Who We Are

Guled Adan works at Imperial Parking in Ottawa as a Valet. Guled has been with Imperial for three years and previously worked in maintenance. Gulen appreciates his work and the ability to do so independently. He likes his co-workers and the quiet but busy atmosphere. He says that the managers are communicative, and he gets to meet interesting people. Guled believes it is important to be unionized and to know the rights of workers. He appreciates the job protection the Union provides, and knowing there is help if a difficult situation at work arises. Guled has been a steward for one year and says that the role has taught him more about the rights of workers, and provides information that he wouldn’t have otherwise. Guled decided to became a steward at the encouragement of his co-workers. He was interested in learning more and believes the best part of the role is being informed of the goings on at his workplace.

Steve Belanger works at Holiday Inn & Suites in Windsor. Steve has worked at the hotel for 25 years, and has worked the Front Desk for the last 20. Steve likes that his job is different every day, with different challenges and opportunities. Working with the public can be difficult, but rewarding at the same time. Belonging to the union means job security, fair wages, and the ability to voice concerns. Workers have the ability to bring suggestions forward in order to make the workplace a welcoming environment. Steve has been Union Steward since 2003. He has also been member of the Negotiating Committee, participating in bargaining over the years. Steve has attended many conventions/conferences and training sessions; enjoying the opportunity to learn. Steve became a steward to assist the membership. Steve says that the best part of being a steward is being able to help fellow coworkers, and feels that the biggest challenge is standing up for rights, because it is often followed by retaliation by the employer.

David Olorunleye is a proud member of UFCW Local 175 and works at Dev Hotel & Conference Centre in Cornwall as a front desk attendant. He enjoys his role at the workplace as he has the pleasure to meet and greet all the guests that stay at the Hotel. Anyone that comes to the hotel during David’s shift will always be greeted with a smile, as he truly enjoys having good conversations with guests and making their day. David appreciates working in a unionized environment as he knows that the Union is there to protect the workers and there is no foul play. Should an issue arise he knows that he can count on the union to help him as well as his fellow union members.

Umesh Sureshbabu works at Taste of Nature in Markham. Umesh has taken on numerous leadership roles within the workplace, including serving as Co-Chair of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, Union Steward, and Lead Hand in the plant. Umesh’s commitment to his role is evident in the respect he has earned from his peers. He was elected to the negotiating committee during the last round of negotiations, contributing to securing the best contract the company has seen to date. Always eager to learn and grow, Umesh actively pursues opportunities to enhance his skills and knowledge. He has attended the Toronto Stewards Conference and participated in the weeklong Health and Safety training; further strengthening his leadership in the union.

Tony Hadzinikolaou works at Dr. Oetker in London as a General Labourer. He enjoys belonging to UFCW for the sense of a united membership in the workplace and also the various training sessions that he has attended. Tony was previously the plant chair at Dr.Oetker , and is currently part of the joint health and safety committee. Additionally, the membership also elected Tony to be part of the negotiating committee, where he fought hard on behalf of all the members to get a recommended settlement which the membership ratified on December 7, 2024.

Phil Oliverio works at Gay Lea Foods in Brampton as a Shipper/Receiver. Phils says that he likes working at Gay Lea because it allows him to build meaningful relationships with coworkers. Phil was on the negotiating committee for their first collective agreement, and hopes to participate in Joint Labour Management meetings and to become a steward at this newly unionized workplace. Phil believes a Union empowers workers and provides structure within the workplace.

Angelica Facun works at Belmont Meat Products in Toronto.  Angelica is a positive and vibrant presence in the workplace. She has a deep sense of community and is passionate about ensuring the best outcomes for both her coworkers and the company. Angelica was recently elected to the negotiating committee, earning overwhelming support from the membership. She takes her role very seriously and has committed herself to strengthening her knowledge by enrolling in UFCW’s web campus courses on negotiating. Angelica’s extensive research on the company and the meat processing industry has proven to be a significant asset during negotiations. Her preparation and insight have been invaluable in advancing the committee’s goals.

Tanya Williams works at NeuPath in Brampton. Tanya is a Registered Nurse and has been at the Centre since December 2020. Tanya’s daily duties include setting up rooms to triage her patients for the Doctors and to take their post vitals. Tanya also ensures the safety of the patients and educates them. What Tanya loves the most about her job is her patients, she has built a relationship with them, built their progress, and has also helped them live a healthier life. Tanya also loves the rapport with her colleagues, and she is blessed to work in a healthy working environment. Tanya says that she likes her work location and doesn’t ever want to leave, and when people do, they always come back. Tanya also stated, “There’s no hierarchy system, everyone respects and celebrates one another, and no one looks down on anyone else”. Tanya loves being part of a union environment, and believes that has helped with the work environment. She understands and believes in the importance of having a union in her workplace. Tanya is a proud member who is also proud of the work they do. This job has given her a good work life balance so she has time to spend with her family.

Fatemeh Salehinasab who has worked at Flemingdon Community Health Centre since October 2014, as a medical secretary. When Fatemeh began working at the centre, it was on a relief contract with a regular a schedule for five years without any benefits, vacation or job security. Fatemeh says, “As a relief worker, you do not receive benefits, sick days, or vacation time. However, with unionization, they have been able to secure partial coverage for benefits.” After unionization, Fatemeh was able to secure a permanent part-time position. This was achieved through hard-fought victory and collective bargaining. Fatemeh has extensive experience working with clients in hospital settings, both locally and in Iraq; her career has been dedicated to helping others. As a medical secretary, she takes pride in making a meaningful impact on patient care. Fatemeh has faced many hardships at work. She had to take an unpaid leave due to a family emergency involving her husband’s health, and during that time she was facing pressure from the employer to resign. However, she stood her ground and with the support of her union, she successfully retained her position. Fatemeh is a proud union member and supporter of UFCW Locals 175&633.

Jamie Dunk works as a UCP in the Nursing Department at Palisade Gardens Retirement Residence in Cobourg. Jamie has been at the home for 16 years and says the thing that she enjoys most about her job is the residents. Jamie is there for the residents and says “I enjoy helping them, they are like family and for some of them; we are all they have.” Jaime goes above and beyond for both colleagues and residents including bringing in her puppy for visits, which the residents love, and supplying essential items needed for daily use they may not have access to. Jamie is glad to work in a unionized home because of the job security and receiving wage increases on a regular basis. She appreciates knowing that the members are secure in their jobs and having a grievance procedure in place to ensure that situations are handled appropriately. When Jamie started working at the home it was not unionized, but once it became certified, she got involved with negotiations and stepped up to be a steward to ensure the collective agreement is followed. Jamie is also on the Health and Safety and Labour Management committees. Jamie believes the best part of being a steward is the ability to advocate for her fellow colleagues and getting first hand information to share with everyone to keep the membership up to date and informed. The biggest challenge for Jamie is that sometimes the information and situations dealt with at this type of workplace can be heavy, and it has been a challenge to be part of sharing difficult news.

Edna Solsona works at Rekai Centre – long-term care home in Toronto as a Registered Nurse. Edna has been at the home for 23 years and says that the best part of working there is working with and supporting her colleagues and residents which is fulfilling. Edna is happy to have a Union as it is there to help whenever the members are in need of support, and she is an active member who attends the quarterly membership meetings. Edna has been a member of the H&S committee and the pain and policy team.

Vera Sellars works at Cargill Ltd. Brampton in the Formulation Department. Vera has been at the plant since June 1975 and says that she enjoys the work.  She appreciates working in a unionized facility and says that she likes how the Union can resolve issues at work.  Vera believes it is important to be a member of the Union as it fights for the rights of workers and they have the ability to negotiate for better wages and benefits. Vera has been a steward for 35 years and says that she got nominated for the position so she decided to try it.  Vera says the best part of being a steward is trying to help co-workers resolve issues and be a voice for them as she does not fear speaking to management. She says it can be a challenge when trying to explain to members that there are some issues which can’t be resolved as they are not always a grievance. Vera is also a member of the Health and Safety committee at her workplace, and has participated in Steward training at conferences.

John Smukovich works at Sofina Foods (Fearmans) in Burlington as an Industrial Electrician in the Maintenance Department. John was elected Plant Chair over nine years ago, and prior was Co-Chair of the Health and Safety Committee and in plant Coordinator for WSIB for over 20 years. John has received many training opportunities through the OFL focusing on Health and Safety and WSIB.  When asked why he focuses his time on WSIB John stated “I love helping people first. While it is always hard to hear when our members get injured on the job, it feels good helping them return to work after injury, guiding them through the WSIB process and getting them back to their pre-injury job and role.”  

Roland Guieb is a machine operator in the boning department at Maple Leaf poultry in London, a processing plant that employs 1700 UFCW members. Roland started with Maple Leaf at the St. Mary facility and has been a member for 20 years. Roland enjoys the benefits of being a UFCW member and the right to collective bargaining, health benefits, increased wages, seniority rights and job security. Roland became involved with the Union to stand up for members rights in the workplace. He says that the greatest challenge of being a steward is trying to maintain a positive relationship with the employer and dealing with unruly supervisors.

Qadeer-Ul Hassan works at Polar Pak in Brampton. Qadeer-Ul helped to bargain the very first contract for Polar Pak and was part of the team that brought the Union into the workplace. He is an advocate for the Union and works hard at ensuring members know their rights and their contract. While he was the Chief Steward, he helped recover thousands of dollars for the members through the grievance procedure. Qadeer-Ul currently works as a Cell Leader in the thermoforming department and one of the things he loves about the Union is the strength and the unity. He believes that it allows the members to get what they deserve as hard-working employees. He was a member of the negotiating committee for the most recent round of negotiations and worked hard to ensure a fair deal for the hard-working members of Polar Pak.

Rene Roberts works as a forklift operator at Ridgewood Industries in Cornwall. Rene enjoys the job security and solidarity that come from belonging to UFCW Local 175. He feels that Unions are great as they give workers a lot more protection than non-union workers. Rene became the Chief Steward at his workplace and sat on the negotiating committee for their 2024 negotiations. Rene became a Union Steward because he wanted to help others with understanding and protecting their rights. Rene also participates by volunteering at the Locals’ Labour Day BBQ in Cornwall every year.

Aseem Vashisht works at Polar Pak in Brampton in the position of Set Up Technician. Aseem has been a Union Steward for four years and his knowledge of labour laws and the contract help to make him an invaluable member of the team. What Aseem loves about being a steward is that he now gets a chance to help the members and be a voice for them. Aseem was on the negotiating committee for the last contract and is a valuable member for the current negotiations; working hard to ensure the hard-working members of Polar Pak get a fair deal.

Chris Pettitt works at Direct Coil in Kingston as a Fin Press/Set Up Operator. Chris says that he enjoys his job because it is fast paced, and the variety as he’s constantly doing different set-ups. As Chris knows the majority of the jobs at the workplace, he also helps train some of the newer employees. Chris appreciates working in a Unionized shop as he believes that it provides the opportunity to earn a better salary, provides job security and better benefits for himself and his co-workers that they would not have in a non-unionized environment. Chris says that he became a steward because he wanted to make a difference in the workplace defending the rights of members. He enjoys helping the membership and hearing that members appreciate what he does for them as it shows that his hard work and dedication is making a difference at the workplace. Chris says his biggest challenge is dealing with management when problems arise but he’s always there for the members no matter what the issues are.