Meet Your 2023-2024 Urban Operations Bargaining Committee

For the 2023 – 2024 round of negotiations, the National Executive Board has appointed the Urban Operations Negotiation Committee. Four members will be joining Lead Negotiator, Sister Lana Smidt. They will be a strong committee, bringing decades of experience to the table.

Gisèle Miller

Gisèle, who is fully bilingual, has been a Union Representative for the Ontario Region for 6 years. She has an extensive knowledge of grievances, having worked in that environment for many years. She began her career at Canada Post nearly 25 years ago, in Hamilton, as a Group 1 employee. She later changed classifications and groups when she became a letter carrier. As such, she is very knowledgeable about the work CUPW members do. She has held several union positions, taken part in consultations with management, and defended grievances before the employer and in arbitration for Urban and RSMC units.

Gisèle is a highly organized individual, comes well prepared and will go to the wall to defend the rights of members in her region. Gisèle is very enthusiastic and ready to roll up her sleeves during the 2023-2024 negotiations.

Anny Lesage

Anny was hired by Canada Post in 1997 and became involved in the Union towards the end of the 2000s. In 2011, she was elected for the first time as Union Representative for the Metro-Montreal Region. She served two terms in that capacity, before being elected as Regional Grievance Officer in 2019. She is well versed in grievances. Some talents that make Anny particularly suited for her new position are her research skills, her excellent communication skills and her ability to build a solid case for arguing grievances successfully.

Anny is known for her level-headedness and discretion. She takes her time to consider the consequences and tries to make sure she’s got all angles covered.  She is very diplomatic and is a problem-solver. She looks forward to fighting for CUPW members at the National Bargaining Table.

Jim Gallant

Hired by Canada Post 35 years ago, Jim has held positions with the Atlantic Regional office for the past 15 years, 13 as Regional Grievance Officer. With more than a dozen rounds of private sector negotiations under his belt, Jim brings a solid background in bargaining and is comfortable with the process: from demands to final collective agreement. As well as having a thorough knowledge of the collective agreement, Jim is constantly preparing for and arguing cases at formal and regular arbitration for all groups and classifications in the Urban agreement, along with other agreements. Jim’s knowledge of the collective agreement, the problems we are having currently with employer violations, long-suffering problems and the detail needed to be successful at arbitration will be helpful.

Jim has 20 years on the work floor in Halifax, working in all job classifications in both Groups 1 and 2. Having gone to college for a trade, Jim also has a keen interest in Groups 3 and 4 and has represented and arbitrated for members in those groups for many years. Jim’s decades of knowledge and experience will be an asset at the bargaining table.

Jordan Forde

Jordan has been working at the Gateway Postal Facility in Mississauga, Canada Post’s second largest processing centre, for over 12 years. He has been a shop steward for 7 years and was elected as an executive lead steward for two consecutive terms. He has conducted many grievance investigations and hearings as well as representing members in Human Rights cases. He has also participated in many staffing consultations and has ensured that regular positions were protected at Gateway. In his current role as a Regional Union Representative, Jordan prepares grievances and participates in successfully representing the Union in both regular and formal arbitrations against CPC.

He was Chair of the Toronto Local Youth Committee for four years and is determined to recruit younger members into the Union. He understands the importance of organizing and mobilizing to ensure that our voices are heard in the years to come.

In addition to Jordan’s diverse experience, Jordan holds an Honours degree in Legal Studies, has participated in trials, is highly familiar with legal proceedings. Jordan’s wide-ranging experience, passion for and commitment to workers’ rights will serve the committee well.

Congratulations on their appointments to the Committee!

Please do all you can to support the Negotiating Committee in their work. Attend ratification meetings for the program of demands. Support National or local actions to let the employer know that you support your Negotiating Committee and the members’ demands. 

In Solidarity!