I wanted to model the way OPSEU could better listen to members, and leverage technology and make data-driven decisions. […]

With regionals so close and the future of our union at stake, I want to be clear about the kind of leadership I’m offering.

Leadership that actually walks the talk, leadership that goes high when others go low, and leadership that lets its work, track record, and ideas take center stage. Leadership that works to ensure your dues are spent responsibly and focused on delivering results for all members.

If that’s the kind of union you want to belong to, I’m asking you to help me build it by electing me as an Executive Board Member for Region 5 this weekend, and as First VP/Treasurer in April.

Attendees called in from every corner of the province—corrections officers from Thunder Bay, healthcare workers from Hamilton, post secondary staff from Trent, court services from Kingston, developmental services workers, and retirees who've seen OPSEU through decades of change. The room included local presidents, MERC chairs, sector vice-chairs, and even some current EBMs.

Ram opened with a clear acknowledgement: "One of the most disheartening comments I heard in my pre-registration was that this union doesn't stand up for me anymore. No member should feel that way—and we need to change that together."

What followed was nearly two hours of the kind of cross-sector, cross-regional conversation that rarely happens in official OPSEU spaces.

At our first town hall more than thirty OPSEU members logged in to talk frankly about what's working in our union—and what urgently isn't. Local presidents, stewards, retirees, frontline workers. Ram opened by making one thing clear: this space isn't about speeches. It's about setting the agenda from the ground up. "Your struggles aren't just stories to me—they're my mandate as your union executive."