Young Professionals Network: An interview with Matthew Mairinger

Matthew Mairinger is a Senior Technical Engineer at OPG. He is a former Steering Committee member of the Young Professionals Network (YPN).

Matthew Maringer

When did YPN first launch?

MATTHEW: We officially launched YPN on Oct. 5, 2017 at a social event at Vegabondo Italian Restaurant and Lounge in Toronto’s Financial District.

Oct. 5, 2017 - YPN launch event

What inspired the creation of YPN?

MATTHEW: One source of inspiration for the YPN was the Society Young Professionals Committee (SYPC), which was formed around 2007 by the Hydro One Local. SYPC organized events for young professionals within Hydro One. It remained active for several years before the Young Professionals Network was formed.

Later, members at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) began organizing activities for young professionals in the union. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Unit Director Leon Simeon represented the new grads. He started to run these programs where all the new grads would get together and develop new grads into Society delegates. We’d have pizza socials and lunch and learns where we would talk about how the Society works.

He wanted to empower young people, get them involved in the Society, and share knowledge about why unions are important. He approached a fellow grad and Society delegate Chris Moir and I and said, “Hey, do you guys want to help and be more involved? I am thinking about doing something more organized.” That was when NextGen started. It was a group for young professionals in the union at OPG.

Leon was my mentor and guide as a Society leader. He was the one who brought me into the union and made me a delegate. He was a huge inspiration for me going forward.

Then-Executive Vice-President Andy D’Andrea was looking to transition NextGen into a Society-wide group, so he approached Leon to discuss expanding it. That’s when Next Gen and SYPC blossomed into the Young Professionals Network.

Rather than start from the ground up, Andy asked Chris and I to take leadership roles in YPN given our experience organizing young members. We served as YPN steering committee members and representatives from OPG.

It was a great experience to be a part of. NextGen was specific to OPG, so to work with the leaders at Kinetrics, Hydro One, and all the other workplaces was beneficial for me.

Jan. 23, 2020 - YPN Games Night, Snakes and Lattes Midtown 

What is one way the committee has had an impact on the union or its members?

MATTHEW: As young members, we had recently entered our first unionized job. We were all pretty much in the same boat. We were new hires at different companies starting a career at our first “real” job. The ins-and-outs of the workplace were confusing. And it was very easy for certain managers to take advantage of new people. A lot of us didn’t know about pensions, benefits, or the grievance process.

"The ins-and-outs of the workplace were confusing. And it was very easy for certain managers to take advantage of new people."

YPN empowers young people to know about their union and the importance of it. And it encourages them to stand up for their rights. Through networking and social events, we were able to share knowledge. At the end of the day, you could discuss your issues with other people. You could say, “My manager didn’t pay me overtime because of this,” and our colleagues would engage with them. As a collective we had people we could talk with to ensure the workplace was fair.

What can union members do to support the committee or their young colleagues in the workplace?

MATTHEW: Get young people engaged: they want to learn more so give them opportunities. One of the biggest challenges for young people is to get management support and funding to go to Society committee meetings or conferences. If you want them involved in the Society, they need to have a seat at the table. And to have a seat at the table, they need to know how to access events.

Why is it so important that young people are involved in the union? What perspectives can they offer?

MATTHEW: If you have unequal representation in the union, the issues that arise during bargaining won’t reflect the membership. If the union only engages people that are about to retire, they might care most about pensions. If only young people are engaged, bargaining priorities might weigh towards short-term goals like an increase in pay, or benefits that may not be beneficial to other members.

It’s always good to have multiple sides represented. The issues that young people have are different from those that have been in the industry for a while. Others might not be aware of some of the problems that we may experience because they are a manager or an MP5, or an MP6, and they know the system. I think it’s always good to have multiple sides represented to make sure the union is protecting all workers and considering all aspects when negotiating collective agreements.

For more information on YPN, including how to join the committee that leads YPN activities, contact: [email protected].