Hello, my name is Giorelle Diokno and I am running to be your next Secretary-Treasurer. Previously, I’ve served the local as the Equity Officer (2021-2023), Chief Returning Officer (2020-2021), and Departmental Steward for the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies (2018-2020). With my institutional knowledge and my experience in equity and diversity, I hope to continue my service to the local as your Secretary-Treasurer.

The next Secretary-Treasurer should have experience in financial management and an understanding of how the local operates. Outside of my service to the local, I’ve managed the budgets for a book publishing project as a Research Assistant and for the 2020 iteration of FOOT, my department’s graduate student conference. As Equity Officer, I coordinated schedules with the Executive Committee to ensure my presence at membership meetings, where I was responsible for maintaining equitable access and participation. In my term as Chief Returning Officer, I oversaw the 2020 elections, managing uncertainties during the early days of the pandemic while navigating CUPE National’s election policies and the local’s lack of online voting infrastructure. As a Departmental Steward, I advised colleagues in union-related issues, such as recouping a subsequent appointment, clarifying continued eligibility for Unit 1 work despite having defended their dissertation, and training an incoming steward for an upcoming bargaining year. These roles required the qualities of organization, particular attention to detail, and a capacity to work with different facets of the local (officers, staff, members), all of which I would bring to the role of Secretary-Treasurer.

The Secretary-Treasurer is critical in ensuring, not only the local’s financial solvency, but also, that various funds are distributed fairly and equitably. As Equity Officer, I was tasked with ensuring that the business of the local was carried out equitably with an eye for diversity and inclusion. Along with this equity-informed perspective, I bring to the role of Secretary-Treasurer an array of lived experiences (as someone who is nonbinary, out of the funded cohort, and previously an international student) that resonate with a number of equity-seeking groups in the local. As the person responsible for overseeing the disbursement of various equity and hardship funds, I am acutely aware of the importance in accessing these funds in a timely manner and the necessary, positive impact it has on our lives.

It is all the more crucial to have someone tested and reliable as your Secretary-Treasurer this upcoming fiscal year, given the impending transfer to the Ronda Ward Society to purchase a union hall, several units in bargaining, as well as potential changes to spending as we move towards more hybrid and in-person gatherings. As your Secretary-Treasurer, I hope to meet these challenges head on while advocating for a financial model that meets the ever-evolving needs of our members. My candidacy has been endorsed by outgoing Secretary-Treasurer, Tim Gadanidis, and I hope I can count on your support too. Vote Giorelle for Secretary-Treasurer!

 

 

[No conflicts to disclose.]