Executive and stewards
President: Shauna Penner - MBCI
cupe1596president@gmail.com
204-371-0682
Vice-president: Sandra Gates - MBCI
sandrag78@msn.com
204-623-3485
Treasurer: Jen Luce - MBCI
treasurercupelocal1596@gmail.com
204-623-3485
Secretary: Kelly Purshega - Kelsey Community School
kellypurshega@gmail.com
204-623-7421
EA Shop Steward: Dwight Luce - MBCI
dwightluce71@gmail.com
204-620-2582
Custodial Shop Steward: Cody Helstrom - Kelsey Community School
ca_helstom@hotmail.com
204-623-7421
Clerical Shop Steward: Kelly Armstrong - MBCI
karmstrong@mymts.net
204-623-3485
Garage Shop Steward: Deryk Dawe - Garage
derykdawe@live.com
204-232-2506
Committees
2025 CUPE Local 1596 Committee Appointments:
Education Development (three members from different classifications):
Kelly Purshega – Clerical
Deryk Dawe – Garage
Shauna Penner Oswald - Clerical - should be replaced for another classification
Bursary (two members):
Sue Lambert
Sandra Gates
Local By-Laws Committee (two members):
Sue Lambert
Sandra Gates
Employee & Family Assistance (one member):
Kaweah Hanchuk
Workplace Safety & Health (President representative and site members as appointed by worksite):
CUPE Co-Chair – Shauna Penner Oswald
MBCI – Linea Mason
MD – Janet Fortune
Kelsey – Sara Francoeur
Opasquia – (needs to be filled at school level)
SBMS – Evelyn Murray
Garage – Lakshay Gulati
Negotiations:
Sue Lambert - Head of committee, clerical
Deryk Dawe – Garage
Leanne Parker – Custodial
Sandra Gates – EA
Shauna Penner Oswald - President
Health Benefits:
Sue Lambert
Brooke McLean
Social Committee:
Kaweah Hanchuk
Sandra Gates
Tanya Catalano
What we do
CUPE Local 1596 will work to improve working conditions, wages, and benefits for our members through collective bargaining and advocacy. We also represent workers in disputes, ensure fair treatment, and promote overall workers rights.
CUPE 1596 represents workers in the following schools and classifications within Kelsey School Division:
- Ecole Opasquia School
- Kelsey Community School
- Ecole Scott Bateman Middle School
- Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute
- Mary Duncan School
- Bus drivers, trades, custodial and maintenance
Equality statement
Union solidarity is based on the principle that union members are equal and deserve mutual respect at all levels. Any behaviour that creates conflict prevents us from working together to strengthen our union.
As unionists, mutual respect, cooperation and understanding are our goals. We should neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
Discriminatory speech or conduct which is racist, sexist, transphobic or homophobic hurts and thereby divides us. So too, does discrimination on the basis of ability, age, class, religion, language and ethnic origin.
Sometimes discrimination takes the form of harassment. Harassment means using real or perceived power to abuse, devalue or humiliate. Harassment should not be treated as a joke. The uneasiness and resentment that it creates are not feelings that help us grow as a union.
Discrimination and harassment focus on characteristics that make us different; and they reduce our capacity to work together on shared concerns such as decent wages, safe working conditions, and justice in the workplace, society and in our union.
CUPE’s policies and practices must reflect our commitment to equality. Members, staff and elected officers must be mindful that all persons deserve dignity, equality and respect.