LYNNETTE KINGSTON (FRASER)
Local: Chilliwack Amalgamated (Chilliwack General Hospital)
Job: Recreation worker
Lynnette has been an HEU activist for about five years when she became secretary-treasurer of her local. She began serving on the P.E. in 2009.
As to what inspired her interest in becoming a union activist, she says, “It was when I had to go through an arbitration process that was very difficult. The local executive was extremely supportive. Although this happened at a different local, where I was working at the time, the exceptional services and support I received from that local inspired me to become actively involved when I moved to the Chilliwack General Hospital.”
JOANNE FOOTE (FRASER)
Local: Fraser Crossing (Holyrood Manor)
Job: Recreation aide
An activist for 22 years, Joanne was first elected to the P.E. in 2000 and has held several positions on her local executive. She has served four full terms and a partial term on the P.E. and is currently secretary-treasurer of her local.
Joanne is a band member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation in Ontario. She says she’s “always been active, but probably being angry at a private, for-profit employer, and the injustices that were going on, made me get involved in the union.”
The next two years: “I’d like to see the union continue strengthening and mentoring our new activists, and help stop privatization and contracting out. I’d like to keep everybody on the same page to raise awareness and help the public understand what’s happening in health care – like user-fees and private clinics.”
DEBERA WILLIS (INTERIOR)
Local: 100 Mile (100 Mile District General Hospital)
Job: Licensed practical nurse
Debera is a new member of the P.E., but she's been a union activist for eight years. Currently, she is a shop steward, an LPN (PRF) steward and secretary-treasurer of her local.
Debera first got involved in the union because “I didn’t like the way management was treating some of my co-workers. And I could see that some were not able to speak for themselves. I also didn’t like the rotation I was working – it was a six-day rotation and people were calling in sick. So I talked to management and the union, and got the rotation changed. After that, the more questions I asked, the more my chief shop steward encouraged me to step up and become a steward.”
MARGIE ANDERSON (INTERIOR)
Local: Columbia View (Columbia View Lodge)
Job: Activity worker
Over the past 30 years as a union activist in HEU, Margie has held several positions at her local and is currently a shop steward. She has also served two full terms on the P.E. and two partial terms in 2003 and 2005.
Margie originally got involved in the union “because members were coming to me needing help with a lot of different issues. I was able to talk with them and listen to them and in some cases help them out. I started taking union education courses early on to learn more about how to help members defend their rights. Also, I got mad when a job review request was turned down. I felt it wasn’t right, and from that moment on, I realized it was really important to learn how to protect our collective agreement rights.”
RHONDA BRUCE (INTERIOR)
Local: South Okanagan (Sunnybank Centre)
Job: Rehab assistant
Rhonda has been an activist for about 20 years and is serving her second term on the P.E. She is currently secretary-treasurer, chief shop steward, and the OH&S rep for her local and has held other positions in the past.
As to what sparked her union involvement, Rhonda says, “I could see that a lot of changes were beginning to happen in health care – lots of restructuring, LPNs going full scope, and there were a lot of rumours. I decided that if I didn’t get involved, I wouldn’t know what was going on or where it was all headed. But I also knew that the union would have more information and I could count on the union reps to give me the facts.”
LOIS DORAN (NORTH)
Local: Prince George (Canadian Mental Health Association – Prince George Branch)
Job: Community health support worker
Lois is serving her second term on the P.E. She has been a union activist for about 15 years, holding several positions on her local executive. Currently, she is chairperson of her local.
Lois says she first got involved in her local because “somebody had to represent community health workers at local meetings. Then I discovered the opportunities for learning – in the union and for personal growth – were excellent. Also, my own personal values are reflected in the union in terms of social activism, human rights, and people standing together. It’s a lot like a family. You support each other. Every part is a vital part.”
PAT SHAW (NORTH)
Local: South Peace (Dawson Creek and District Hospital)
Job: Nursing unit assistant (unit clerk)
A union activist for about 12 years, Pat was elected to the P.E. in 2008. She is chairperson of her local and has held several other positions.
Pat became a union activist because “I could see how the employer was abusing their power and how it was affecting people who didn’t know how to protect themselves. I had read my contract so knew there were things they shouldn’t be doing. I got in touch with my steward and that’s where it all began. I think that’s a common thread for a lot of activists. Once you get to know your rights, you become more empowered to stand up for yourself and other members.”
BEV TRYNCHY (VANCOUVER COASTAL)
Local: St. Paul’s (St. Paul’s Hospital)
Job: Staff scheduling clerk
Bev has served on the P.E. since 2007 and has been a union activist for 23 years. She is currently chief shop steward at her local.
Although she’s held many local executive positions at her work sites (Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, then St. Paul’s), the BC Liberals’ attack on health care workers inspired her to run for the P.E.
“Bill 37 and the fallout from it made me want to do something. Instead of sitting back and saying ‘poor me’, I got more involved at the P.E. level to fight the Liberal government for the betterment of our members. It’s easy to complain, but you’ve got to be progressive enough to do something, and I chose to do something by becoming more active in the union.”
KELLY KNOX (VANCOUVER COASTAL)
Local: St. Paul’s (St. Paul’s Hospital)
Job: Ward aide
Kelly has served on the P.E. since 1996 and has been chairperson of his local for nine years. He is a third-generation HEU member who walked his first picket line in 1976. His activism grew from there.
He recalls a sit-in held by workers over a lack of housekeeping supplies. When the employer threatened to fire the participants, Kelly approached the union for steward support.
Eventually, he became a shop steward himself and remembers threatening his employer with 500 charges of discrimination against women. “At the time, their seniority list was done by a private company and seniority was based on payroll lists that only calculated paid-worked hours. So anyone who was on unpaid leave, such as maternity, did not have the correct seniority.” In the end, the seniority issue was resolved and the work was brought back in-house.
JOHN FRASER (VANCOUVER COASTAL)
Local: Powell River Health Care Workers (Sodexo at Powell River Hospital)
Job: Dietary clerk
John has been an HEU activist for seven years. He is currently the chair, chief shop steward, and OH&S co-chair at his local. He began serving on the P.E. in 2010.
Hired by Sodexo following the mass layoffs of in-house support workers in 2003, John was immediately inspired to become a union activist. “What I saw was the blatant disregard government had for the workers; they were totally stripped of their rights. It was such a brutal atrocity of justice. I still can’t believe a government could do that. Members lost their houses, families, pensions… And I also saw the injustices that are happening for the private-sector workers.”
DARLENE BOWN (VANCOUVER ISLAND - SOUTH)
Local: Victoria General (Victoria General Hospital)
Job: Sterilization technician
Darlene has been an HEU activist for 20 years. She is currently the vice-chair of her local and chief shop steward, and has held other positions in the past.
Darlene became active because, “I didn’t like how we were being treated. I saw a lot of favouritism. And I was amazed that people didn’t know their rights under their collective agreement and didn’t enforce them. I had experienced oppression prior to becoming an HEU member. I had also been a union member before, so I knew how important our collective agreement rights are. I decided to get involved to help make sure people are treated with fairness, dignity and respect. That’s a fundamental principle of the union movement.”
CAROL BUNCH (VANCOUVER ISLAND - NORTH)
Local: District 69 Community Health Workers (Parksville and District Home Support)
Job: Community health worker
An activist for 25 years, Carol has served two terms on the P.E. Currently, she is the chairperson and chief shop steward on her local executive.
“It’s pay-it-forward for me. I’m a recovering alcoholic. AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] gave me a life; the union gave me a voice. When I sobered up, I did what I needed to do in the union – attend meetings and start to understand how the union works. My children were still at home at the time and I needed to raise them. But once they were grown and gone, I became a full-fledged activist.”