Greg French

Greg French was born in Toronto and raised in Whitby, Ontario. He holds an Honors degree in Geography and Political Science from the University of Toronto and completed post-graduate studies at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay. Currently, he serves as the President of CUPE Local 53, where he represents more than 700 municipal workers in the communities of Whitby and Uxbridge.

With over 30 years of dedicated activism within CUPE, Greg’s leadership is built on a foundation of service. His previous roles include:

• Steward and Chief Steward for Local 53.

• Bargaining Team Member for more than 20 years.

• Bargaining Chair for the past 15 years.

Throughout his tenure, Greg has achieved provedn results both at the table and on the line. He has been a key architect in negotiating 14 collective agreements. His commitment to the membership was most evident in 2023 when, after exhaustive negotiations, he led Local 53 through its first strike in its 50-year history. Greg had the distinct honor of leading members onto the picket line at midnight on October 13th, beginning a five-week withdrawal of services to secure a fair contract.

Beyond the bargaining table, Greg is a dedicated organizer. He was a central member of the team that recently brought the Whitby Public Library into the local, successfully concluding a member drive that spanned a decade.

Greg has a vision of solidarity, grounded in a simple vision of what activism is. It was the former U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone who once said: “We all do better when we all do better”. His work is focused on identifying and empowering those who recognize the collective potential for improvement and providing a clear path toward achieving it.

Having traveled the province to support countless picket lines, protest marches, and rallies, Greg has built invaluable relationships with workers across Ontario. These experiences have provided him with a deep, firsthand understanding of the struggles facing the modern workforce. He is running for Member at Large to bring this insight and proven track record to the CUPE Ontario Executive Board.

Greg invites you to continue down that same path together - for the worker.