President: Natalie Sheriffe
presidentlocal5480@gmail.com
Natalie Sheriffe is a compassionate and creative leader who brings heart, dedication, and a strong sense of advocacy to her role as President of CUPE Local 5480. Her professional journey began in cosmetology, but her calling for community support drew her into Early Childhood Education in 2015. Today, she proudly serves in the EarlyON department, where she supports parents, caregivers, and children through some of their most important developmental milestones.
Natalie is known for her empathy, calm leadership, and unwavering commitment to helping others thrive. Whether guiding families through challenges or standing up for members’ rights, she leads with patience, understanding, and a deep belief in collective strength.
Outside of her work, Natalie finds joy in crocheting, cooking, and creative expression—activities that ground her and fuel her caring approach to leadership. She is a strong advocate for those in need and strives each day to empower others to become the best version of themselves.
As President, Natalie is dedicated to fostering unity, fairness, and respect across CUPE Local 5480, ensuring members feel heard, supported, and protected.
Vice-President: Lynette Cupidore
vplocal5480@gmail.com
Lynette Cupidore has built her career supporting the community through her long-standing work at My Neighbourhood Services for over 29 years. She serves as a Caribbean Settlement Advisor and Caribbean Seniors Coordinator. Her deep compassion, cultural understanding, and dedication to seniors have made her a trusted and respected presence in the community.
As Vice-President of CUPE Local 5480, Lynette brings strong advocacy, steady leadership, and a firm commitment to fairness. She is devoted to ensuring safe workplaces, equitable treatment, and respect for all members. Guided by the principle she holds close to her heart, “United we stand, divided we fall,” she continues to champion unity and collective strength within the Local.
Outside of her work, Lynette finds joy and calm through gem art and number puzzles, which she considers her therapeutic escape. She also enjoys reading non-fiction and crime mystery books, always curious and eager to learn something new.
Secretary-Treasurer: Ali Talal Noori
treasurer5480@gmail.com
Ali Talal Noori’s path to CUPE Local 5480 has always been guided by one thing: helping people feel supported, seen, and protected. With experience living on four continents and travelling to more than 40 countries, Ali brings a broad, people-centred understanding of fairness, compassion and solidarity to his work as Secretary-Treasurer.
By day, Ali supports newcomers and refugee families at MNS, where he has earned a reputation for being steady, thoughtful, and deeply committed to those facing difficult transitions. That same sense of responsibility shapes how he approaches the Local’s finances; with transparency, care, and a strong belief that members deserve clarity and trust in their union. Ali brings a broad, people-centered understanding to reinforce his core value: “steadfast advocacy for the members of CUPE 5480.”
When he isn’t advocating for others, Ali is recharging outdoors: playing cricket or badminton, exploring hiking trails, or travelling with his dog in search of the next adventure. His lived experiences, both at home and around the world, continue to shape the grounded, member-first approach he brings to CUPE 5480 every day.
Steward (Westwood): Harjit Sanghera
cupelocal5480@gmail.com
Harjit is a LINC teacher with eight years of experience and is a certified public school teacher. For Harjit, teaching is not just a job; it’s about helping and supporting others.
Born and raised in Canada, Harjit has always stood up for what is right. She has defended classmates who were bullied, supported students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms, and spoken up for community members such as taxi drivers, advocating for their safety and fair wages. She believes in fairness and doing what is morally right.
In addition to teaching, Harjit helps students connect with community resources, like food banks. She is passionate about building their confidence in everyday tasks, such as ordering coffee on their own and making doctor’s appointments.She cherishes quality time with her family, especially her daughter. In her free time, she loves running, even in winter, baking, and trying new foods (as long as they don’t have peanuts). She enjoys participating in community runs for good causes and once climbed the CN Tower—145 floors and 1,776 steps in just 28 minutes!
At Westwood, Harjit is the Union Steward and a member of the Health and Safety Committee. She takes these roles seriously and wants her colleagues to feel supported when coming to her with their concerns and needs.