AUPE is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 DOVE Award are Janice Drader and Sandy Kyle. The annual Day of Validation and Equity (DOVE) award is a special honour for women in AUPE who have made outstanding contributions to the betterment of women (and all members) of our union. They will be presented with the award at AUPE headquarters on March 8, 2024.
Janice Drader – Local 057, Chapter 002
Janice Drader, member of Local 057 Chapter 002, decided to get involved with AUPE back in 2015 when she was voted in as Chapter Chair and an alternate delegate for convention that year. Since then, Janice has been an ever-present and unstoppable force for progress, in both AUPE and within the Wetaskiwin community. She is described by friends as an “absolute firecracker” and someone who “wants nothing more than to make a positive difference in the world.”
In 2019, just minutes after it was announced that Jason Kenney’s government would directly interfere with the bargaining process for GSS workers, Janice took action. She immediately organized a walk-out at Wetaskiwin Hospital, showing her employer that the government’s position on Bill 9 was unacceptable. This quick but mighty showing of solidarity was enough to galvanize many of her co-workers in the fight for fair bargaining.
Janice continues to lean-in to the activist role, helping to organize new members with phone banking and worksite mapping activities. She has also served as a representative for almost every Local 057 committee including: bargaining, member engagement, finance, and education.
Janice was nominated by Coralynn van Someren, saying “Sister Janice is humble, passionate and has a heart of pure gold.”
Sandy Kyle – Local 046, Chapter 002
Sandy Kyle has been with AUPE from the very beginning. As a Life Member, she’s seen it all. Although she retired in 2022, the work she did for Local 046 Chapter 002 will continue to influence and inspire direct action for many years to come.
Sandy is known to be a unifying force for AUPE members within AHS, emphasizing the importance of NC and GSS workers standing together in solidarity. For over 20 years, she sat across from the employer bargaining for fair compensation and better working conditions.
In addition to being a vital component of her Local and an outspoken advocate for GSS workers, Sandy is also involved in her community. As a proud parent, she was actively involved in her daughter’s Girl Guides troop and helped to coordinate fundraisers and away games for her son’s hockey team.
“Sandy is an exceptional woman showing the positive influence the union has on its members and preaching how mobilizing members […] can be bigger than the individual,” says Megan Threader, who nominated Sandy for the DOVE award. “It has been a pleasure to have her as my mentor and sister. Sandy has taught me to be a better activist […] and stand up for the underdog, no matter how small the fight is,” says Threader.
The AUPE Women’s Committee would like to congratulate all those who were nominated. We extend our gratitude for all the work they do on behalf of fellow union members and the communities they live in.