City of Kamloops
Committee Members
The Grievance Committee functions to ensure the provisions of the City of Kamloops Collective Agreement are maintained and that all members of the union are represented fairly.
Shop Stewards are required to investigate issues and attempt to resolve disputes informally, “on the shop floor.” The goal of the Shop Steward is to assist the member in resolving disagreements with their supervisors and managers without the need for entry into a formal grievance process. However, sometimes a solution or compromise is unattainable, and CUPE must initiate a grievance. If a complaint cannot be resolved through the informal discussion, shop stewards may make a recommendation to the Grievance Committee to proceed to file a formal grievance. The Grievance Committee may also make a recommendation to the Local Executive to proceed to arbitration in cases that are unresolved at grievance stage one and two.
Grievance Committee members work with the shop stewards to resolve as many issues as possible. Members are elected for a two-year term. For further information regarding the Grievance Committee or to offer your ideas and/or concerns, please email a grievance committee member or click the button below to contact the union office today.
The Bargaining Committee collects issues and priorities from the membership and bargains with the employer to agree on a mutually beneficial Collective Agreement. The committee members receive extensive CUPE Bargaining education and work with the National Representative to put forward additions and changes to the Collective Agreement.
When we are not in a negotiating year, the committee attends Labour Management Meetings with the City Directors, deals with issues that affect the collective, and works to maintain the intent of our Collective Agreement language.
The Bargaining Committee is comprised of the two-unit chairs, four elected members, and one alternate. They are elected to a two-year term.
The Committee for Incident Prevention is empowered to promote and continuously improve workplace safety at the City of Kamloops. It serves as a vital feedback link to highlight workforce issues and concerns. Members actively engage employees regarding areas for improvement and overall safety concerns. All employees have direct access to committee members and are encouraged to present any issues; however, concerns should be brought to your direct supervisor first.
CUPE members have elected worker reps to sit on this committee. Please feel free to contact any of the following members addressing any concerns, suggestions, or ideas.
Vice President
Ken Davis is Vice President of Cupe Local 900. He was first elected on December 2018, and is currently serving the second of his two year term. He is an active member of his units bargaining and grievance committees, as well as the Local By-law committee. Ken is passionate about fairness and transparency, and advocates strongly for both.
President
Carmen Sullivan has been an employee of the City of Kamloops for the past 26 years. She started part-time in 1993 as a lifeguard and worked in Aquatics until 1995 when she received a full-time position as a night shift switchboard operator at the RCMP. Carmen has held various positions at the RCMP over the past 24 years and is currently an RCMP Traffic Clerk. Carmen’s co-workers describe her as engaged, level-headed, and a team player.
Carmen is proud to be the president of Local 900 and feels honoured to work alongside the current executive. She recognizes the challenges of having 13 Units and a diverse group of cities, occupations, and people and works to ensure that this diversity creates strength. She believes these next two years will be an essential time in the life of the union. Many of the units will be bargaining their future contracts, and the time must be taken to reach out to members, identifying their needs and ensure their issues are recognized. We must work together as one Local and stand firm for fair and reasonable results. Carmen believes in the collective and will always consider it in her roles with the union.
Carmen has served the union as President and through her work as a Shop Steward and as a member of the Grievance and Bargaining committees within the City of Kamloops. In these roles, Carmen has proven herself to be an advocate to the members, knowledgeable about the processes and rules, and an active listener. This experience, coupled with her eagerness to learn and be transparent, provides the foundation for a responsive President. She believes that CUPE is the strongest union in BC because it keeps members at the center of every decision.
Carmen’s priority is always to seek to create a Local that is responsible, transparent, and communicative. She works along with the full executive to ensure members are in the know, providing information on every issue brought to the Local Executive. She recognizes the importance of the Units and the voice each Unit Chair holds, and she is available to provide support to Units as required. She looks to break down any barriers between the smaller and larger units to ensure every voice is heard and the Local is stronger as a result.