As a democratic union, MoveUP leadership positions are filled through elections. These positions include our table officers (president, secretary-treasurer, and vice-presidents), our executive board, and our executive council.
Any MoveUP member in good standing is eligible to run for an elected position or to vote in a MoveUP general election. A member in good standing is defined in Article 3.3 of MoveUP’s Constitution.
Outside of the positions of president and secretary-treasurer which all members in good standing can run and/or vote in, all other positions are based on specific constituencies. In simple terms, that means you must belong to a specific constituency, based on where you work, to run for a particular position or cast a vote for a particular candidate.
Thinking about running for an elected position? See the answers to important questions below.
We encourage all prospective candidates to read, and be familiar with, the MoveUP Constitution, Bylaws and Policies. For the full MoveUP Election Procedure, refer to Article 10 of the MoveUP Constitution.
What general elections does MoveUP have?
MoveUP has two general elections, and both run every three years on alternating cycles: The executive board elections, including elections for the table officer positions, and the executive council elections.
The next executive council elections will be in Spring 2026. The next executive board elections, which includes the president, secretary-treasurer, and vice-presidents, will be in Summer 2027.
MoveUP elected positions are all three-year terms.
If there are unfilled positions following a general election, or someone vacates their position before the three-year term is completed, a by-election may be held to fill the vacant position.
Note: MoveUP members working under the Construction Industry Affiliated Trade Unions (CIATU) collective agreement also conduct elections for trustees for the Master Construction Trade Union Benefit Plan (MCTUB). The rules surrounding their election process can be found in the MoveUP Constitution under Article 10.8.
Who administers the elections at MoveUP?
Elections are administered by the returning officer. The returning officer is a MoveUP member but cannot be a member of the MoveUP staff, the executive council, the executive board, or be a candidate in any MoveUP election.
It is the returning officer’s duty to ensure elections are carried out following MoveUP’s constitution and bylaws. You can find all the duties of the returning officer in MoveUP’s Constitution under Article 10.2.
The returning officer and deputy returning officers are appointed by the executive board in February of the year of an executive council election for three-year terms as per Article 10.4 of MoveUP’s Constitution.
Who is eligible to run in a MoveUP election?
Generally speaking any MoveUP member in good standing is eligible to run. For specific information on qualification, please see Article 10.3 of the MoveUP Constitution.
What are the timelines for nominations in a general election?
Nominations for president, secretary-treasurer, vice-presidents, and executive board elections are called 122 days prior to convention and are open for 14 days.
Nominations for executive council are called 42 days prior to the executive council election and open for 21 days.
For by-elections, the specific timing will be communicated on a case-by-case basis.
Note: Per Article 10.7 of MoveUP’s Constitution, as of November 1, 2025, any new vacancies for executive councillor positions will not be filled until the next executive council general election taking place in Spring 2026.
What do I need to submit to become a candidate?
You will need to submit your completed nomination form by the stated deadline, which includes signatures from MoveUP members in good standing. Aside from the president and secretary-treasurer positions which can have signatures from any member, the signatures must come from members from the component (for vice-presidents) / bargaining unit (for executive board members) / executive council area (for executive councillors).
For president, secretary-treasurer, vice-presidents, and executive board, a minimum of five signatures is required. For executive council, a minimum of two signatures is required. It is recommended that candidates gather more signatures than the minimum required.
Every candidate has the option of submitting a photograph of themselves and a biography of up to 150 words. Note that biographies exceeding 150 words will be cut off at the 150th word.
What candidate information does MoveUP send to members when there is an election or by-election?
In addition to providing information on when and how to vote, MoveUP will share the candidate’s photograph and their 150-word biography with members who are eligible to vote.
Can candidates have access to the list of potential voters?
Yes. Per Article 10.6 of MoveUP’s Constitution, candidates for any position are entitled to receive MoveUP’s membership and voters list the first working day following the close of nominations. You are only entitled to receive information for your specific prospective constituents, including their home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses if known.
To request a copy, email the MoveUP Membership Department at membership@moveuptogether.ca. With your request, you must also attach a completed Elections Confidentiality Form which is available on the MoveUP Member Portal. To ensure our members’ information is protected, all candidates must complete and abide by the Elections Confidentiality Form before receiving access to membership information.
It is the returning officer’s responsibility to establish a preliminary voters list showing the name and constituency number in which each member is entitled to vote. Members who do not appear on the preliminary voters list will be entitled to have their names added up until April 1 in an executive council election year, and four days prior to the start of polling when the executive board is being elected.
To learn more about campaign procedures, see Section 3 of MoveUP’s Bylaws.