Union of National Employees elects first Black Women to National Executive

September 8, 2023

For the first time in its history, the Union of National Employees (UNE) – representing nearly 24,000 workers in workplaces across the country – has elected two Black women to its national leadership team.

Alisha Campbell, a Parks Canada member, was elected National President, and Hayley Millington, from Employment and Social Development Canada’s Learning Branch, was elected National Executive Vice-President at UNE’s National Triennial Convention, held August 21-25 in Toronto.

“This is the dawn of a new era for UNE members and the Labour movement at large,” said Campbell. “The future is bright, and our members led the charge. I am a Black and Cherokee francophone woman, and a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. I am pansexual and a person with disabilities, and I’m here to represent all members.”

Campbell and Millington bring a lot of activist experience to their roles on the UNE’s National Executive. Millington was the National Equity Representative for Women, National Equity Representative for racialized persons, Assistant Human Rights Vice-President and held numerous terms in her Local as a Local Human Rights representative.

“What we have achieved here today is truly historic,” said Millington. “Members voted for this, and together, workers made history.”

“I am a black, single mother of a son, Malachi, and I know all too well that sense of being excluded, of not being able to have a voice in spaces where decisions are made. We are ready to place the needs of all our members at the centre of our decision-making.”

Campbell and Millington will connect with as many members as possible to build a strong base. As agents of change, we foresee new ways forward through a review of our structure as voted in by members. We have a clear mandate to invest in our young workers and all members, and this aligns with UNE’s core belief of unity in diversity.

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Media inquiries:

UNE media relations team
613-298-7892

The Union of National Employees is a component union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, representing members working in 70 different workplaces in the public, private and non-profit sectors, in all corners of our great country and around the world.

We are teachers and mechanics, librarians and foreign service officers, plumbers and researchers, clerical workers and program administrators, passport officers and investigators —and more.

Convention Day Three – Human Rights at the forefront on the Convention Floor!

August 24, 2023

After the first Credentials Committee report, delegates got right back to business with the Finance Committee. The following resolutions were presented, debated and voted on:

  • FIN 1 – Removal of UNE Local Financial Review or Audit for calendar year end
  • FIN 2 – Modification to Policy FIN 1

    Delegates listened to a fantastic panel monitored by the 2023 Convention Chair Sharon De Sousa on health and safety in the workplace with panelists Uppala Chandresekara, Director of Public Health at Toronto Public Health, Fatima Gardaad, National Coordinator on Anti-Racism and Human Rights at the Canadian Labour Congress, and Andrea Peart, National Health and Safety Officer with the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

It was back to Convention proceedings for the first part of the afternoon with the Bylaws & Constitution Resolutions Committee and the General Resolutions Committee. Four resolutions were debated and voted on:

  • CS 10 – Relocation of Full Time National President and Vice-President
  • CS 4 – Increase Number of Allotted Delegates to UNE Triennial Conventions
  • Amended CS 7 – Structural Review of UNE
  • GEN 17 – Search the Landfill

    GEN 17 was an emergency resolution about launching national Search the Landfill campaign by the UNE Human Rights Committee. As stated in the resolution’s rationale, “[i]ndigenous women and girls are not disposable and deserve dignity, and the families deserve closure.” The resolution passed unanimously.

The all-candidates debate took place in the second part of the afternoon to allow delegates to discover the respective candidates’ platforms for tomorrow’s national elections.

Convention Day Two – We Have a Budget!

The Credentials Committee reported first thing in the morning that we have 180 delegates at this year’s Triennial Convention. After some administrative announcements, it was right back to business with the Finance Committee and a lively debate on the budget. Delegates got behind all the work done and passed the budget with a strong showing of support.

Next, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee presented its report. Three resolutions were debated and voted on:

  • CS 2 – The National Vice-President for Human Rights
  • CS 1 – Statement of Duties – National Vice-President for Occupational Health and Safety
  • CS 3 – Abolishment of Term Limits in 2026

Resolutions CS 2 and CS 1 passed, while CS 3 was defeated.

Following lunch, Larry Rousseau, CLC Executive Vice-President, gave the Convention a passionate speech that energized the delegates and left them singing in the hall.

The General Resolutions Committee were next up and dealt with three resolutions in the afternoon:

  • Composite GEN 7A – PSAC – Strike Pay
  • GEN 3 – UNE National Youth Conference – Each Cycle
  • GEN 12 – PSAC and any Canadian Labour Congress Sanctioned Education Event

All three resolutions were passed by the Convention Floor.

We hope all the delegates had a great time in the evening at the Royal Ontario Museum!

Are you Ready for Convention?

With Convention just a few days away, we hope you have your travel booked, your suitcase dug out of the attic and your devices charged and ready to go. Hopefully you have time to cut the lawn one more time too.

We are pleased to let you know that all Convention documents are now available on the UNE website at https://en.unesen.ca/events/convention/Binder.php

In preparation for next week, we highly recommend you go through the documents so you are ready to go from the outset.

Convention Information

This section includes important information on subjects such as the Convention agenda, UNE’s Attendance Policy, Environmental Sensitivities Policy, Statement on Harassment and some nice light reading on the Acronyms used by our Union. We also have a policy about bringing in outside food. Some members life threatening allergic reactions to scents and some foods, so please read this section carefully.

Convention Procedures

Documents that outline the rules and procedures for Convention, such as the PSAC Rules of Order, Tiling Guidelines and the PSAC Constitution are also available on the website. We encourage you to read them in advance. Be sure to join us on Sunday for Delegate training for a “Convention 101” presentation where you will have the opportunity to find answers to your questions.

Reports and Accompanying Documents

During Convention business, delegates will be presented with resolutions from the reports of the three Convention Committees. The reports are available on the website for you to look at in advance.

We can’t wait to see you in Toronto! If you have any last minute questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at events@une-sen.org.

In solidarity,

The UNE Events Team

Are You Ready for Convention?

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

All Convention documentation will be available and updated electronically on the UNE website. As such, you should bring your laptop and/or tablet to follow along when discussing resolutions and Convention business. Should you require an electronic device be provided to you, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Members who require a paper copy of Convention documents may make a request to be accommodated.

TRAVEL

You should plan to arrive at the Sheraton Center Hotel, in Toronto by the evening of Saturday August 19, 2023.

Delegates travelling by air are required to make their arrangements with WE Travel for all air travel bookings. The toll-free number for WE travel Ottawa is 1-888-676-7747 and WE Travel Vancouver is 1-800-663-4703. They have been instructed to have you travel to Toronto on Saturday, August 19, 2023. Your return flight should have you depart Toronto after 6 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023. Should you be unable to arrive home before 10 p.m. that evening, you can choose to stay overnight at the hotel and depart Saturday morning.
Should there be any requirement to modify air travel arrangements from the proposed schedule, such arrangements must be approved in advance by the UNE office. Please contact Suzanne Boucher at Suzanne.boucher@une-sen.org or at 613-560-4359 to coordinate your travel requirements.

If you are not traveling by air, in order to be reimbursed, delegates must keep all receipts for transportation such as taxis, buses, and parking.

**Delegates in the GTA using their personal automobile will be reimbursed for mileage and parking at the hotel.

ACCOMMODATION

Reservations will be made for you to arrive at the Sheraton Center Hotel, in Toronto on the evening of August 19, 2023 and depart the evening of August 25, 2023.

FAMILY CARE

The Union of National Employees reimburses family care expenses in an effort to encourage full participation in union activities by members whom, in light of their family responsibilities, may otherwise be unable to do so. When you send your expense claim, please provide a receipt signed by the person providing the service. The receipt must clearly indicate the hours and dates of service. Please see the Family Care Forms for further information.
In addition, on-site childcare will be provided during Convention activities. Please indicate whether you require on-site childcare when you register online or send the attached Family Care Form. Last-minute registrations may not be accommodated.

FINANCIAL ALLOWANCES

Delegates will be reimbursed travel costs in accordance with regular UNE Policy. With respect to accommodation, delegate accommodation will be prepaid by the component (room and tax only). Incidental expenses are the delegate’s responsibility.
During registration, you will receive an expense claim to be completed for all expenses and loss of salary. Please submit your claim for reimbursement to the UNE convention office at the hotel or mail the claim to the UNE office in Ottawa, following the convention.

USE OF YOUR PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION

As a delegate, you have the right and responsibility to make informed decisions on issues which will be presented to you, including the election of your UNE Officers. Similarly, members who run for elected office within the UNE (candidates) have the right and responsibility to communicate with convention delegates.
As a result, upon request, candidates are entitled to receive your personal contact information from the UNE. Personal contact information includes your name, address, phone number and email address. Your personal contact information will be shared on a need-to-know basis only. Therefore, candidates may only obtain personal contact information from members who are entitled to vote on the position for which they are seeking elected office (e.g. candidates who run for National positions, or candidates who run for Regional Vice-President in your region only). Candidates may only use this information to communicate with you about their candidacy. They are also required to safeguard your personal contact information in accordance with UNE Privacy policies (Refer to Policy CE1).

Should you have any further questions, please contact Suzanne Boucher at 613-560-4359 or by email at events@une-sen.org.

Deadline Extended for Convention Registration and Resolution Submission

Due to the current climate facing our Union, we understand many of our members are either on strike or working hard to achieve Local Conformance. As a result, UNE has extended the deadline for Convention Registration and submission of Resolutions.

The new deadline is Monday, May 15, 2023 at midnight EST.

Convention Registration

Members need to submit their credential forms, minutes showing their election, Local finances and complete the online registration. Full details are in the callout on the website here.

Resolutions

Members should submit their resolutions and supporting documentation electronically on our website. You can find all the details here.

Click here to visit the Convention section of the website.

If you have any questions, please contact the UNE Events team at events@une-sen.org

Reminder! Submit Your Resolutions Today!

This is a reminder to all UNE members that we are less than three weeks away from the deadline to submit resolutions. The Convention Committees, where resolutions will be discussed, are scheduled to take place in Ottawa June 12-15.

How Can You Get Your Resolutions To Us?

Option 1

Locals should appoint a Convention resolutions committee; these are normally made up of three to five members. Some Locals may prefer to appoint a committee for each resolution topic: constitution and bylaws, finance, and general resolutions. Your Local should issue a notice asking members to submit resolutions to your Convention resolutions committee. Allow plenty of time for the committee to prepare a report. Members of the committee should also be encouraged to submit their own resolutions. Each committee’s report and additional resolutions should be presented during a general membership meeting. This meeting should provide ample time to debate resolutions before members cast a vote.

Option 2

Any member in good standing can submit a resolution to Convention by having it co-signed by five other members in good standing.

Submit Your Resolution Online

You should submit your resolutions electronically on our website. Completing this process significantly reduces the time required to prepare resolutions for committee review in June.

Submit Supporting Documentation

The resolutions you submit online must also be supported by signed minutes verifying that the resolution was adopted during a general membership meeting. You can download the resolution template on our Convention page here.

Please send scanned versions of these hard copies to the attention of Ateau Zola by email at resolutions@une-sen.org.

You can also submit by fax at 613-560-4208, or by mail at: Union of National Employees 900-150 Isabella St. Ottawa (ON) K1S 1V7.

Resolutions received after April 21, 2023 will be deemed late and will be dealt with after all other resolutions.

Questions about resolutions?

Please contact Ateau Zola at resolutions@une-sen.org or at 613-560-4343 or 1-800-663-6685.

Call for Nominations

Our union owes a great debt to countless members who put themselves forward and run as candidates for elected positions. Whether at the national, regional or local level, these individuals offer an invaluable service to their members.

During Convention, we will hold elections for the following positions:

• National President
• National Executive Vice-President
• National Vice-President for Human Rights
• Assistant National Vice-President for Human Rights
• Regional Vice-Presidents
• Assistant Regional Vice-Presidents
• Regional Human Rights Representatives
• Alternate Regional Human Rights Representatives
• Delegates and alternates to the PSAC Convention

Any member in good standing may run for any of these positions, whether or not they attend Convention. The nomination form is available on the website. If you wish to run for a position, please ensure that your form is sent to the attention of Ateau Zola.

Your form can be mailed, faxed or emailed no later than 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday September 15, 2021.

900-150 Isabella Street
Ottawa (ON) K1S 1V7
Fax: 613-560-4208
Email: ateau.zola@une-sen.org
Subject line: Nomination for Elected UNE Position

Nominations may also take place on the Convention floor for national positions and in the regional caucuses for any of the other positions. The forms are not required for delegates running from the floor.

If you are considering running for office, you should have a clear and complete understanding of our Policy FIN 9, which will give you all the important details about campaign spending limits and ethical considerations. All candidates must provide a written report of all expenses, even if no expenses are incurred.

Delegates are entitled to make informed decisions on issues which will be presented to them, including the election of UNE officers. Similarly, members who run for elected office within the UNE have the right and responsibility to communicate with Convention delegates. As a result, upon request, candidates are entitled to receive delegate personal contact information. Personal contact information includes name, address, phone number and email address. The personal contact information of delegates will be shared on a need-to-know basis only. Therefore, candidates may only obtain personal contact information on members who are entitled to vote on the position for which they are seeking elected office. Candidates may only use this information to communicate with delegates about their candidacy. They are also required to safeguard all personal contact information as required by our privacy policies. Any improper disclosure of this information or violation of this policy will be treated seriously and may result in discipline.