On March 1st, Next Up BC brought together women labour leaders to share their stories about how they've carved out space for women in the labour movement. The gathering reflected on how to increase equity for all in labour unions today.
Next Up BC was joined by Jinny Sims of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), Stephanie Smith, president of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU), and Natasha Tony, Assistant Steward of IATSE Local 891, for a panel talk that explored what needs to be done to increase the presence and power of women in labour.
We named what barriers keep women from engaging more meaningfully in union structures and discussed what some of our unions have done well - what strategies are working - to make gains for women in the workplace and radiate the voices of women. We considered how not all women's experiences are the same, and how our unions can work harder to reflect, in a sustainable way, the diversity of their memberships. Thank you to all those who joined us and made this edition of Next Up BC's Open Session Series a success.