Matt has worked at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada since 2018 as a landscape gardener in the Ornamental Gardens in Ottawa.  His horticultural expertise helps showcase the gardens year-round and provides opportunities for the public to learn about agriculture in Canada. 
 
A union activist for six years, Matt is now president of Agriculture Local 700075 and serves on both the Workplace Health and Safety and the Union-Management Consultation committees. He is passionate about supporting members and focused on building a strong, informed activist network to meet the needs of the 600 members in his local union. 

Lindsay is a registered practical nurse. Since 2023, she has been working in a fly-in-only Indigenous community in Northern Ontario. Her role focuses on preventive care, supporting people with chronic illnesses, public health initiatives, and assisting with acute needs. 

Lindsay is a shop steward for her local union. Her goal is to support her colleagues and ensure their voices are heard. As a new member of the bargaining team, she hopes to increase understanding of the important work registered practical nurses do, as well as the many diverse roles within the SV group. 

As soon as she had the opportunity, she became involved with Local 00023. Finding no active executive members when she arrived, she took the initiative to help build a new team from the ground up. She now serves as the local treasurer. 

Ryan works for the Department of National Defence as a bosun on a large tractor tugboat. As bosun, he supervises the deck crew, coordinates maintenance and repairs, and ensures safe mooring and anchoring operations. He began his career on tugs as a chef, later moving into the engine room as an oiler before becoming a bosun. In this role, he helps ensure the tugboat and its crew are ready to support Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) operations when required.  

He is committed to representing the SV group in the upcoming round of bargaining. His priorities include ensuring wages keep pace with the rising cost of living and securing fair, equitable working conditions that support a better work-life balance for all members. 

Ryan is a third-generation activist. His first experience at conventions and conferences and other union activities fueled his own involvement, which pushed him to run for local president.  

Bill has worked for the Department of National Defence for 18 years, when he was hired as a Red Seal HVAC/R mechanic. Today, he works as a contract coordinator responsible for the mechanical inspections on the military base.  

 Bill is proud to be part of the bargaining team and is committed to advocating for workers. His top priorities include job security, fair pay and benefits, work-life balance, and preventing subcontracting.  

With nearly 15 years of union volunteer experience, Bill brings a wealth of knowledge to his role as local president. He has also served on the Halifax area council, as PSAC Atlantic provincial director for Nova Scotia, and as deputy vice-president in Nova Scotia for the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE). 

Mike Johnson has dedicated his career to the Canadian Coast Guard, working at the Twillingate search and rescue station in Newfoundland and Labrador since 1997. As a lifeboatman, Mike plays a key role in sear and rescue operations, provides medical assistance to people on vessels of all sizes, and tows disabled boats on Canadian waters. His work directly supports the safety and well-being of mariners and communities across Canada. 

Mike’s union journey began in 2006 when he became a shop steward. He was elected first vice-president in 2009 and has served as local president since 2018. He has chaired the Occupational Health and Safety Committee for the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour for two terms and co-chaired Regional Union-Management Consultation Committee meetings for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). He represents the union on the Local Union-Management Committee for Transport Canada and co-chairs the newly formed CCG Respectful Workplace Committee.  

Outside of his union involvement, Mike is a long-time community volunteer and is particularly proud of his advocacy efforts. 

As a sheet metal instructor at the Corcan metal plant in Joyceville Institution, Rick has worked as a dedicated public service worker since 2011.  He is part of a team that provides offenders with valuable skills to support their successful reintegration into society and help them make positive contributions after their release.   

Rick has a long history of union activism, starting as a steward and now serving as president of his local. He is also active on the Institutional Joint Occupational Safety and Health Committee and as first vice-president of his local area council, supporting locals with their unique challenges. Rick is dedicated to advocating for members, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are protected. 

Josh Peterson is deputy platoon chief at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Fire Rescue Services, bringing over 20 years of fire service experience and over 12 years in the federal public service. He’s part of a team that work to protect the Department of National Defence assets, including naval warships, submarines, industrial buildings, military housing, and recreational facilities, as well as fulfilling mutual aid agreements with neighboring fire departments.  

Josh joined the bargaining team to represent all SV members. He brings valuable experience and education and aims to help achieve a fair agreement that addresses historic pay gaps. 

A committed labour activist for over two decades, Josh has served as local president, vice-president, Joint Learning Program facilitator, trustee and PSAC Area Council vice president. He has also participated in health and safety, job evaluation, and labour management committees.  

A graduate of the Canadian Labour Congress Labour College with a focus on employment equity, his long-standing advocacy reflects a deep commitment to fairness and workers’ rights. 

Denika has seven years of experience working in the federal public service at the Agassiz Research and Development Centre in British Columbia. As a general labourer in the greenhouse department, she supports vital research by caring for plants and assisting scientists in strengthening Canada’s horticulture industry and providing people in Canada with sustainably produced food. 

Within Local 20038, Denika has served as treasurer, vice-president and president, and currently holds the position of vice-president on the local executive. She is also active on the Local Union-Management Consultation Committee (LUMCC) and is committed to representing and supporting union members, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are protected. 

Stéphane Goulet works in the 202nd Workshop Depot at the Department of National Defence’s Montreal Garrison. He has served as weapons technician specializing in hydraulics since 2010. He directly supports the Army by inspecting and repairing the mechanical components of various land-based military equipment. 

For Stéphane, joining the bargaining team poses an exciting new challenge. From the outset, his union involvement has been motivated by a desire to help his colleagues. A firm believer in the power of teamwork, he is committed to preserving collective rights, improving working conditions for all, and representing all SV group members, even if he has yet to meet all his colleagues. 

Stéphane’s involvement in the union began in 2014 as a health and safety representative. In 2016, he served as local representative for the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE). The recent retirement of several executive members has brought new challenges and added to Stéphane’s responsibilities: he became head steward, then vice-president, and finally president of his local in 2021.  

He participated in the previous bargaining conference and served as strike captain in 2023. The same year, he was elected to the finance committee for the UNDE Triennial Convention. This round of bargaining with Treasury Board is his first as a representative at the central table, and he is committed to fighting on behalf of all SV group members.