To the Canadian Office and
Professional Employees Union
The Union and its Structure
 COPE
is a Canadian union formed
when the Canadian members of OPEIU
voted to break from that International
Union in 2004
 The
locals of COPE have a proud
history of representing members since
the late 1940’s
The Canadian Office & Professional Employees
Union (COPE) is a national labour organization made
up of two (2) regional councils and 42 local unions
representing around 35,000 union members across
Canada. Our members are office, technical and
professional employees in both private and public
sectors.
COPE has been established in Canada since 1933
and is affiliated to the Canadian Labour Congress
(CLC), the largest labour organization in Canada with
approximately 3,000,000 unionized members.
To provide our members the assurance of gaining a measure of
dignity and security and a decent standard of living.
We encourage the full democratic participation of all our
members both within our union structure as well as in society in
general.
The Local Unions and Councils shall be dedicated to promoting,
protecting and championing the legitimate struggles of workers.
The Local Unions and Councils shall provide all possible aid,
assistance and guidance to their members, to the end that all
workers may share in the benefits resulting from employment
under the terms of collective bargaining agreements and
legislation relating to employment.
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May be organized as single bargaining unit or
composite locals
Single bargaining unit locals represent one
workplace; composite locals represent several
different workplaces
Are autonomous, decision making bodies
Are certified to represent the bargaining groups
Have carriage rights for grievances
Must have a local union constitution, which is always
subordinate to the constitution of the National Union
Must operate in accordance with the local union
constitution and the constitution of the National
Union
Through the Labour Relations Board, COPE 343 is
certified as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent to
represent our members in all matters of employment
during the duration of the collective agreement and
during collective bargaining.
As an employee in a bargaining unit, you are now a
member of COPE , Local 343.
The union is made up of its members, who
democratically elect their leaders from amongst their
peers to direct the affairs of the organization.
We are all “the union”.
President:
Liz Fong
Vice President:
Mary Stalteri
Treasurer:
Tina MacPherson
Secretary:
Pauline Fitzgerald
Members at Large:
Lorraine Boucher, Donna Shields,
Heidi Tagieff
Equity Members:
Casey Oraa, Janice Gairey
Youth Member:
Matt Dumas
Trustees:
Kelly Belbin, Trinh Lai,
Bhupinder Sanghera
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Was formed in February 2007 at a special convention
called for that purpose
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Is comprised of 21 local unions, representing
approximately 5500 members
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Provides experienced negotiators and servicing
representatives to local unions
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Provides services in both official languages
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Provides legal representation for locals
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Provides labour education for local union activists and
members
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Provides advice to local unions as required and
requested
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Pays local union’s affiliation fees (per capita) to
COPE National
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Pays affiliation to Ontario Federation of Labour
(O.F.L.)
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Organizes new members into COPE Locals
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Has offices in Toronto and Thunder Bay
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Employs full time organizers, full time staff
representatives, legal counsel, administrative staff,
and temporary staff for special projects as deemed
necessary
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Has an Executive Board, elected at convention, of a
President, Treasurer, Secretary, Director ( parttime) and a Vice President from each local of more
than 200 members and 2 Vice Presidents
representing all the locals with a membership of
less than 200, 1 Vice President representing Young
Workers
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The Executive Board meets every 4 months
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A convention is held every 3 years
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All locals meet annually in the years between
conventions
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Has an Executive Board of seven members
President, Secretary-Treasurer, one Vice President
from each of four regions and one vice President
elected at large, representing women
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Pays local affiliation to the Canadian Labour
Congress
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Pays strike pay to eligible members
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Meets in convention each three years where the
officers are elected
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The President of COPE is Serge Cadieux, located in Montreal,
Quebec;
The Secretary Treasurer is Gwenne Farrell, located in Vancouver,
British Columbia;
Ontario’s Vice President on the Executive Board is Liz Fong;
The Vice President representing women on the National Executive
is Patty Clancy from Ontario;
There are 3 other Vice Presidents elected from other Regions
( Quebec, Prairie’s and British Columbia)
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Article 11 in the Constitution
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Only 2 members can be elected from any one bargaining unit
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Elections take place in April at the Biennial Convention
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No one can vote unless they are a member in good standing
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No one can hold office unless they have been a member for 12
months
Nominations take place on the first day of Convention
As a member of COPE Local 343, you pay dues
at a rate of 1.5% of your earnings.
These dues are the primary source of income for
the Local. They allow the union to run its office,
fight grievances, hire arbitrators, fight strikes, and
carry out all other activities that are fundamental to
our ability to protect and serve the members of the
union. In Ontario all the Union Representatives are
employed by COPE Ontario.
Member’s Bill of Rights and
Responsibilities
•Attend union meetings
•Abide by your Collective Agreement
•Do not make private deals with management
•Support your fellow union members
•Abide by your Local Constitution and By-laws
•See your steward if you have any questions or concerns