A friendly reminder that this is a labour-based day of observance! Most IWD messages you hear today will omit this, but the day grew out of women organizing into unions and taking to the streets to demand rights and dignity as workers. Feminism and trade unionism are knitted together.
The story of women in UCTE is no exception. The first female National President of UCTE, Christine Collins, was a strong activist for women’s rights, including a lot of work on the historic PSAC pay equity case.
As women gained a stronger hold in organized labour over the past five or six decades, and as public sector unions have led the way in terms of developing women in leadership, UCTE has been at the forefront. Speak to women in your local to learn about more of the powerful women in our union history, and in the broader PSAC.
We also remember today that the women’s movement is not just about gaining rights. It also requires ongoing defensive work. The struggle for reproductive rights and reproductive health is one example: the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade in the U.S.A. was a reminder, and access to safe reproductive care in Canada is likewise still contested.
Feminist struggle still has far to go, but we can be very proud of the work that’s been achieved, and of UCTE’s role in the movement.
