UFCW Local 1400 Executive Board

Paul Meinema, President

Paul began his union career at the Fletchers Packinghouse in Red Deer, Alberta where he joined Local 1118 in 1984. While at Fletchers, Paul was active in the union as Chief Shop Steward, on the Occupational Health and Safety and Bargaining Committees, a Vice President of the local and took leadership roles in two strikes, one in 1986 and again in 1988.

Paul was part of a team that organized the Cargill Packing Plant in High River, Alberta in 1989 following which he was hired by Local 1118 as a Service Representative.

Paul was hired on to the International Staff in 1991 and was assigned to Atlantic Canada as an Organizer and Service Representative, where he remained until 1995 when he transferred to Saskatchewan.  In Saskatchewan he serviced many smaller local unions and coordinated union activities in the Province.

In July 2002 Paul was elected by the Local 1400 Executive Board to the position of President to serve out the remainder of the term following the resignation of the previous President.  Paul was elected by acclamation to a full four year term which began in January 2004 and has been re-elected by acclamation for the 2008 term.

Norm Neault, Secretary Treasurer 

Norm has been a UFCW member since 1974 working in the dairy industry.  During that time he had the opportunity to serve as Shop Steward, Unit Chair , Vice President and serve on various committees.  When Local 241 merged with Local 1400 in 1994, Norm became a Vice President and served in that capacity until being hired by the local in 1998.   In October 2003 Norm was elected as Secretary-Treasurer of the local and assumes those duties as well as servicing.

Barb Logan, Executive Vice President

Barb became a member of Local 1400 when she began work at the Saskatoon Co-operative Association in 1981 and became a Shop Steward in 1982.  She is currently Chief Shop Steward at the Saskatoon Co-op.  Barb was elected as Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1400 in 1984 and held the position until January 2004 when she was first elected as Executive Vice President.  Barb is also a member of the Local 1400 Women’s Committee and is active in Leukemia Fundraising for the local.

Rick Erhardt,  Recording Secretary

Rick joined the Brewery, Flour, Cereal, Soft drink and Distillery Workers (BFCSD) when he began working at the Coca-Cola plant in Regina in 1984.  The BFCSD subsequently merged with UFCW and became Local 319W where over the years Rick served as a Shop Steward, Secretary-Treasurer, and in 1990 became President of Local 319W.  He served as President until Local 319W merged with Local 1400 in January 2003, at which point he became a Vice-President of Local 1400 and was elected to the Recording Secretary position for the 2008 term.

Irvin Sorba

Irvin joined the local union in 1981 when the O.K. Economy (now Extra Foods) store in Saskatoon, he was working at became unionized.  He has been active in the local union ever since, first becoming a Shop Steward, working on the Bargaining Committee, and then becoming an Executive Board member in 1989.  Irvin has remained a Shop Steward and was on each Bargaining Committee from 1981 to 2002.  He has been re-elected to the Executive Board for each term of office.

Pat Schermann

Pat has worked for Westfair since prior to this local union's formation.  He became a union member of UFCW's predecessor union, the Retail Clerks International Union, Local 401 until 1981 when the Saskatchewan-based membership of UFCW Local 401 merged with Local 1400.  Pat has been a Shop Steward at Extra Foods in Regina for since 1977 and an Executive Board member for many years.  He was first on the Executive Board from 1981 to 1984, stepping down for family obligations, then ran and was re-elected in 1993, holding his position to present.  Pat has also been active on Occupational Health and Safety committees in his workplace and continues to fundraise for Leukemia Research with Local 1400.

Laurie Temple

Laurie became a member of the local union in 1992 when she started her employment with the Regina SuperStore.  She became a Shop Steward in 1994 and Chief Steward for her store in 1996.  Laurie is active in the local union, raising funds for Leukemia Research and is the Southern Chair of the Local 1400 Women’s Committee and the Saskatchewan representative to the National Women's Advisory Committee.  She was elected to her first term on the Executive Board in January, 2000 and has been re-elected for each term since that time.

Jim Kutnikoff

Jim joined the local union when he started work at the Prince Albert SuperStore as a shipper-receiver in 1982 and has been the store's Chief Shop Steward since that time; he is also a member of the Grievance Committee.  He has been representing his unit on the Bargaining Committee since 1996.  He became a member of the local’s Executive Board in January 2000 and has been re-elected for each subsequent term.

Martin Altwasser

Martin became a member of the Brewery, Flour, Cereal, Soft drink and Distillery Workers (BFCSD) in 1977 when he was hired by the Carling Brewery in Saskatoon.  The BFCSD merged with UFCW Local 346W in 1984.  In 1990 when a group of employees bought the brewery, they re-named it Great Western Brewery.  Martin continued to work at the brewery and over the years has served as a Shop Steward and an OH&S member, and Vice-President then President of Local 346W. Martin became a Vice-President of Local 1400 when Local 346W merged with Local 1400 in January of 2003.

Hazel Hack

Hazel first became a union member when she joined the United Garment Workers (UGW) while working at CanaDay’s in Moose Jaw in 1975.  She left CanaDay’s for a while, returning in 1992 and became active in a number of roles in UGW Local 396G, including President.  After UGW merged with UFCW in 1996, she remained President of her local until it merged with Local 1400 in January 2003 when she became a Vice-President of Local 1400.

Cory Cozart

Cory became a member of UFCW Local 226P in 1986 when he began working at Canada Packers in Moose Jaw (now XL Foods).  He was a strong leader in a strike that lasted from July 1992 to February 1995.  Cory held many positions in Local 226P, serving as a Shop Steward, the Chief Shop Steward, Vice-President and President.  Following Local 226P's merger with Local 1400 in January 2003 he became a Vice-President of Local 1400 and remained the Unit Chair at XL Foods.

Gail Mack

Gail became a member of Local 1400 when she was hired as a cashier by Confederation Park SuperStore in Saskatoon, in 1981 (then SuperValu).  She first became active in the union when she volunteered to be a Steward in 1995.  Gail served as a picket captain during the 2002 strike and became Chief Steward in her store shortly after the strike ended.  She is an active member on the Local 1400 Women's Committee.  Gail was elected to the Executive Board as a Vice-President for the term beginning January 2004.

Rick Weichel

Rick became a member of the Brewery, Flour, Cereal, Soft drink and Distillery Workers (BFCSD) when he was hired as a temporary employee with the Saskatchewan Brewers Association in Regina, now called Brewers Distributor Ltd.  The BFCSD merged with UFCW in 1984, the same year Rick became a full-time employee.  Over the years Rick has served as Shop Steward and was President of Local 340 for six years until it merged with Local 1400 in 1994. He was elected as Vice-President of the Local for the term beginning January 1, 2004.

Traci Wasylenko

Traci became a member of Local 1400 when she started working at Affinity (formerly FirstSask Credit Union and Saskatoon Credit Union) in March 1995.  She became actively involved when she became a Shop Steward in 1999 and has been a Co-chair or Co-Chief Shop Steward for her unit since that time.  Traci served as a picket captain in the 2002 strike and has participated in many union courses and seminars.  She joined the UFCW Executive Board in September 2006 and was elected to a full term in January 2008.  

Craig became a member of Local 1400 when he was hired in June 2002 at the 8th Street Home Centre location of the Saskatoon Co-operative Association.  Craig became active with the local in 2003 becoming a Shop Steward for his unit.  He has been an active member of the Local 1400 Youth Committee for a number of years and took on the Chair position for the committee in 2008.  He is very active with the New Democratic Party (NDP) and has held a variety of positions including President of the Young New Democrats and President of the Blackstrap Riding.  He currently sits on his local Constituency Executive and is also a Vice-President on the Saskatoon and District Labour Council (SDLC).  He was elected as Vice-President of the Local for the first time for the term beginning January 1, 2008.