Executive Committee

President – Phil Wachel

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My name is Phil Wachel, and I am the president of the Local. I have been a CUPE 4207 member since 2004, when I worked a Marker-Grader contract in the former Centre for International Studies. I began my activism in 2011 when I was elected as the Humanities Steward. In 2016, I was elected president of the Local (the fifth person to hold the position). This year, I was appointed to the CUPE National Post-Secondary Task Force for a two-year term.

Vice-President Unit 1 – Mark Omiecinski

Hello, fellow 4207 Members, I’m Mark Omiecinski, and I have the honour of serving as Vice
President for Unit 1 of our CUPE local. I’ve been a member and a Teaching Assistant since
2015 and have been active within the union for the past 6 years. I have an MA in Critical
Sociology and currently work between three departments — Sociology, Labour Studies, and
Political Science.
My time in these disciplines has given me extensive knowledge of union processes such as
bargaining, mediation, arbitration, grievances, and engaging with our collective agreement, as
well as labour history nationally and globally, all of which I aim to put to good use to help out
members and make our union stronger. Overall, my interest as Vice President is to find ways to
engage new and existing members, and ensure that we get the protection and respect that we
deserve to be the ones who make Brock possible every day. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking and making homemade spices and broth, camping, gardening, video games, and being yowled at by my two very loud cats.

Vice-President U1 Graduate Students – Kendra-Lee Dupuis

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I’m a dedicated healthcare professional with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Brock University (2014–2018) and currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Nursing, set to finish in August 2025. I’ll be continuing my academic journey with a PhD in Applied Health Science starting in September 2025. Over the past seven years, I’ve worked as a Registered Nurse in both emergency departments and post-secondary institutions. I’m passionate about creating safe, supportive working environments and advancing education in healthcare. Outside of work and study, I’m a proud dog mom to two wonderful pups.

Vice-President Unit 1 Instructors – Nwakerendu (Kay) Waboso

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Vice-President Unit 2/3 – Georgina Keller

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I have been an ESL instructor here at Brock for the last 15 years and part of the Brock community for over 35 years as a student and alumnus. I have a BA and MA in Applied Linguistics, specializing in Teaching English as a Second Language. I have always had a passion for teaching and enjoy working with International students. I have been part of CUPE 4207 Unit 3 since it was established in 2011.

Vice-President Unit 4 – Rebecca La Rocca

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I have been part of the Brock Community since 2006 when I graduated with BScN in nursing. I completed a MScN at McMaster University in 2011 and returned to Brock to start my teaching career as a Clinical Nurse Instructor and Nursing Simulation Lab Coordinator. I became involved with the union when I joined the bargaining team and spent time as lead steward for unit 4 before I became VP unit 4. I look forward to supporting our members for another year! May it be a good one!

Vice-President Unit 5 – Christine Bellini, Ed.D.

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Christine has been a part time Instructor in the Faculty of Education since 2012. She holds a Doctorate in Education Policy and is the co-author of Professionalism, Law, and the Ontario Educator (2023).
Christine is a former Member of the Board of Directors for Ontario College of Teachers (6 th Council) where she served as Vice Chair of the Discipline Committee. She also served on the bargaining team for Peel District School Board’s Ontario Principal Council. Christine has extensive training in conflict resolution, education law, Canadian law, and human rights policy.
Christine is a retired Administrator with the Peel District School Board and hopes to serve this Unit by being available for you when you have questions or need assistance as quick as possible.
Christine can be reached at the email above and is available to meet at both the Burlington and St. Catharines campus.

Treasurer – Darrin Sunstrum

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Hello there, I’m Darrin Sunstrum and I am honoured to serve as the Treasurer for CUPE Local 4207. I am a Brock graduate, who has worked as a Course Coordinator and Teaching Assistant in the Faculty of the Humanities, Department of Classics since 2003. I have served the local in various capacities, as a Faculty Steward, 1812 Health & Safety Committee, Bargaining Committee member and most recently as a member of the Bargaining Research Committee. I have attended numerous CUPE workshops and look forward to learning more in order to serve our members and community. I’m always available for a chat and I look forward to meeting you.

Lead Steward, Unit 1 – Tracy Stewart

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Greetings, fellow CUPE 4207 members! My name is Tracy Stewart, and I will be your Lead Steward for 2026/27. I have over 25 years of experience as a contract worker in Unit 1, three years as the History Department Steward, and I served on the 2025/26 collective bargaining team. I hold two degrees from Brock, a BA in History and a BEd, J/I. I have TA’d for History, Digital Humanities, and Canadian Studies for the past 28 years, and I’m excited to serve the members of CUPE 4207 over the next year.

Lead Steward, Unit 2/3 – Donna Pearce

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Donna is a Student Development Coordinator in ESL Services and also a proud Brock graduate (BA (Hon), MA Applied Linguistics/TESL, 2011/2012). In addition to her Unit 2 work, she continues to be a member of Unit 1, teaching pronunciation for the PMPB program in the Goodman School of Business. Donna is passionate about learning in general and language learning in particular and is currently in the process of learning her 5th language, Arabic.

Lead Steward, Unit 4 – Amanda Singer

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Lead Steward, Unit 5 – Diane Newman

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My name is Diane Newman, and I have been both an EDUC and EDBE instructor at Brock for the past 11 years. I was Unit 5’s representative on the Bargaining Team as we negotiated our first contract. I have now been elected as Unit 5’s Lead Steward to represent you in ensuring that our new contract is adhered to and that our members have fair and equitable representation. At this time, we have seen the changes made to many areas that affect our workplace, such as class size, reimbursement, and quality of program, without
input from the sessional instructors who are teaching the courses. Some instructors have had direct issues and have no one to help them, and in some cases, they were not rehired. Now we have a contract, and we will be enforcing such areas as seniority rights, course payment, working conditions and more. My background has been with our teachers’ union, OECTA, and I worked for several years at the OECTA provincial office in Toronto. I have been involved in bargaining for our teachers both provincially and locally and therefore understand the process.

I am committed to giving you the representation that you deserve as a member of
CUPE 4207, Unit 5. I look forward to serving you as we work together to improve
our workplace.

Recording Secretary – Karen Hofman

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Equity Officer – Steph Kravcik

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Hi all, it was a pleasure serving you as last year’s Deputy Health and Safety Officer, and I now look forward to my new role as your Equity Officer for 2026-2027. As a longtime union member, I have enjoyed my time as both a teaching assistant and an active member with CUPE, and am excited to see what great changes we can make around our workplace. With gratitude, I thank you for electing me as the new Equity Officer, and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Member Outreach Officer – Daniel Barnowski

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Dan “the MOO” Barnowski is a long-term TA (20 Years) in the CPCF Department. This is Dan’s second year as the Outreach Officer for the union, working to communicate important news to the membership and running the social events. Dan loves a good Dad joke and enjoys gaming in all varieties.

Health & Safety Officer – Ben Johnston

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Ben is a master’s student in the Child and Youth Studies program and completed his BA in Psychology at Brock. He is passionate about civic advocacy and engagement. Ben has been very involved in the Brock community over the past 6 years, having served as a student representative in numerous capacities, most notably on Brock Senate as well as on Senior Administration Advisory Committees. For 2 years, he served on the Board of Directors of the Brock University Students’ Union. He also has experience serving as a club president and working as student staff in ESL Services, Student Life & Success, and Youth University. In the little bit of free time Ben has, you can find him playing sports.

Unit Stewards

Unit 2/3 Steward – John Villella – Email Unit 3 Here

Unit 4 Steward – Katie Roebuck – Email Unit 4 Here

International Student Steward – Tanima Ferdous

Instructors Steward – Melissa St. Germaine-Small – Email Here

Melissa St. Germaine-Small (she/her) proudly identifies as Anishinaabe (Chippewas of Rama First Nation) and Scottish. She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and sociology from Wilfrid Laurier and Brock University and was a member of the first graduating class of Brock University’s interdisciplinary MA in Social Justice and Equity Studies. Melissa’s doctoral work in Community Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University focused on Indigenous women, health and social justice with an emphasis on feminist theory and methodology. Melissa has been a member of CUPE 4207 since 2006 and has taught many cross-listed courses. Currently, she teaches primarily for Labour Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. In her off-time, Melissa enjoys reading, camping, traveling and visiting with family and friends. She and her husband, Dennis, share their home with two dogs adopted from local animal shelters.

Department Stewards

Department stewards play an important role in mobilizing members in their departments and ensuring that the Collective Agreement is followed and that members are aware of their rights, protections, and union activities.

Biology Steward: Peggy Mantel

Canadian Studies Steward: Brian Deruiter

Child and Youth Studies Steward: Sandra Kroeker

Communications, Pop Culture, and Film Studies Steward: Nicole Lemieux

Digital Humanities Steward: Derek Veenhof

Education Steward: William Birrell

English Language and Literature Steward: Elizabeth D’Angelo

Health Sciences Steward: Drake Christie

History Steward: Lauren Berry

Political Science Steward: Tim Fowler

Philosophy Steward: Ray Borland

Sociology Steward: Kyle Morrison

Sport Management Steward: Zoe Paize

Exec Committee, Stewards, H&S Officers, & Trustees