Blog Posts

Heather Bouley – laying the Remembrance Day wreath for COPE Local 96

Heather – thank you for all you do and continue to do for your country and union

Annette Toth, President of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), has released this statement in response to the Government of Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause to attack the rights of teachers and to end the teachers’ strike. COPE represents tens of thousands of union workers in both the public and private sector across Canada:

COPE strongly condemns the Government of Alberta and Premier Danielle
Smith’s assault on the rights of the striking teachers in Alberta by invoking
the notwithstanding clause to force teachers back to work.

No matter how the Government of Alberta attempts to frame it, this is
nothing but an attack on the fundamental rights of teachers who are
exercising their rights as workers and doing their part to defend public
education and students in Alberta by asking the government to address
critical issues that are affecting the educational experience, including
class sizes and the need for student support.

By taking this action, the Government of Alberta is also showing they have
little regard for workers’ rights in general and would be willing to use this
method to attack workers and union members in any sector as they see fit.

Our union, and our tens of thousands of members across the country,
stands in solidarity with the teachers in Alberta, and with the Alberta
Teachers’ Association, in their continued efforts to defend public
education and workers’ rights in the face of a government that has shown
little regard for either.

 

 

Déclaration de la présidente du SEPB, Annette Toth, sur les actes brisegrève du gouvernement de l’Alberta

Annette Toth, présidente du Syndicat canadien des employé.es
professionnel.les et de bureau (SEPB), a publié cette déclaration en réponse à
l’utilisation par le gouvernement de l’Alberta de la clause dérogatoire pour
attaquer les droits des enseignant.es et mettre fin à leur grève. Le SEPB
représente des dizaines de milliers de travailleur.ses syndiqué.es des secteurs
public et privé à travers le Canada :

Le SEPB condamne fermement l’atteinte portée par le gouvernement de
l’Alberta et la première ministre Danielle Smith aux droits des
enseignant.es en grève en Alberta en invoquant la clause dérogatoire pour
les forcer à reprendre le travail.

Peu importe la façon dont le gouvernement de l’Alberta tente de présenter
les choses, il ne s’agit là que d’une atteinte aux droits fondamentaux des
enseignant.es qui exercent leurs droits en tant que travailleur.ses et font
leur part pour défendre l’éducation publique et les élèves en Alberta en
demandant au gouvernement de s’attaquer aux problèmes critiques qui
affectent l’expérience éducative, notamment la taille des classes et le
besoin de soutien aux élèves.

En prenant cette mesure, le gouvernement de l’Alberta montre également
qu’il accorde peu d’importance aux droits des travailleur.ses en général et
qu’il serait prêt à utiliser cette méthode pour s’en prendre aux
travailleur.ses et aux membres des syndicats de n’importe quel secteur,
s’il le jugeait opportun.

Notre syndicat et nos dizaines de milliers de membres à travers le pays
sont solidaires avec les enseignant.es de l’Alberta et de l’Association des
enseignant.es de l’Alberta dans leurs efforts continus pour défendre
l’éducation publique et les droits des travailleur.ses face à un
gouvernement qui n’a montré que peu de considération pour l’un ou
l’autre.

Candidate Bio: Keri Taylor– Running for Vice President, COPE Union
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Hi everyone,
My name is Keri, and I’m running for Vice President of our COPE Union. I’m a Clerk 3 in the Emergency Department, where our team keeps things running around the clock. Although I’ve been at Thunder Bay Regional for about a year, I bring over 20 years of experience working in healthcare. That time has shown me how essential teamwork, communication, and trust are to providing the best care and supporting one another in a demanding environment
I’m running because I want to help create meaningful change within our union — to make it more member-driven, transparent, and connected. I believe every member should have a voice, and that we make the best decisions when everyone feels heard and involved.
I also bring a long history of union involvement from previous workplaces. Over the years, I’ve served as a steward, a communications officer, health and safety rep, and have always been an active, engaged member. I’ve helped organize large groups to unionize and successfully vote in union representation, even when the odds weren’t in our favor. Beyond the workplace, I’ve also been deeply involved in political activism, advocating for workers’ rights and fairness at every level.

If elected Vice President, my priorities will be to:
✅ Strengthen team cohesion across all departments — we’re stronger when we support each other.
✅ Keep member input front and center in contract negotiations and decision-making.
✅ Improve communication and transparency, so no one feels left out or unheard.
✅ Boost meeting attendance and engagement, making our gatherings more welcoming, relevant, and meaningful.
✅ Stay accessible and approachable, especially as someone working in a 24-hour department who understands our daily challenges.

This isn’t just about me — it’s about all of us working together. That’s why I’m proud to be running alongside Justyna for Secretary and Teeje for Sergeant-at-Arms. Together, we’re taking a team approach to building a stronger, more united union that truly reflects the needs and values of its members.

Let’s work together to make our union what it’s meant to be — by the members, for the members — and to prosper together as a forward-thinking, progressive team.
If you’d like more information, have questions, or want to share your ideas, please feel free to reach out to myself, Justyna, or Teeje — we’d be happy to chat, listen, and even meet in person. Your input matters, and we want to hear from you.
Vote Keri Taylor for Vice President — Experienced. Accessible. Member-Driven.

If I’m the successful candidate for the Vice President position at Thunder Bay Regional, my vision is to bring transparency, increased communication, education on union processes and building a strong sense of community between our members.

Though I have not held a position on the Executive prior, I have had the honor of representing us at the negotiation table during the last contract. It was a great experience and an inside look at it means to write a contract, negotiation tactics and sit across from Human Resources to represent you, represent us.

I commit completely to educating myself on all things related to the role so that I can confidently represent you to the best of my ability.

I strongly believe that communication is key. I promise to keep you informed on everything I know and everything I learn as well. The more adept we are at understanding our contract, laws, grievance process etc, the more we can confidently identify and address issues, or questions as they arise.

I want to meet with you. I want to hear your concerns and questions. I want us to build strength and community and be the voice we need.
*I worked in the Admitting/Registration for eleven years and have been in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab for eight years.
*I was a member of the Bargaining Committee at our last contract negotiation.
*I have completed steward training.
*I along with some of our other members represent Clerks/Cope at the Staff Advisory Committee.

Let’s build on what we have and keep the momentum going. I want to work together to build a strong, educated, collaborative and communicative team.

 

good day/evening everyone

 

last year we made changes to our Constitution and Bylaws – hoping to make things a little easier

 

FOR CANDIDATES:

Nominations opened on the third Tuesday of September, during the regular General Membership. Nominations will close at 4:00 pm the second Tuesday of October. You must submit your name, seconded by a member, stating your intention to run for office and which position you wish to run for to the COPE Local 96 email (cope96@tbaytel.net) and the Election Chair’s email (schampagne@copeontario.ca).

 

The nominee has the option to provide a brief outline and picture of themselves. The outline will be uploaded to the COPE Local 96 website. All nominations will be reviewed by the LRS, Treasurer and Sargent-at -Arms to confirm eligibility. The nominee will receive an email confirming their eligibility.

 

The positions up for Election, for 2-year terms, include:

• President
• Executive Vice President
• Treasurer
• Recording Secretary
• Sergeant-At-Arms
• Unit VP of Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre
• Unit VP of Lakehead University

 

FOR VOTERS:

COPE 96 Members wishing to vote in the election will be required to register to vote.

 

Registration will open on the third Tuesday of September during the regular General Membership meeting. Members who wish to vote must send an email with their current email address, to the COPE Local 96 email. (cope96@tbaytel.net) and the Election Chair’s email (schampagne@copeontario.ca).

 

A list/spreadsheet will be kept and will be available to the membership. Voting registration will close at 4:00 pm the second Tuesday of October – giving time for the LRS, Treasurer and Sargent-at-Arms to confirm eligibility. The election will be administered by COPE Ontario. An email will be sent to all registered member’s email addresses.

 

ELECTION DAY:

The election will take place on the first Tuesday of November. The voting will be open for 24 hours. The results will be sent to the Labour Relations Specialist (LRS) who will send an email to the current president to distribute to the membership.

The full set of bylaws concerning Local Elections has been included below for your reference. If you have any questions, please reach out to Steven Champagne, Election Chair, at schampagne@copeontario.ca.

ARTICLE 9 ELECTIONS

 

Section 1: It shall be the aim of the Union to elect to the Executive Board the most capable members of the various groups comprising the membership of the Union.

 

Section 2: The officers and members of the Executive Board and standing committees shall be elected by the membership and shall hold office for a term of two (2) years and be elected by the membership for the above term. (Election of the Unit Vice-Presidents and Unit Bargaining Chair (Northern Credit Union) as per Article 8, section 2 a)

 

Section 3: Nominations will open on the third Tuesday of September, during the regular General Membership meeting of each election year. Nominations will close at 4:00 pm the second Tuesday of October on the election year. You must submit your name, seconded by a member, stating your intention to run for office and which position you wish to run for. The nominee has the option to provide a brief outline and picture of themselves. The outline will be uploaded to the COPE Local 96 website. All nominations will be reviewed by the Treasurer and Sargent-at -Arms to confirm eligibility. The nominee will receive an email confirming their eligibility. Section 3a: COPE 96 Members wishing to vote in the election will be required to register to vote.

 

Registration will open on the third Tuesday of September during the regular General Membership meeting. Members who wish to vote must send an email with their current email address, to the COPE Local 96 email. A list/spreadsheet will be kept and will be available to the membership. Voting registration will close at 4:00 pm the second Tuesday of October – giving time for the Treasurer and Sargent-at-Arms to confirm eligibility. The election will be administered by COPE Ontario. An email will be sent to all registered member’s email addresses.

 

The election will take place on the first Tuesday of November. The voting will be open for 24 hours. The results will be sent to the Labour Relations Specialist (LRS) who will send an email to the current president to distribute to the membership.

 

Section 4: Inauguration shall take place after elections.

 

Section 5: No member of this Union shall be permitted to vote unless he/she is in good standing in the Union.

 

Section 6: a) No person shall be elected or appointed to an office in or as an Executive Board member of the Union unless they have been an active member of this Union in continuous good standing for at least the preceding twelve (12) months and has attended 50% of the past years general membership meetings except as provided in Article 8, Section 7.

 

NOTE FROM THE ELECTION CHAIR: As outlined in the September GMM where nominations were opened, the only exception to Section 6 a), as provided for under Article 8, Section 7, is if a member who does not meet the criteria outlined puts their name forward and there are no other members running who are eligible.

 

1. b) No person shall be elected or appointed President or Executive Vice President without serving at least one term on the executive.

 

Section 7: No member shall hold more than one of the offices specified in Article 7, Section 1 at one and the same time.

 

Section 8: The candidate(s) receiving the greatest number of votes cast for the respective offices shall be declared elected.

 

Section 9: No votes for any member who is not duly nominated and listed on the ballot may be counted by the Election Board. (No sticker or write-in candidates)

 

Section 10: No voting by proxy or mail ballot shall be allowed.

 

Section 11: All Officers and Executive Board members shall be inaugurated immediately following the election at the regular membership meeting of the Union. They shall assume the duties on the first day of the month (December) following the Elections. Before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, the newly elected officers shall subscribe to the following installation obligation:

 

“I,…………………, do hereby sincerely pledge my word and honour to perform the duties assigned to me in the Local Union Constitution and ByLaws, to the best of my ability and with complete good faith to support, advance and carry out all official policies of the Local Union and to promote a harassment and discrimination free environment. I will at all times devote my efforts to further the aims, objectives and best interest of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union. I will also surrender all books, papers, electronic data and other property of this Local Union in my possession to my successor in office”.

 

Remembrance Day is a time for us to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, reflecting on their courage and dedication to preserving the freedoms we hold dear. As we pause to remember, it is also a chance for us to come together as a country, united in gratitude and respect.

Remembrance Day offers a powerful reminder of the strength found in solidarity and shared values, encouraging us to build bridges and support one another in the pursuit of peace and unity for all Canadians.

Lest we forget

COPE Ontario celebrates Pride and supports 2SLGBTQI+ equality and justice! Show your support at an event later this month and throughout the summer.

• Thunder Pride (Various Events) – May 4 – June 23
• Pride Toronto (Various Events) – May 17- June 30
• Guelph Spring Pride – June 6-16
• Bay of Quinte Pride: Pride Parade & Pride in the Park – June 8
• Brockville Pride Parade – June 8
• Thunder Pride March – June 8
• West Nipissing Pride Parade – June 8
• West Nipissing Pride After party – June 8
• Kingston Pride Festival – June 8-16
• York Pride Sparkling Night – June 14
• Brantford Pride: Pride in the Park – June 15
• York Pride Parade – June 15
• York Parade & Pride on Riverwalk – June 15
• Senior Pride Toronto 2024: Be______ – June 15
• Thunder Pride – Rise Up Fest and Parade – June 15
• Owen Sound Pride Parade – June 17
• Kenora Pride March and BBQ – June 22
• Pride Toronto March: My First Pride – June 30
• Fenelon Falls Pride – July 12
• Collingwood Pride Festival ( Various Events) – July 12-13
• Pride London Festival – July 12-31
• Pride London Festival – Victoria Park – July 19-21
• Muskoka Pride Week – July 19-28
• Sault Pridefest – Roary Day Parade Float – July 20
• Sault Pridefest – Flag Raising & Pride Walk – July 21
• Sault Pridefest – Loud & Proud – July 21
• Pride London 28th Annual London Pride Parade – July 21
• 1000 Island River Pride – June 21-23
• Simcoe County: FSP’s 2023 Pride Season – July 24 – August 6
• Windsor-Essex Pride Festival – August 6-11
• Pride Manitoulin (Various Events) – August 9-11
• Hamilton: Strength with Pride – August 10
• Chatham-Kent (Various Events) – August 10-17
• Windsor-Essex Pride Parade – August 11
• Chatham-Kent Pride Flag Raising – August 12
• Chatham-Kent Pride Parade – August 17
• Minden Pride – August 22
• Ottawa: Capital Pride Parade – August 26
• Fierte Timmins Pride – September 9-15
• North Bay Pride Festival – September 11-15
• Peterborough – Nogojiwanong Pride Week 2024 (Various Events) – September 20-29
• Peterborough – Nogojiwanong Pride “Pride in the Park” – September 28
• Peterborough – Nogojiwanong Pride “The Pride March/Parade” – September 28

good afternoon COPE Local 96 members

Now that spring is here it is the time that grade 12 students should be looking forward to their high school graduation. COPE Local 96 provides three bursaries each year (Jack Elwert Bursary Award) that is based on academic performance and a short essay.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to assist you.

Robert Bell

President

COPE Local 96

cope96@tbaytel.net

Use the file link below to apply for the Jack Elwert Bursary Award

Jack-Elwert-Bursary-Letter-and-Application-to-Members2024

with great appreciation to Heather Bouley for placing the COPE wreath at the cenotaph during the Remembrance Day services

Never Forget, Always Remember

Thank you Heather.

To be eligible to run for a position on the COPE Local 96 executive, the member needs to be a member in good standing and a member of one of the units represented by Local 96.

The election meeting is held every second year on the third (3rd) Tuesday of November.

The meeting will start at 6:00 pm.
Election year 2023 – next election year would be 2025

The positions that are elected on election night are as follows:
These positions are elected from the entire membership
President
Executive Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Sargent at Arms

These positions are elected from the individual units’ membership
Local unit VP’s- Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Lakehead University
Bargaining Chair – Northern Credit Union

The person conducting the nominations will ask three (3) times –
“are there any nominations for _____ position”

A member is nominated by someone in the audience, if that is the only member nominated for that position and the member stands for nomination – he/she is acclaimed

If there are multiple members nominated, the person conducting the nominations reads the list from the top down and then from the bottom up – asks if each nominated member wishes to stand for election.

For a member who can not be present at the meeting and wishes to stand for election – he/she will need to send an email, prior to the election night, to the cope96@tbaytel.net email stating – “if I am nominated for a position on the COPE Local 96 executive – I will let my name stand”
That said person is assumed to be a member in good standing.

After said meeting, the units’ VP will hold a unit meeting to elect Bargaining, Health and Welfare committee members and other unit committees.

The elected officials start their role on December 1st

The executive meets every second (2nd) Tuesday of the month – except July and August

Information on the positions and duties can be found on our website https://cope96.ca/
Look under the Committees tab – Constitution and By-laws for the COPE-96-Constitution-Bylaws-March-2021R document which outlines the duties of each position.

For the members who wish to post a bio and picture of themselves – please send the information to the cope96@tbaytel.net and I will make sure it gets posted to this page