Celebrating International Women’s Day

The history of feminism and unionism have gone hand-in-hand in Canada. When women first began to form unions, they did so in order to demand fair pay and safer working conditions — a fight many continue to pursue to date. Over time, the overlap between feminism and unionism can be seen by way of advocating for laws and rights that would protect ALL employees, not just women.   

Approximately 80% of HSAA’s membership consists of individuals who identify as female.  Even though we receive equal pay to our male counterparts, we hear from our membership that there are still inequalities. The mental load of being a woman with societal pressures to be nurturing and care for everyone, all while working in the health care; missed opportunities for promotions; and using time off from work to provide care for loved ones. We hear from women time and time again, that they feel as though they are expected to be able to do everything, and they TRY to do everything, and still feel like they aren’t doing good enough.

Women play a crucial role in the union in fighting for rights of all individuals; we are here in pursuit of equitable rights for all! One goal of our Women’s Committee is to build capacity in our membership so that women are empowered to participate in the union, and potentially take on leadership roles within HSAA and the labour movement!