We loved hearing from you!

Good morning OPSEU Local 596 members!

My name is Maricruz Rodriquez and I’m running for the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Health & Safety Coordinator position. I plan to serve the membership with EDI initiatives and opportunities, and ensuring a safe work environment for all.

In my work I have supported youth, including refugees and newcomers, to find employment as well as settle in Canada by providing information and resources related to housing, education, immigration and more. I also have experience working as a steward for the Workers United Local 154 for 5 years, where I was always mindful of members' needs, supports, and strategies before, during, and after a grievance process. 

My work as a steward motivated me to pursue a Master’s Degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources where I learned more about the grievance and arbitration processes, collective bargaining, health and safety practices, and most importantly, working with and for people. 

So far, I’ve contributed to OPSEU 596 as a member of the Social Committee running events for staff including the Summer BBQ, and as a steward. I look forward to bringing my knowledge and voice to your executive team.

To read my full bio and find out more about our campaign priorities, please look at our website and get in touch with us to let us know what you think. Follow the #OPSEU596 hashtag on twitter for updates.

Now, onto some key points:

1. We are glad to see that after much insistence from the general membership, the current president of OPSEU local 596 has finally provided an official announcement and date for the 2019 Elections. We encourage all interested members to check out the OPSEU website for more details about the process. We also look forward to more updates about the elections, such as guidelines for campaigning, debates and ways other members can support others' or their own campaigns.

Election Location and Date/Time:  Kerr Hall West, Upper-Level Gym, on November 25th, from 12 - 1 pm.

2. Our next Meet and Greet will be on Wednesday, November 13 from 12-1pm in the main floor atrium of the Centre for Urban Innovation (CUI) building at 44 Gerrard St. Please click here to see a map of the location. [Add it to your calendar!]

3. On Tuesday, October 29th, the “Grow Strong Through Change” team hosted a successful session for members of OPSEU local 596. Please see this link for a recap of the questions and answers that were discussed.

4. If you haven’t done so already, please fill out the OPSEU Membership Application form (for NEW OPSEU Ryerson Staff, and for those who may not have done so in the past) in order to be counted by OPSEU HQ as a member in good standing and to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. After filling out the form, you can either mail it to OPSEU HQ yourself, or drop it by one of our offices so that we can do it for you, or you can leave it with another Steward of Local 596.*

5. If you have colleagues interested in hearing from us that did not receive this message, you can click here to forward it to them.

Thank you, Maricruz