Tomorrow marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a time to recognize the intergenerational harm caused by the residential school system that continues to impact Indigenous families and communities. There will be a commemorative gathering on Parliament Hill from 1:00 – 2:30pm. We encourage members to wear orange shirts and participate. Those interested can join CUASA and the Ottawa and District Labour Council (ODLC); we will be meeting outside the Labour Council office (280 Metcalfe Street) at 12:30pm and walking together to Parliament Hill.
Staff
CUASA employs full-time professional staff who are available to provide assistance and answer your inquiries. CUASA’s staff are unionized under Unifor Local 567.

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Jaye Horton Interim Director / Member Services & Communications Officer
Jaye (he/they) is responsible for the provision of association services, including assisting in collective bargaining, providing committee support, day-to-day services to members, and both internal and external communications on behalf of the Association.
In addition to his primary role as MSCO, Jaye is also currently serving as the Interim Director. The Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations and administration of the Association, including providing support for and advising the President and other Executive officers, and coordinating the work of staff to ensure the effective delivery of services to the membership.
Jaye is currently enrolled in the Professional Master of Industrial Relations program at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON. They hold a Master of Arts in Communication from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Communication from Cape Breton University in their hometown of Sydney, NS. He has also completed a Professional Writing Certificate in Marketing and Public Relations from the University of Calgary, as well as the Labour Relations Certificate from Toronto Metropolitan University and Lancaster House.
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Max López Research Officer (Equity)
Max (he/they) is a queer, trans, disabled Muslim who loves hiking, playing with his dog, and reading Afrofuturist feminist sci-fi. Prior to working at CUASA, Max worked in the senior services sector and taught in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at Oregon State University. Max holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bard College, with a double major in Human Rights and Political Studies, and he received a Master of Arts from Oregon State University in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a minor in Queer Studies. Their master’s thesis, titled “The TawḥīdicPull: Towards a Queer Islamic Spiritual Activism,” utilized Audre Lorde’s biomythographical framework to put queer and trans Muslim theology and activism in conversation with disability studies and queer woman of color feminist theory.
Max joined CUASA in March of 2022, where he serves as the support staff for various subcommittees, creating minutes and agendas for meetings, assisting with scheduling, and performing research for equity-related initiatives.
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Liala Swayty Office Manager
Liala has recently taken on a new role as CUASA’s Office Manager. The Office Manager provides administrative support for the administration and operations of the Association, and is also responsible for day-to-day management of the Association’s finances in Consultation with the Treasurer.
Liala first joined CUASA’s team in 2015 as the Records and Space Management Coordinator and from 2019 to 2022 she served as the Assistant to the Director.
Liala has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree, both from the University of Ottawa.
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Alex Aucoin Grievance Representative
Alex assists CUASA throughout the grievance, mediation, and arbitration processes.
Alex holds a P1 licence from the Law Society of Ontario and graduated with honours from the paralegal program at Algonquin Careers Academy in Ottawa. Alex has also completed a certificate in human resources and labour relations from Athabasca University and a certificate in labour law from York University. He is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in human resources and labour relations from Athabasca University.
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Hanan Mankal Grievance Representative
Hanan grew up in Ottawa and moved to the Middle East for a number of years with her family. She comes from a diversified professional background working in the medical field, retail, and the legal field.
Hanan holds a P1 licence from the Law Society of Ontario, and graduated with excellence from the LSO accredited paralegal program at Algonquin Careers Academy. She has completed training in Labour Relations (Ryerson University/Toronto Metropolitan University), Workplace Mental Health (York University), The Law of Emergencies (York University), Human Resources Law for HR Professionals (York University), and Human Rights Activist (UNIFOR Education Centre).