Our executive
Local 79 is run by its members, for its members. The Executive Committee, which makes day-to-day decisions that affect the union, is elected by the membership through a mail-in vote every three years.
Meet our current Officers.
President
Keith Fiering
Keith has dutifully represented CUPE Local 79
... Read MoreFirst Vice-President
Keith has dutifully represented CUPE Local 79 members for over 15 years: at the bargaining table, as an organizer during the 2009 strike, and has been one of Local 79's strongest health and safety advocates over many years. As a long-standing Steward, Keith represented members at various levels of the grievance process, including at the OLRB (Ontario Labour Relations Board). Keith has also been active with CUPE Ontario and is an Auditor Trustee with the CUPE Toronto District Council.
Keith has put his skill sets to work in many different spaces within Local 79 as well as the broader labour movement in addressing members' concerns with employers. In 2021, Keith was recognized with the CUPE National Health & Safety Award for his decade-long commitment to health and safety in the workplace. Keith has always advocated for better wages and working conditions for members, rooted in his sound understanding attained through years of engagement with them.
Aimee Carnell
Aimee has worked for the City for over 15
... Read MoreVice-President — Chief Steward
Aimee has worked for the City for over 15 years in several roles in the Shelter, Support & Housing Division — most recently as a Client Service Worker. She has a background in Social Work and worked in the hospital sector for over 20 years.
Aimee has been a Steward for approximately 10 years, chaired Local 79's Emergency Measures, Education and Social Committees, and been an active member of several other committees. Aimee has also previously been appointed as Local 79 Acting Treasurer and Part-Time Unit B Officer.
She brings a focus to her work on improving work environments, including workloads, shifts and facilitating the shift to full-time employment, and is proud of her most recent project on addressing workplace violence in the shelter system.
As Local 79's Chief Steward, Aimee aims to support Local 79's Unit Officers and Stewards to help them make positive change within their workplaces.
Brigett Coleman
Brigett has been a CUPE member for over 21
... Read MoreEquity Vice-President
Brigett has been a CUPE member for over 21 years with a decade of training as a union representative at Local. She is a former Duty Officer and is currently a Local 79 Health and Safety Representative. Brigett has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree with certificate as a Law Clerk, and also holds a Paralegal Diploma from George Brown College. Brigett is a strong labour activist, and sits on several Local 79 Committees, including the Women’s Committee, Political Action and the Health and Safety Committee. Brigett is committed to taking her experience as a racially marginalized person, and creating change and a voice for other members experiencing discrimination
Coline Babin
Coline is passionate about worker solidarity and
... Read MoreRecording Secretary
Coline is passionate about worker solidarity and is often seen on picket lines supporting other unions with coffee and donuts in hand. Coline has always believed that the power of a union resides in the hands of its members. Coline has been with the City of Toronto since 2014, working within Technology Services. Since that time she has represented and defended members as a Steward. Coline has worked tirelessly as a Health & Safety advocate where she stood with members during a work refusal for dangerous and unsafe work conditions. Coline has also conducted investigations into the causes of workplace injuries, and served on several Local 79 Committees, including Emergency Measures, Health and Safety, Human Rights, and WSIB. She is also active in CUPE Ontario, having been elected a member of the Toronto CUPE Ontario District Council, where she was previously elected to a term as an Auditor Trustee.
Fred Shilson
Fred is a 2nd generation City of Toronto employee,
... Read MoreMembership Secretary
Fred is a 2nd generation City of Toronto employee, now a member of the Information Technology team in Senior Services & Long-Term Care. Fred has held many union roles: CUPE’s National Political Action Chair, Young Worker Chair, Member at Large on the CUPE Ontario Executive Board, and representative on the Canadian Labour Congress National Political Action Committee. As Recording Secretary of CUPE Local 79, Fred led the Part-Time Long-Term Care Bargaining Committee, and played a significant role in bargaining committees for TCHC, Bridgepoint Hospital, and the City of Toronto in previous rounds of negotiations. His expertise in understanding collective agreements and his ability to teach others about them is a valuable asset to our membership. Fred’s vision for Local 79 is clear: to rebuild its reputation amongst allies and members alike.
Shannon Berseth
Shannon first became a Local 79 member in 2013
... Read MoreTreasurer
Shannon first became a Local 79 member in 2013 when she began working for 311 Toronto. She became active in the Local when asked to be on the 2015 Bargaining Committee representing the Part-Time Unit B. Since then, Shannon has filled many roles at Local 79 including Steward, Duty Officer, Acting Unit Officer, Executive Board member, Memorandum, and WSIB Representative as well as co-chair of both the Education and Environment Committees. In May 2023 she was elected Treasurer in a by-election, and ran on a platform of financial transparency, including publishing of the Financial By-laws. Shannon’s strengths in organization, people management, communication and being detail orientated have allowed her to excel in the role of Treasurer, representing Local 79 members and being responsible for the money they entrust to the Local.
Unit Officers
Mekhi McKenzie-Jones
Florence Mwangi
Yasmin Makani
Executive Officers at Large
Local 79 also has 14 Executive Officers at Large. Like the Executive Committee, they’re elected by the entire Local 79 membership rather than specific bargaining units. Their job includes reviewing and approving recommendations from the Executive Committee as well as approving expenditures, which occurs at monthly meetings of the Executive Board. Approved recommendations and expenditures are brought forward to General Membership Meetings for approval by the membership. Executive Officers at Large also contribute significantly to Local 79’s many Standing and Special Committees.
Jason Desjardins
Rosemarie Edwards
Mary Grace Marquez
Lisa Jaipaulsingh
Muthiah Kanagasundaram
Trish MacKenzie
Tim Maguire
Rita Marchese
Melinda McClean
Brianna Plummer
Lorraine Solomon
Shlomit Segal
Chris Spataro
Carla Wallbridge