Mike was an Executive Staff Officer with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO). His career spanned 32 years in the public education sector.
During this time, he served in a number of capacities which included: Educational Assistant, Occasional Teacher, Elementary Teacher, Health and Safety Rep., School Steward, Local Federation President (ETFO), Provincial Executive Member (ETFO), Ontario Teacher Federation Governor, along with his most recent position as an Executive Staff Officer in the Collective Bargaining Department with ETFO.

Labour relations and specifically collective bargaining have been a cornerstone of Mike’s career, due to his early involvement with the federation. He worked his way up from the grassroots as a Local School Steward and has held numerous positions along the way. From political protests to picket lines, he led his membership both locally and provincially through many labour controversies.

Mike has learned a variety of negotiating styles from positional based bargaining to interest-focused bargaining and how they affect the union-management relationship in the workplace. Most recently and due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mike’s experience has expanded to included successful online bargaining strategies through a number of electronic platforms.

During his tenure as a union leader, Mike dealt with diverse labour relations issues such as membership concerns and grievance/arbitration to employee benefits. On more than one occasion, he has had to mobilize his membership for job action in various forms.

Mike’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Carleton University in 1987 followed by a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University in 1993. He is also a graduate of the Queen’s Industrial Relations Centre Negotiations Skills Program. In addition, Mike spent two and half years travelling on an independent trip around the world and was the President of the Greater Kingston AAA Hockey Association. He lives in Kingston with his family.