Fred Upshaw

Fred Upshaw began his career at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (formerly the Whitby Mental Health Centre) as a registered nurse. There, he became involved with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), acting as chief steward to the president of the local union. Upshaw has served as president of OPSEU, which represents Ontario public sector workers, vice-president of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Labour. He was president of the Toronto region of the Jaycees organization and served as its national director of leadership training. He also coached minor sports in Oshawa for 20 years and received the Premier’s Award in 1994.