Election Candidates
2026 Candidates Standing for Election to the Executive Committee at the SGM
Treasurer
Valerie Bartlett
I am seeking re-election as Treasurer of QUFA because I care deeply about contributing to the association that represents and supports our employment interests. I have been serving as Treasurer for the past four years, a role that has been both meaningful and rewarding, and I have valued the opportunity to work collaboratively and collegially with the Executive in support of all our members.
Throughout my previous term, I focused primarily on strengthening QUFA’s financial health and ensuring our resources supported the Association’s main priorities, including effective bargaining. I also worked to build and sustain reserves that position QUFA well for both immediate needs and future uncertainties, while maintaining a consistent focus on thoughtful, member-centred decision-making.
My approach as Treasurer has been guided by a commitment to collegial member-first decision- making, transparency and accessibility of financial information, and long-term sustainability. I believe it is essential that members feel confident not only in the strength of QUFA’s finances but also in their understanding of how decisions are made and how resources are used.
With my academic background, I bring formal training in business and financial management (B.Comm, MBA), along with experience managing a large, complex budget. More importantly, I bring a strong sense of responsibility and care for the role.
If re-elected, I would appreciate the chance to continue this work—further strengthening reserves, supporting QUFA’s strategic and bargaining priorities, and ensuring members feel informed and confident in the Association’s financial stewardship.
Dan Cohen
I am running for QUFA Treasurer to expand upon my work as the Chair of the Finance-Budget Review Committee (FBRC), especially as the union undertakes bargaining. In addition to their primary responsibility for the finances of the union, the Treasurer holds a secondary responsibility to monitor developments in post-secondary and university finances relevant to QUFA members. This has been the focus of my work with the FBRC as communicated directly to the membership at General Meetings and via Voices. I would like to bring these insights to the QUFA executive via the role of Treasurer. Further, as a member of the Job Action Committee, the Treasurer is meant to be an active participant in planning for a potential job action. Having served on CUPE 3902’s bargaining committee (UofT’s TA union), I have direct experience relevant both to the production of data needed for bargaining and in what it takes to prepare for a potential job action.
In regard to the Treasurer’s primary duty in providing oversight over QUFA’s finances, auditing, and staff relations. I have experience as a Treasurer for Just Futures Kingston and academic expertise in the study of finance in public organizations, as published in peer-reviewed journals such as Finance and Space. As the Chair of the Finance Committee, I would convene our colleagues with relevant expertise in finance to review Queen’s investments which are currently held entirely in GICs. There is the possibility of keeping a focus on stable, conservative investments which yield a higher return and remain flexible. I would also like to review the possibility of moving QUFA’s accounts to a credit union. I believe this would be more in keeping with the overall goals of the labour movement and show commitment to the local community in Kingston.
Secretary
Chantal Brunette
I look forward to serving another term as QUFA Secretary and as an Officer of the Association. This position includes responsibilities on QUFA Executive and Staff Relations Committees. Taking minutes of QUFA meetings has allowed me to dive deeply in topics of discussion about postsecondary environments, and to find the best way to synthetize information for future reference. As an Officer, I developed a good understanding of QUFA staff workload. As an advocate for fair working conditions, I have been involved with QUFA in different roles since 2014, including DAN School of Drama and Music Council Representative, Continuing Adjuncts Representative on Executive, and member of the Adjunct Advocacy Committee. My ability to stay concentrated and to follow conversations, my aptitudes in clear note taking and my attention to details – many of these skills coming from my experience as a classical musician and as a translator – make me an excellent candidate for this challenging position.
Samantha King
I am a Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, where I also currently serve as the Director. I have been involved in QUFA since arriving at Queen’s in 2003, first as Co-Chair of the Junior Faculty Caucus (2004), and later as Council Chair (2008-10), Job Action Services Coordinator (2011), and a member of the JCAA (2015-19). I have also served on the Adjunct Advocacy Committee, the Workload Standards Subcommittee of the Joint Committee to Administer the Agreement, and the Constitutional Review Committee.
I am running for Secretary because I value the careful, often unseen work that sustains good governance and effective advocacy. The Secretary plays a central role in ensuring that QUFA’s activities are appropriately documented, transparent, and accessible to members. I would bring to this position organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to clear, timely and accurate communication.
Beyond the core responsibilities, I am motivated to engage more closely with issues affecting academic workers at Queen’s and the post-secondary sector more broadly. I see this role as an opportunity to contribute to the collective life of the union and to support its mandate in a meaningful way.
Grievance Chair
Sailaja Krishnamurti
I am pleased to put my name forward for the role of Chair of the QUFA Grievance Committee. I have been a member of this committee since 2023 and am looking forward to taking a more active role.
I bring to the role my experience as a department head at Queen’s, years of experience in faculty union leadership and grievance processes, and expertise in I-EDIAA policy and practice. As Head of Gender Studies, I have learned a great deal about university administration at Queen’s and have a strong understanding of the Collective Agreement and of university governance structures.
Prior to joining Queen’s in 2022, I was at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax where I served on the SMUFU executive for 2 years, and then for a year as President (2021-2022). As part of my work at SMUFU I worked closely with the Grievance Officer and committee. I attended two CAUT workshops in grievance and complaints processes, and a training program for collective bargaining. As SMUFU president, I met regularly with members, university leadership, and representatives of other campus unions. I also served as SMUFU’s representative at ANSUT (Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers).
My involvement in QUFA and this nomination to the QUFA executive are consistent with my lifelong commitment to the labour organizing. I have been a member of university unions for nearly 30 years both as a graduate student and adjunct (CUPE 4163, CUPE 3903, CUPE 3902) and as a full-time faculty member (YUFA and SMUFU). I look forward to working with my colleagues at Queen’s to ensure a fair and equitable working environment for all.
Joint Committee on the Administration of the Agreement (JCAA) Co-Chair
James Stotz
In addition to being the current Co-Chair of the JCAA, Co-Chair of the Workload Standards Subcommittee, and I am part of the QUFA Bargaining Team for the next Collective Agreement. I have also been a QUFA Councillor for Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy for well almost two 20 years. I believe that communication between the University Administration and QUFA is critical, and the JCAA can be an effective channel to discuss and address Member issues as well as broader issues important to QUFA. In continuing as Co-Chair of the JCAA, I would like to continue pushing conversations to ensure Member Rights, as outlined in our CA, are protected. We are experiencing significant uncertainty with the future of Queen’s, our programs, and our careers. It is important to ensure that the University is holding to the Agreement that they have signed and that it is similarly applied across faculties and departments.
Continuing Adjunct Representative
Jim Hamilton
Over 20 years I have observed how the QUFA Executive has successfully advocated for members while securing labour peace. When the call went out, I jumped at the opportunity to put my 35 years of post- secondary and industry experience to work as a QUFA Executive member.
I teach across multiple programs, been Director of a program that attracted candidates from all Queen’s faculties and have been honored with multiple teaching awards. Queen’s is the best in the country because QUFA members and staff colleagues put in the work and care deeply about our students.
From talking to QUFA executives, I have learned that the key to success has been maintaining a focus on the working conditions and labour issues that matter most to members.
If elected, I commit to being a disciplined voice in continuing this focus. You can expect my focus to show up in 3 ways. I will:
- directly and consistently engage with members through multiple channels to listen to, discuss with, and receive directions on the working conditions and labour issues that matter most to them.
- advocate for identified priorities, particularly those of continuing adjuncts, in discussions and decisions as a member of the QUFA executive.
- proactively invest in learning from other unions, experts and industry groups and finding progressive ways to advance the interests of Continuing Adjuncts and all QUFA members. Equally, I commit to not letting my personal, social or political views distract me from this focus. My position is that QUFA wins when it is focused on working conditions and labour issues.
Your vote matters to me. And if elected in the role of Continuing Adjunct Representative on the QUFA Executive Committee you can be certain that my focus will be on you
Ayça Tomaç
I am writing to express my interest to serve on the QUFA Executive Committee as the Continuing Adjunct Representative. I have been working as an adjunct at Global Development Studies and Cultural Studies since 2015 and have been a co-councillor for both units on the QUFA Council since 2020. I previously served on the QUFA Executive Committee as Term Adjunct Representative (2021-2024) and Equity Representative (2024-2026). I am an active member of the Adjunct Advocacy Committee and Political Action and Communications Committee. I have served on the bargaining teams for 2022–2023 and 2024–2025 rounds and continue to serve on the current team.
Equity Representative
Diane Beauchemin
I have been in the Department of Chemistry at Queen’s since 1988. Being the subject of discrimination is what got me involved in QUFA: I wanted to do something about it so that no one else would be similarly affected. So, I volunteered on numerous committees. In particular, I have served on two bargaining teams, including the team that merged the Adjuncts Collective Agreement with the Faculty and Librarians one, as well as the QUFA Executive, including as Vice-President, President, Past President and as Equity Representative. I have also served on the OCUFA Executive and the OCUFA Equity and Social Justice Committee, which unfortunately revealed that issues experienced at Queen’s are not isolated but widespread. While QUFA President, I engaged with the membership by conducting visits of units to hear member issues that could then be tackled during bargaining. As a Senator, I will not shy away from asking pointed questions. I am similarly outspoken at my Faculty Board. In fact, after hearing that librarians did not have a vote on my Faculty Board, I asked why that was and it was discovered that they in fact had a vote! However, despite all the work to eliminate inequities and discrimination, they unfortunately still exist. In Science and Engineering, although there has been improvement, gender imbalance persists, resulting in women having a larger administrative burden (to ensure a female viewpoint on all committees) than men. So, I would like to resume my work on the QUFA Executive, while strengthening the Sciences perspective, which seems to be currently underrepresented on the QUFA Executive. I strongly believe that a balance in viewpoints makes for a most effective executive committee.
Norma Möllers
I am an Associate Professor in Sociology and have been at Queen’s since 2015. At QUFA, I have co-founded and co-chaired the BIPoC Caucus, which offers a space to discuss and communicate labor issues experienced by Black, Indigenous, and other racialized members and develops bargaining suggestions; and the AI Task force, which developed suggestions for strengthening our collective agreement, with a particular focus on protecting precarious QUFA members. I am also a member of PACC, where I’ve been involved in member mobilization; and I’ve served on the OFL x ONDP AI Table. Prior to coming to Queen’s, I’ve been involved with the German Educational Union (GEW), where I’ve helped survey the nature and extent of precarious working conditions at German universities.
I am running for equity representative because I think that this position can play an important role in building and fostering solidarity among QUFA members, especially so in times of enduring austerity. QUFA members face diverse struggles – the childcare crisis in Kingston (of which I have first-hand experience), the sustained austerity-related attacks on fields which are disproportionately impacting equity-deserving groups, the under-resourcing and lack of recognition of adjunct faculty, or the abysmal accessibility of Queen’s buildings, just to name a few. Because QUFA members work under quite different conditions, it is critical for QUFA to foster mutual understanding about where we are at so we can build solidarity across our differences, sometimes despite our differences. Beyond advocating with the administration and strategizing with sister unions at OCUFA and CAUT meetings, I plan on further supporting ongoing work with QUFA’s existing caucuses.
Our work and interests are deeply interlinked, and attacks on some of us will always have effects on all of us. Thus, by protecting our most vulnerable members, we will protect all of us.
Librarian and Archivist Representative
Gillian Akenson
I have been actively engaged with QUFA’s affairs over the past few years, most recently as a member of the 2022 Bargaining Team. I remain alert to developments in university policy that affect our conditions of work including the challenges related to austerity measures, fairness, and the inescapable impact of AI particularly as they affect the work of my librarian and archivist colleagues.
I look forward to working collaboratively – and collegially — to further the interests of members.
Member at Large
Christie Fraser
My name is Dr. Christie Fraser. I am interested in serving as a Member-at-Large on the QUFA Executive. I was born and raised along the beautiful Bay of Quinte in Belleville, Ontario, on the lands of the Tyendinaga Mohawk people. Currently, I live, work, and play on the ancestral and unsurrendered territory of the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc in Kamloops, BC, as a settler and uninvited guest. I am an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, where I teach primarily in the Professional Master of Education (PME) program. Queen’s is my alma mater, and I have been teaching in the Faculty since 2011. My service work is characterized by growth and learning. I am particularly interested in what it means to lead and participate in decolonizing spaces, and how this commitment intersects with collegial governance to foster a strong, inclusive, and responsive faculty experience. I believe that effective governance depends on relational dialogue, relationship building, and a shared responsibility to represent the diverse perspectives of our membership. As a Member-at-Large, I would attend and contribute meaningfully to Executive and General meetings, participate in committees and working groups as needed, and stay attentive to developments affecting faculty members at Queen’s and in the broader post-secondary landscape. I am committed to the ethics of respectful governance and to ensuring that all members have voice, time, and the support they need to participate meaningfully in discussions and decision-making. I look forward to contributing to QUFA’s work in a collaborative, respectful, and engaged manner.
Michael White
I am interested in serving as a Member-at-Large on the QUFA Executive because this is a critical time for QUFA and Queen’s. The provost has recently proposed significant changes to the budget model that could have major impacts on faculties and the so-called “shared services”, especially the Library and Archives. Reorganizations in FAS and other parts of the university could also have widespread impacts, as will ongoing technological developments such as AI and data analytics. I believe my experience and institutional knowledge would be useful to QUFA.
I have been an active member of QUFA since I arrived at Queen’s in early 2005. I have served in many roles: Library Representative on Council from 2005-09; Library Representative on the Executive from 2008-10; Secretary from 2012-18; and JCAA co-chair from 2018-2021. In addition to the JCAA, I served on the Workload Standard and Finance-Budget Review committees. I was a member of the Bargaining Team in 2011, 2015, and 2018. I served as chair of the Queen’s University Librarians and Archivists caucus numerous times from 2009-2019. I also have experience in university governance. I was the first librarian elected to Senate (2017-20) and served nine years on the Senate Library Committee and three years on the Senate Academic Procedures Committee. I look forward to serving QUFA again.
Shobhana Xavier
I am an Associate Professor and Graduate Chair in the School of Religion with cross-affiliations in Gender and Cultural Studies. I started at Queen’s in 2018. Since this time, I have served on various committees that have worked towards building an inclusive Queen’s community for students, staff, and faculty, including the FAS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (2019-2021), the University Council on Anti-Racism and Equity (UCARE) (2022-2023), the Faculty and Staff Recruitment, Retention, and Support (FSRRS) committee, the QUFA BIPOC Caucus, in addition to serving on several headships and appointments search committees for the School of Religion. In terms of my scholarship and teaching, I bring expertise in community-based and transnational research, especially as it pertains to diasporic religious communities.
My interest in the role of QUFA member at large stems from my commitment to the work of labour/unions broadly and our own faculty membership specifically. So, I hope to bring my community organizing, equity and anti-racist advocacy, and leadership experience to this role.