Hello

A member of the NABET Sound Department since 2011, I’ve served as VP Sound on the Executive Board since 2018. My first step into union leadership was tentative but, I quickly gained a passion for advocating for my department and have been greatly rewarded by their trust in me over the last eight years. This by-election I hope you will put your trust in me and elect me to the position of Senior Vice-President.

Principles

Members should know what principles guide the Board members that represent them.

Honesty

Members of NABET should be able to trust that their union leaders are being forthright with them. Partisanship shouldn't get in the way of honest and direct communication.

Accountability

Members should feel confident that, at all levels of governance, rules will be applied fairly, without discrimination, and without exceptions due to cronyism.

Community

Members spend too many hours on set to feel alienated or unsupported by our union. NABET should be a shining example of inclusivity and welcoming.

Why I'm Running

Our members deserve leadership that will show up for them and stand up for them in our workplaces, when dealing with UNIFOR our National Union, and in discussion with our film & tv industry partners.

We deserve a Union that lives up to the ideals laid out in NABET’s Bylaws and UNIFOR’s Constitution. When our representatives are silent on violations of our governing principles that silence becomes an endorsement of bad behaviour, which erodes the trust of our members. I believe it’s wholly unacceptable that members concerns can go unaddressed for months or years and I am committed to being a vocal representative that upholds our stated ideals and ensures that those ideals are also upheld by UNIFOR.

Our union is in a difficult financial place right now. Years of industry upheaval have left us with less work than what we need to sustain our members and the union. In response we have had to tighten our belts by reducing services and shifting some costs onto members, but austerity isn’t sustainable. The only way forward that works long term for NABET and our members is increasing the amount of work we have and therefore increase everyone’s income.

The overwhelming success of Heated Rivalry and the discussion it’s generated around Canadian productions and budget sizes gives NABET a unique opportunity to promote ourselves as a Canadian Union able to work with producers at domestic and indie budget levels to create world class content. It should also not be lost in the conversation that many of NABET’s most successful shows have been rooted in diverse storytelling. NABET has partnered time and again with producers to create successful BIPOC and LGBTQ+ centred films and television shows that have garnered awards domestically and internationally. We need to get louder and prouder about the work we do.

NABET regularly supports organizations like The Canadian Academy, WIFT+, Reelworld Screen Institute, and imagineNATIVE so that we can be a visible supporter of the broader industry and foster new talent. I feel that we should expand our presence by investigating and applying for cultural grants that would allow NABET to launch our own events. We should be taking every opportunity to showcase the incredible work of our members and generate buzz with filmmakers so far unfamiliar with our work.

Let’s get out there!

Let’s get back to work!

My Track Record

On and off the floor, I have advocated for members as a frequent Crew Rep and voice at General Membership meetings. During my time on the Executive Board I have been an active participant on the Bargaining Committee through three rounds of contract negotiations, I was a member of the Financial Committee tasked with investigating and addressing gaps in our budget and financial policies, spoke for NABET at the first meeting of our joint committee on Generative AI with the CMPA, and collaborated with the Education Committee to give the inaugural “Crew Call” session on our Collective Agreement.

As VP Sound I have worked hard to support my department. After being invited to attend contract bargaining in 2018 I was able to successfully advocate for a significant wage increase for Sound Assistants. During my terms I finalized the implementation of the Sound Mixer trade test, developed over many years and through the hard work of Rachelle Audet, Bissa Scekic, Cory Siddall and Phil Stall, and introduced clearly defined application and upgrade requirements for each role within the department, in an effort to increase transparency and fair treatment for applicants. To address training, I designed and launched the Wiring 101 course, which covers the technical considerations for lavalier microphone placement and engages Costume Set Supervisors and ACTRA Toronto members to collaborate and share their unique perspectives. And to foster community and give members and permits a place to network I organized the annual Sound Department Social.

As an EBoard member I have represented NABET by teaching NABETiquette sessions, being a mentor for Reelworld Screen Institute’s Mentorship Program, attending Skills Ontario Young Women’s Conferences, providing xoTO TDSB training on Introduction to Production Sound, and spoken at post secondary schools across Southern Ontario, introducing NABET to the next generation of filmmakers. Determined to ensure that our Local’s voice is not lost at the National Union level I have been a delegate at UNIFOR’s National Convention, Ontario Regional and Media Councils, and Women’s Caucus meetings.

During my time as a member of NABET 700M I have worked to expand my own skillset, so that I can be a knowledgeable resource for all members, by completed training in:

NABET Women’s Representative Training Course
WIFT+ Intro to Entertainment Law
UNIFOR Intro to Collective Bargaining
UNIFOR Anti Harassment
Queen’s University Workplace Mental Health Leadership
Joint Health and Safety Committee Parts 1 & 2
Working at Heights
Workers Health & Safety Centre: General Health & Safety, WHMIS