MEET YOUR UNION NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE (OVERWAITEA FOOD GROUP NEGOTIATIONS)

L-R: James Raposo (Staff Negotiator), Wes Schellenberg, Cheryl Husdon, Don Fordyce, Lennie Peck, Maurice Courtier, Stephen Chou, Danielle Low, Frank Pozzobon (Secretary-Treasurer), Karen Belcourt, Dave Diamond, Janice Gullet, Sherry Earl, Ivan Limpright (President), Kari-Anne Neave.

Negotiations for a new contract with Overwaitea Food Group got underway in January, with UFCW 1518 President Ivan Limpright presenting Union members’ proposals to company management. Ivan is accompanied by the Union Negotiating Committee in these negotiations, which is composed of members from stores across the province.

Click here to see the proposals presented to Overwaitea management.

Below are the members of your Union Negotiating Committee for Overwaitea Food Group:

	Karen Belcourt Karen has worked for Overwaitea/Save-On since 1983, and since 1985 has represented her co-workers as a Shop Steward. She has been a member of the union’s Executive Board for 12 years, and represented Overwaitea/Save-On workers on the last two bargaining committees. Karen has worked on union organizing campaigns, and in 2003 she graduated from the CLC’s Labour College of Canada.
	Stephen Chou Stephen has worked for Metrotown Save-On Foods since 1997. Stephen was hired as a Service Clerk, and continues to work in that position today. Stephen moved from Taiwan to British Columbia in 1996 with his wife and two sons. Working with UFCW 1518 has been Stephen's first union experience, and he is eager to represent his co-members as a member of the Union Negotiating Committee. This is Stephen's first time serving on the Union Negotiating Committee.
	Maurice Couturier Maurice has worked for Overwaitea Food Group for 20 years, and works at the Terminal Park Save-On in Nanaimo. Maurice helped unionize the meat department in the early 1990s, has been a Shop Steward for four years, and continues to be very active in the union and community.
	Dave Diamond Dave has worked for Overwaitea Food Group for 22 years. Elected in 1999 to the Union’s Executive Board, he has been on Union Negotiating Committees ever since for Overwaitea Food Group. Dave has been a Shop Steward for approximately 15 years.
	Sherry Earl Sherry helped organize her store in Fernie into the union in 1991, and has been a Shop Steward in her store since that time. Elected to the union’s Executive Board in 1999, Sherry has been actively involved in negotiations since 1991. She has a passionate interest in Health & Safety issues, especially the safety of young workers, and has served as an instructor in Health & Safety seminars.
	Don Fordyce Don has been a member of the union since 1975, and has served UFCW 1518 members in a wide range of capacities. Working at the Penticton Save-On, Don has been a Shop Steward since 1986, a member of the union’s Executive Board since 1987, and has been actively involved in negotiations, organizing new members into the union, and education & training programs for union members.
	Janice Gullet Janice has worked for Save-On # 974 in Richmond for 23 years. Janice has been a career-long Pharmacy Technician, and brings experience and expertise on the issues facing Pharmacy Technicians. In addition, Janice has taken an active role in the Union on Health & Safety issues, including extensive training in Health & Safety issues through the BC Federation of Labour education courses, and St. John’s Ambulance levels 2 and 3. Janice has been the First Aid attendant in her store for 20 years.
	Cheryl Husdon Cheryl has worked for Westgate Maple Ridge Save-On Foods since December 1997. She was hired as a Junior Clerk for the meat department, and has recently transferred to the front end as a Cashier after successfully posting for a full-time position. She has been involved with the union and attended the June Bargaining Conference, where she represented the interests of Junior Clerks.
	Danielle Low Danielle has been a Junior Clerk Cashier at Save-On Foods in Nanaimo for nearly 6 years. She is an active union member and Shop Steward in her store. Danielle looks forward to serving on the Union Negotiating Committee where she helps to represent the interests of union members on the island. As a Junior Clerk, Danielle provides a perspective from Junior Clerks at the bargaining table, and that includes the interest all union members have of returning to one pay grid and getting rid of the two-tier system! This is Danielle's first time serving on the Union Negotiating Committee.
	Kari-Anne Neave Kari-Anne has worked at Overwaitea in Burns Lake since 1992 She has been a Shop Steward since 1997, and is also a co-chair of the Health & Safety committee in her store. Kerri-Anne was raised in Burns Lake and has been active in her community as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Health Care Auxiliary.
	Lenore (Lennie) Peck Lennie has worked for the Overwaitea Food Group for 30 years, and has been a Shop Steward since 1980. She was first elected to the union’s Executive Board in 1993, and has been on the Overwaitea Negotiating Committee since 1995. Lennie understands how important it is that new and young union members understand the importance of the union to their workplace, and has an active interest in the role of education to accomplish that goal. She has been an instructor for the union in a number of different union education courses.
	Wes Schellenberg Wes joined Overwaitea Food Group in Clearbrook in December 1981. As of November 17, 2007, the Clearbrook Save-On store in which Wes works was converted to a PriceSmart. Wes is a long-serving Shop Steward, and has been actively involved in educating members about the threat to members from the company’s implementation of the Pricesmart banner. Wes is active in his community, and is involved in assisting with various youth programs.