Executive Committee
President – Phil Wachel
My name is Phil Wachel and I am the President of the Local. I have been a CUPE 4207 member since 2004, but I did not get involved in the union at that time. In 2011, I played a part in organizing the English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructors into Unit 3. In my free time I spend a lot of time watching Toronto Blue Jays games on TV with my family. I do my best to get to one game a year. I also like to think that I have a bit of a ‘green thumb’ for vegetable gardening. In Solidarity.
Vice-President Unit 1 – Morgan Crosby
Hi everyone! My name is Morgan Crosby and I have been a Unit 1 member at Brock since September 2022. I am a graduate student in the social justice and equity studies program. Since joining the union I have been an active member and spent time on our bargaining committee. I have experience TAing for women and gender studies. I am looking forward to serving as you the VP of Unit 1 and helping with any questions you may have!
Vice-President Unit 2 – Donna Pearce
Donna is one of the Program Development & QA Coordinators 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.
Vice-President Unit 3 – Georgina Keller
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 – Monica Hlywka
Hi my name is Monica Hlywka (Ha-loo-ka) and I am the new Vice President for unit 4 (Brock University – Clinical Nursing Instructors) of CUPE 4207. I am also a member of the bargaining committee for unit 4. Unit 4 is a newly formed union and will be negotiating our first collective agreement. I am a Registered Nurse with a Masters in Health Studies, teaching focus. I am a very driven person, and I love to succeed in everything I do. My 2 biggest passions are teaching health professionals and competing in duathlons which is a run-bike-run competition. I should also mention that my human (husband & 2 daughters) and fur (2 kittens and a dog) family hold my heart strings and I feel so fortunate to have them in my life.
Vice-President Graduate Students – Lilian Nyarko
Hello everyone! My name is Lilian Nyarko, a graduate student in the geography department. I moved from Ghana to Canada in the fall of 2022 to pursue my Master’s program at Brock University. I am a teaching assistant in the geography department. I joined CUPE 4207 in September 2022 and attended the CUPE Ontario Young Workers Conference in 2022. I was elected as the International Steward in February 2023 and have currently been elected as the VP Graduate Student in April 2023. I look forward to serving the members of CUPE 4207 and making the union great.
Vice-President Instructors – Tracy Kennedy
Hi folks, I started my Brock University journey as an undergrad student in 1988 and completed two undergrad degrees. I joined CUPE 4207 in 1999 as a TA in the Sociology department, became a course coordinator, and then I started Instructing my own Cyberculture courses in CPCF in 2002. I have taught at several universities and here at Brock U in Recreation & Leisure Studies and Child & Youth Studies. I now teach in the Digital Humanities – Interactive Arts & Sciences. I have been the Membership Outreach Officer previously, and have also been on the Unit 1 Bargaining Research Committee, the Unit 1 Bargaining Committee, and the CUPE Ontario Women’s Committee. I’ve lead various incentives for the Good of the Union, such as an Indigenization plan for academic contract workers, and creating a Membership Recognition initiative that recognizes long-term CUPE 4207 employees with appreciation awards and certificates. I’m looking forward to connecting with you this year!
Treasurer – Darrin Sunstrum
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 – Brigitte Cecckin
Hello Cupe 4207 Members, My name is Brigitte and I will be your Lead Steward for 2023/2024. I have over 30 years experience in grievances, collective bargaining, dispute resolution, and general union business. I have a BA in Sociology and MA in SJES – both obtained at Brock. I have TA’d for Sociology and Labour Studies for the past 20 years. I look forward to serving the members of CUPE 4207 once again.
Lead Steward, Unit 4 – Rebecca LaRocca
Recording Secretary – Ben Johnson
recordingsecretary@cupe4207.org
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.
Equity Officer – Stacyann Williams
Membership Outreach Officer – Tracy Kennedy
Health & Safety Officer – Mikko Kivisto
Mikko joined the Brock community in 2012 when he enrolled in the Adult Education program. He became a member of CUPE 4027 in 2013 as a teaching assistant for the Dramatic Arts department. Since then, he has worked as a course coordinator and marker-grader for Dramatic Arts and the Centre for Studies of Arts and Culture. He later got involved with the labour movement in 2017 when he was elected as the JHSC worker representative for the local at the Marilyn I. Walker campus. Mikko continued his involvement in health and safety as a JHSC worker representative at the 1812 campus, and later as the Health & Safety Officer on the Executive Committee between 2019 and 2022. He is recharged and ready for a new year to serve as your Health & Safety Officer again.
Unit Stewards
Unit 3 Steward – John Vilella
Unit 4 Steward – Amanda Singer
Faculty Stewards
Humanities Steward – Elizabeth D’Angelo
Social Sciences Steward – Vacant
Math and Science Steward – Karl Grantham
Karl Grantham is a masters student in computer science. His research focuses on AI for drug design. Karl will also be moving on to a Phd in Intelligent Systems and Data Science this fall.
Applied Health Sciences Steward – Drake Christie
I’m your steward for the faculty of Applied Health Sciences. In 2022, I graduated from Western University with a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Sciences, and in that same year I began my master’s in Applied Health Sciences here at Brock. My research here at Brock is largely centred around muscle metabolism, with a particular focus on improving metabolism and function of muscle in the context of a rare genetic disease known as Barth syndrome. Since starting at Brock, I have worked as a TA and a marker-grader for Applied Health Sciences courses. I hope to help others gain access to support and resources available through the union.
Education Steward – William Birrell
Business Steward – Vacant
International Student Steward – Kaho Nishibu
Kaho (she/her) is an international student from Japan and recently completed her Master’s degree in Critical Sociology at Brock University. She has been a CUPE 4207 member since 2020 and TA’d Sociology courses. As a new International Student Steward, she hopes to connect international students to their unions and support them navigate their unique challenges as international students / education workers. She has also involved in social and environmental justice organizing locally, and animal advocacy movement in Asia.
Instructors Steward – Melissa St. Germaine-Small
mstgsmall@gmail.com
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
We are looking for departmental stewards for the upcoming academic year! 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. We can have up to 2 stewards in each department. If you are interested, email Brigitte at leadunit1@cupe4207.org to learn more!
Health and Safety Officers
Health & Safety Officer – Mikko Kivisto
Deputy Health and Safety Officer- Phil Wachel
Marylin I. Walker campus Joint Health & Safety Committee – Mikko Kivisto
Alternate for Joint Health and Safety Committee Meetings – Katia Benseba
Trustees
Term ending April 30, 2025
- Elizabeth D’Angelo fannyhill14@gmail.com
Term ending April 30, 2024
- Katia Benseba katiaben96@gmail.com
Term ending April 30, 2026
- Jessica Srivastava jessicabsrivastava@gmail.com
Delegates
Delegates to the Niagara Regional Labour Council (NRLC)
- Karen Hofman
- Ron Walker
- Elizabeth D’Angelo
- Phil Wachel
Delegates to the Niagara District CUPE Council (NDCC)
- Tracy Kennedy
- Melissa St. Germaine-Small
- Jessica Srivastava
There are three delegates to the NDCC but our local is entitled to 6 delegates!
Delegates to the Hamilton & District Labour Council (HDLC)
Recently, our Local made the decision to affiliate with the HDLC. Many of our members live in the Hamilton area. Some of our members work out of Brock’s Hamilton Campus. Click here to see the HDLC website – https://www.hamiltonlabour.ca/
- Tracy Kennedy
Brock Campus Representative to the Ontario University Workers Coordinating Committee (OUWCC), 2023-2024
- Brad Worden (CUPE 1295)
The OUWCC is one of the five sectoral committees of CUPE Ontario. (The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents workers employed at universities, health care, municipalities, school boards, and social services.) At Brock, there are two CUPE locals – 4207 and 1295 (Custodians, Trades, Food service workers and some from the BUSU staff). CUPE 1295 and CUPE 4207 take turns appointing the Brock Campus rep for a 2 year period.