Gina Degner

First Vice President

Gina Degner became a union activist over 15 years ago after walking the picket line at CRA with her fellow workers. After the strike, she became a steward in the local; and in 2007 she joined the local executive. Seen as a leader and not afraid to stand up to people, the local executive asked her to fill the vacant secretary position. Since then she has also held the positions of treasurer and two terms as chief steward before being elected president in 2018 of our large active local in Hamilton.

Gina finds her union role to be both fulfilling and challenging. The agency is constantly changing along with the union and she keeps in step with those changes. She is very vocal at the local, regional, and national level when bringing the membership concerns forward. Sometimes she gets in a bit of trouble, but her mentors always told her, “If you are not getting in a bit of trouble, you’re not doing a good job as a union activist”.

She is passionate in her union leadership role. Her forward thinking, problem solving style of leadership helps her to confidently engage with: members, management, and the union. She advocates for positive change and does not stand down to problems. Her concerns are membership based and are taken very seriously. Tirelessly, she pushes for beneficial changes to make our workplace a better place to be.