Jamie Dunn
Director of Organizing and Negotiations

CAUT has appointed Jamie Dunn as Director of Organizing and Negotiations. Jamie joins us with over 25 years of experience as a grassroots union activist, elected union leader, public interest advocate, and negotiator. He has worked as a national representative with CUPE; spokesperson and lead negotiator with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC); a campaigner with the Council of Canadians (where he co-founded The Blue Planet Project, an international network to protect water and human rights); and, regional program officer with the Health Sector Training Adjustment Program.

Jamie spent the last 5 years as the Executive Director of the Civic Institute of Professional Personnel (CIPP), the union representing professional staff employed by the City of Ottawa. At CIPP, he was responsible for leading labour relations, advocacy, organizing, communications, legal affairs, and the financial management of the union. Throughout his career, Jamie has demonstrated a commitment to membership engagement, organizing, and the promotion of trade union and human rights. He has been widely recognized for his leadership, communications, managerial, and negotiating skills.

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Melissa Bendig
Policy Officer

CAUT has hired Melissa Bendig as a Policy Officer. Melissa is joining us with a strategic and versatile policy and research background with ten years of experience in stakeholder relations and public engagement spanning across provincial governments, universities, global initiatives and community-based organizations. She has worked as Lecturer on Indigenous Health Studies at the First Nations University of Canada and as Director of Issues Management for the NDP in the Office of the Official Opposition, Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly.

More recently, she was a Ministerial Advisor (Ministry of Energy first, then Ministry of Children Services and Status of Women) for the NDP government in Alberta where she remained as a researcher following the loss of the election. Melissa earned Bachelors of Science (Biochemistry) and Health Studies (Indigenous Health) as well as her Masters in Public Health at the University of Saskatoon.