As Grievance Officer for the 2021–22 term, I would bring Grievance Committee experience, strong connections to the membership, and a political commitment to building power and solidarity with members across units and campuses, and with all other UofT workers!
I am in the third year of my PhD in the Department of Political Science. I have been at this university for over ten years as a student (undergraduate and graduate), USW 1998 casual member, and CUPE 3902 Unit 1 member. While I began union involvement with an experienced perspective on the university, my years serving as the Unit 1 social science steward on the Grievance Committee (2019-21) have been eye-opening. Members in all units regularly face unacceptable treatment by their bosses in the course of their work on all three campuses: discrimination in hiring, overwork, harassment, unsafe work environments, and so on. As Grievance Officer I will continue the important work the Grievance Committee does with our fantastic staff to represent and seek redress for our members.
Each harm we see at Grievance Committee is a part of a bigger story. While we may feel alone in our experiences (and even blame ourselves for them) the issues we face in our work are common and we can do something about them. The Grievance Committee has an important role to play in making this a high-participation local by working with members, stewards, and other committees to proactively identify problems in our workplaces and strategize to make this a better place to work—whether in-person or online.
I have been a departmental steward since 2018 and an active rank-and-file member, including sitting on the Bargaining Support Committee and Pickets Committee in this most recent round of bargaining. As Grievance Officer, I intend to remain an active and accessible member making connections across departments, units, and campuses, and to continue taking trainings to build my organizing skills.
While the size of the employer, and a perpetually hostile government, can seem intimidating as a worker, I know that we have advantages that our friends and neighbors in other workplaces deserve but could only dream of. As a local, we’ve built up our numbers, experience, and knowledge over decades through members taking action. We should use all the resources at our disposal to win more power over our working lives and be a pillar of support for our broader community’s struggles for justice. I hope to work with you towards this vision as your Grievance Officer.