Esmonde is a CUPE lawyer. Prior to joining CUPE she practiced public interest law. Her inquiry and Commission experience includes the Ipperwash Inquiry, the Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Alessandro Presenza
Alessandro Presenza is a Human Rights student and advocate, a paralegal student, an advocate for the deaf community, an event-planner and a former missionary of 20 years to the Christian faith.
Alessandro’s dad died this spring. The last time he was allowed to see him before he was inhumanely cut off, was when the Home wouldn’t let family in anymore.
His dad was fine before this BUT after the eleventh day an R.N. told his “ he “went into depression from not seeing you guys”. He was told that his dad was eating less on the days leading up to the 10th day when he stopped eating altogether. Within two days of this he died.
“We were all devasted. This nightmare has changed their lives forever. He did NOT die of Covid-19. He gave up! He didn’t see us anymore. He went into depression. My dad died alone, confused, heartbroken. These measures are killing our loved ones. He speaks for hundreds of families. They have a social media presence now that is advocating for seniors.
Dawn Bellerose, CUPE Ontario Executive Board Member, Indigenous Workers Representative, CUPE Ontario Human Rights Chair, Member of Thessalon First Nation
Kimalee Phillip, CUPE National Human Rights Representative
Sarah Jama, Community Organizer and Co-Founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario
Sarah Jama is a community organizer from Hamilton, Ontario. She is the co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO), an organization committed to building the political and community power of people with disabilities. She currently works at the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion as the Senior Program Coordinator. In her current role, she is building leadership curriculum for youth around organizing inside and outside political structures, to be disseminated locally at different schools.
Susan Gapka, CUPE Ontario Executive Board Member, Pink Triangle Representative
Susan Gapka is a dedicated campaigner for social justice highlighting her record on affordable housing, homelessness, mental health, harm reduction & lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans issues since coming out as a community leader more than 20 years ago.
As founder and chair of the Trans Lobby Group Susan helped lead a lengthy campaign to persuade the Minister of Health to fund Sex Reassignment Surgery for trans people in Ontario, helped change the Vital Statistics Act sex designation so that trans people’s legal documents more accurately reflect their lived identity, and amended the Ontario Human Rights Code to include ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’.
Susan has served on the Toronto Local Advisory Committee & as Toronto representative on the National Consumer Panel of the At Home/Chez Soi Research Demonstration Project, the Housing Component for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
She also served on the Board of Pride Toronto which hosted World Pride 2014 and is past Fierté Canada Pride’s Central Regional Director for Ontario.
Susan has been employed at The 519 since 2015 in the Education Department as an Education and Training facilitator. She was elected to CUPE Ontario Pink Triangle Committee in December 2017 and appointed to CUPE National Pink Triangle Committee in January 2018. In December 2018 Susan was elected to CUPE Ontario Women’s Committee. In July 2019 Susan was appointed to CUPE Ontario Executive Board as their Pink Triangle representative.
Susan has a degree in Political Science from York University & a diploma in Community Work from George Brown College.
Michael Freeman, National Equity Representative for Persons with Disabilities
Accommodation:
https://cupe.ca/employer-obligations-returning-work-during-covid-19
H&S Practices:
https://cupe.ca/health-and-safety-practices-while-working-during-pandemic-all-sectors
Preventing exposure to COVID-19 – Sector-specific resources
Bargaining:
Bargaining Equality: Health and safety
COVID Made Simple:
https://www.covid19madesimple.ca/
Toronto Prisoners Rights Project:
https://www.torontoprisonersrightsproject.org/
Scarborough Mutual Aid Organization:
https://linktr.ee/scarboroughmutualaid
Not Another Black Life Toronto:
https://twitter.com/notanotherblk
https://www.instagram.com/notanotherblacklife/
https://www.facebook.com/notanotherblacklife/
Black Lives Matter Toronto:
https://blacklivesmatter.ca/
Yolanda McClean, CBTU Canada President and CUPE Ontario Second Vice-President
A champion in the fight for equality, Yolanda McClean the is CUPE National’s Diversity Vice-President and is the 2nd Vice President for CUPE Ontario. She is a progressive voice for change in CUPE, the labour movement and the community.
Yolanda is the president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist, providing a strong voice for black worker within the trade union movement and challenging organized labour to be more relevant to the needs and aspirations of black workers.
As Equity Vice- President for CUPE 4400 (representing 13,000 Toronto Education Workers), Yolanda has firsthand experience with struggles of workers-particularly part-timers- for better wages and benefits, good working conditions and strong public services.
Brittany Nisbett, CUPE Ontario Executive Board Member and CUPE 2977 Recording Secretary
Brittany Nisbett is a Member at Large for CUPE Ontario and is the Co Chair for the CUPE Ontario Health and Safety committee. She is also the Recording Secretary for CUPE Local 2977, a position she has held since 2016. Brittany is passionate about helping others, it is this passion that drives her to be an activist within CUPE. Brittany comes from the Niagara Region where she works a Developmental Support Services Worker.
Kaitlyn Gonsalves, MHSc (C) HBSc, CUPE 3902 Member, Master of Health Science Candidate, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto
Kaitlyn Gonsalves strives for insightful and nuanced discussions surrounding complex healthcare problems. She fiercely advocates for racialized patients to keep them at the core of health-care solutions, while championing for patient advocacy within racialized underserved communities. She passionately advocates for vulnerable communities to have equal and equitable access to healthcare. She is always expanding her knowledge of social determinants of health and new learnings under prison and police abolitionists movements, with a lens on understanding the nuanced intersections of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, and inequity. She is focused on the right to health for all. Kaitlyn has expertise in neuroscience, psychology, public health, and knowledge translation and implementation in healthcare. Kaitlyn holds a Hon. B.Sc. in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour from McMaster University. Kaitlyn is a Master of Health Science Candidate in Translational Research in Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, at University of Toronto and she is a member of CUPE 3902.
Tanya Williams, CUPE 1156 Member, University Health Network Worker
Tanya Williams has worked in the healthcare sector for over 20 years and knows firsthand what it means to be a frontline worker.
Her employment history includes both acute and complex medical/long-term care facilities.
She is an advocate for injured workers rights, women’s rights and gender equality to mention a few for over a decade.
She recently lobbied and worked with others to increase protections for healthcare workers including changing laws to protect healthcare workers from violence.
Aside from her activism and being a frontline worker, she is a mother to a wonderful 10-year-old boy and enjoys spending as much time with him and she does advocating for others.
Paul Sylvestre, CUPE Health & Safety Representative
Paul Sylvestre is a servicing representative with the Health and Safety branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). He advocates on behalf of CUPE members from the workplace sectors of Health Care, Social Services, Municipal, School Boards and Post-Secondary. He has gained knowledge of the issues directly from workers in various public and private sector workplaces across southern Ontario through his many years as an activist and as an instructor. His passion lies in consensus building among stakeholders towards bettering health and safety conditions for everyone in the workplace. He currently works out of CUPE’s regional office in Markham, Ontario.
Laura Walton, President of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions
Carrie Lynn Poole-Cotnam, Chair of the CUPE Ontario Social Services Sector.
Carrie Lynn Poole-Cotnam is Chair of the CUPE Ontario Social Services Sector. Carrie Lynn is the Treasurer of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the 2017 Olivia Chow Child Care Champion Award winner. Carrie Lynn comes from Ottawa and is a proud CUPE 503 member where she serves as the Treasurer.
Nigel Barriffe, Elementary Teachers of Toronto Executive Officer
A community organizer, elementary teacher and executive officer with the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, Nigel is a Board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, Board Chair of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, and a member of the Good Jobs For All Coalition. Nigel’s activist work focuses on quality public education, good green jobs, and a more just society for all inside and outside the classroom.
Carolyn Ferns, Public Policy Coordinator at the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care.
Carolyn Ferns is the Public Policy Coordinator at the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care. Carolyn has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Early Childhood Studies. She is a member of the Board of Directors of both Child Care Now and the Childcare Resource and Research Unit. Carolyn is a child care representative on the CUPE Social Services Coordinating Committee, sits on the CUPE National Child Care Working Group and is a member of CUPE 2484.
Doly Begum, Ontario NDP Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough Southwest.
Doly Begum is the Ontario NDP Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough Southwest. She moved to Canada as a child with her parents and younger brother, and has lived in Scarborough most of her life.
Doly was the chief coordinator of the province-wide Keep Hydro Public campaign that successfully stopped the privatization of Toronto Hydro and Wasaga Distribution. She is the former Co-Chair of the Scarborough Health Coalition and Vice-Chair of Warden Woods Community Centre, where she worked hard to make lives better for the people of Scarborough.
Doly is a graduate of the University of Toronto and has a Masters in Development, Administration & Planning from University College London. She was elected to the Ontario Legislature in June 2018 and is the first Canadian of Bangladeshi origin to hold elected office at any level in Canada. At Queen’s Park, Doly is the Official Opposition Critic for Early Learning and Childcare and also serves as Deputy Whip.
Romana Siddiqui, Ontario Parents Action Network
Born and raised in Toronto to Pakistani immigrants, I am now a soccer mom to three youth athletes. I grew up in North York and completed my undergraduate degree at York University in Political Science. Due to my husband’s work, our family has lived in Kingston ON and London ON before settling down in Mississauga. I have been involved in school council for the past few years and more recently in community advocacy. I am passionate about social justice issues and speaking truth to power. Having been a stay at home parent for many years, I am finding my way in how to best use my voice to speak out about issues that affect my community.
