Hot Tubbin' For Justice

Last week I had the fortune of attending two great community events that highlighted the resilience and community vibe of the Downtown East Side.  Herstory in Focus: Downtown Eastside Women's Centre (DEWC) The Downtown Eastside Women's Centre is an inclusive facility that is there to assist women and children on the DTES of Vancouver. Herstory in Focus was their second annual gala event where women from the DEWC starred in their own fashion show at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  We were treated to the Wildflower Women of Turtle Island drumming in with Women's Warrior Song. Cecilia Point, from Musqueam gave the territorial acknowledgment to open the event. There was also a live auction and greetings from City of Vancouver Mayor, Gregor Robertson.  Carol Martin, a well-known activist and worker at the DEWC emceed the fashion show. She brought a sense of fun and empowerment as she described each woman who walked down the runway. She said that the DEWC helps builds th...

"So..Um...What is it that you do again?"  I spend a lot of time explaining to people what it is I do for the union, so here's a rundown of my activities. I am a proud member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees - local 2950. I am an administrative assistant in the library at the University of British Columbia - that's my day job. Do I get paid extra for my union work? Nope, but I am happy to do it and am committed to make things better for our members. At this point in my life I have the time to go to evening labour council meetings, to attend conventions, to be a shop steward, to sit on both the executive and contract committees, the University Health and Safety Committee... So here's a little bit of a breakdown of what I do for 2950 and for CUPE: Shop Steward As a steward I've had to read the collective agreement numerous times to understand what the responsibilities of the employer and the workers are. I attend grievance meetings, usually with ...