COVID
COVID Chronicles: BC Labour’s Story
Joshua Berson photo.
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21, the B.C. Labour Heritage Centre (BCLHC) recorded first-hand accounts of BC’s working people.
The purpose of the project was to capture, expand and enrich history by documenting the current moment as it relates to working people and unions, to explore how their work was impacted by the pandemic and the public health orders that were made. The collection intends to preserve this moment for future historians.
The project began in July 2020. There were several components:
- Recorded video interviews
- Photographs
- An online survey
- Archived articles and media reports
- Artifacts
Interviews conducted to March 3, 2021:
- Troy Clifford & Dave Deines, CUPE Local 873 (Ambulance Paramedics of BC)
- Kim Novak & Patrick Johnson, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1518
- Keith Woods & Phil Klapwyk, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 891
- Laird Cronk & Sussanne Skidmore, BC Federation of Labour
- John Betts & Jordan Teslu, treeplanters (WFCA)
- Rob Ashton, ILWU Canada
- Val Avery, Health Sciences Association of BC
- Deea Bailey, Maple Ridge Community Services – CUPE Local 1936
- Keith Baldrey, journalist
- Alexandra Velot Barnet, WISH Drop-In Centre – CUPE Local 1936
- Mike Biskar, Unite HERE! Local 40
- Jorge Cardenas, Burnaby Public Library
- Brenda Childs, Licensed Practical Nurse
- Kathie Currie, CUPE Local 15
- Trevor Davies, CUPE BC
- Ngaio Davis, cremation, burial and ceremony services
- Gord Ditchburn, BC Professional Fire Fighters Association
- Andrea Duncan, BCGEU Component 3
- Tonya Edwards, Comox Valley Transition Society
- Judy Fox-McGuire, BCGEU Component 6
- Jessica Friesen, letter carrier, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
- Chelsea French, Build TogetHER
- Dr. Evelyn Encalada Grez, Justice 4 Migrant Workers
- Krista Lee Hanson, Coast Mountain Bus Driver
- Kirsty Havard, Regional Vice-President, Union of Safety and Justice Employees – Public Service Alliance of Canada
- Jennifer Hollinshead, Registered Clinical Counsellor
- Steve Hunt, United Steelworkers District 3
- Graeme Johnston, BC Ferries and Marine Workers Union
- Ruby Kaur, Registered Clinical Counsellor, Health Sciences Association of BC
- Steve Knauff, CUPE Local 801
- Kimberley Koch, Union of Taxation Employees – Public Service Alliance of Canada
- Diane Kornyk, support worker, Richmond Society for Community Living – CUPE Local 1936
- Vanessa Kwan, grunt gallery
- Peter Lahay, International Transport Workers Federation
- Terri Lee, Agriculture Union – Public Service Alliance of Canada
- Jim Lofty, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 213
- Julia MacRae, Surrey Teachers’ Association
- Dan Mangan, musician and performer
- Christy McGregor, CUPE Local 4078
- Doug McKay, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 258
- Andrew Mercier, BC Building Trades
- Andreea Micu, Worker Solidarity Network
- Teri Mooring, President, BC Teachers’ Federation (August 2020)
- Teri Mooring, President, BC Teachers’ Federation (February 2021)
- Anju Parmar, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
- Al Phillips, BC Building Trades
- Guy Quesnel, UFCW 1518
- Karen Ranalletta, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2950
- Stephen Rayson, 1st Vice Chair BCGEU Local 1003 (Canada Line)
- Tess Riley, teacher (Williams Lake)
- Nate Sabine, Blueprint Events
- Harpreet Sandhu, Early Childhood Educator (audio only)
- Tony Santavenere, Teamsters Local 213
- Stephanie Smith, BC Government and Service Employees’ Union
- Laura Snow, Compensation Employees’ Union
- Meaghan Thumath, Registered nurse: professor, researcher, marginalized communities
- Annette Toth, MoveUP
- Phil Venoit, BC Building Trades
- Vicky Waldron, Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan
- Jennifer Whiteside, Hospital Employees’ Union
- Warren Williams, CUPE Local 15
- Andrea Woo, journalist
- Jason Woods, International Longshore Workers Union Local 400
- Erika Zavala, Migrant Farmworker
Joshua Berson photo
Don’t have time to watch everything? Below are clips from some of the interviews:
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- Print this label, attach it to a file box, and save anything relating to your union and COVID19 for archiving.
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- Members’ Stories from Hospital Employees’ Union
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from WorkSafeBC to this project.
