![\"YouthDay\"](\"http:\/\/www.une-sen.org\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/YouthDay1.png\")
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If you knew me at all, you would have never thought that I would be active in the union. When I started working I was young, na\u00efve and not at all educated on the worker\u2019s movement.\u00a0 All that I knew about it was that my parents were part of unions and they went on strike a handful of times.<\/p>\n
BUT WHY?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Why choose to stop getting paid?\u00a0 It prevented us from taking that great trip down the Oregon Coast when I was eleven because the strike meant no spending money: no drives to the beach, no volleyball in the sand, no maple walnut flavoured ice cream cones. When I started working for the government, I figured I would stay away from union activity. Members get so angry and riled up; I didn’t see what the fuss was about. We have everything that we could want or need in our workplace. Little did I know that if we didn’t fight for what we have and more, it wouldn’t just be the one time I’d be missing out on the Oregon Coast, it could be many more times.<\/p>\n
I was dragged to my first local annual general meeting in the Spring of 2009.\u00a0 I only went because I was social and wanted to attend with my friend – I thought maybe we\u2019ll become closer friends after this. But I got involved – my first union event ever \u2013 and I was voted in as Treasurer.\u00a0 I joined the local for my own selfish reasons \u2013 I had just graduated University and I wanted to keep using my brain and perhaps this would fill up my resume a little bit more.<\/p>\n
December 6, 2009.\u00a0 \u00a0I turned 23 that day.\u00a0 I was one of three young workers at the National Component’s BC\/Yukon Regional Conference.\u00a0 At the 2008 National Component Triennial Convention, a resolution was passed to have two young workers from each region attend the 2011 Triennial Convention and every one after that.\u00a0 There were only three of us: one wanted to go but didn\u2019t think that she would be in the government much longer. Another wanted to go but only if she was extended because she was a term employee. Then there was me \u2013 I was thinking “what was I going to be doing that night for my 23rd birthday?”<\/i><\/p>\n
I was an indeterminate, so my peers agreed it only made sense that I would get one of the seats.\u00a0 I remember heading home feeling awful.\u00a0 Here were two young women who wanted so badly to be involved in these events and they had graciously agreed that I should have one of the seats.\u00a0 In August 2011, I was the only of the three young workers to make it to the convention. I knew that I would have to be the voice for BC\/Yukon young workers and bring the enthusiasm that the other two displayed in 2009.\u00a0 In a sense,\u00a0 I wanted to make them proud to have\u00a0had confidence in\u00a0me at convention.<\/p>\n
Fast forward seven years… now I am the President of that same local and the 2nd<\/sup> Assistant Regional Vice President BC\/Yukon for the Union of National Employees (UNE).\u00a0 A few things have changed since that 23 year old rookie at a union conference.\u00a0 I cannot believe that she and I\u00a0are the same girl.\u00a0 Was I wrong about my preconceived notions about the union? Yes!\u00a0 Being active has taught me about so many important things about the worker\u2019s movement and employee rights. Most importantly, we are not fighting for just ourselves but for all workers.\u00a0\u00a0I couldn\u2019t be more proud to be part of – and active – in a labour union that has made so many strides forward in the right direction and continues to do so.<\/p>\n As a young worker and a young adult, I believe that we have a stronger voice than ever.\u00a0 Our more mature activists have extended their arms to help guide us in the right direction by sharing knowledge and advice.\u00a0 I am thankful and proud that UNE has been a pioneer in the young workers\u2019 movement.\u00a0 At the 2011 Convention, our caucus consisted of 6 young workers.\u00a0 We were all new and unsure what to do with our time.\u00a0 Last year, our caucus consisted of over 30 young workers with an additional six of us as moderators.\u00a0 Young workers are notoriously shy when it comes to being active but UNE has made it so much easier to have our voices heard and help us grow as activists.\u00a0 Social media has also\u00a0allowed the voice of the youth to be heard.\u00a0 It\u2019s the new way of speaking up.\u00a0 Social media can allow a certain anonymity and this\u00a0fosters individuals\u00a0to voice their opinions and thoughts without fear of reprisal.\u00a0 I know now that we DON\u2019T have everything that we could ever want in the workplace.\u00a0 We still have the working poor.\u00a0 We need to be their voices as well as our own.<\/p>\n This year marks the fourth year that\u00a0the\u00a0government\u00a0has discussed and proposed an anti-union legislation, Bill C-377. Unions are already regulated and held accountable by the membership.\u00a0Bill C-59 is a bill to \u2018balance the budget\u2019 by proposing changes to federal civil servants’ sick leave provisions. This Bill will not only negatively affect civil servants but it could also become the standard for both public and private sectors.\u00a0 We don’t want our gains to be taken away from us.\u00a0 So, thank you for making it an easy decision to stay active in the union.\u00a0 Thank you for inspiring me to get others involved in our message. \u00a0Thank you for allowing us to stand tall and in solidarity towards one common goal.<\/p>\n Getting involved in the union was the last thing that I ever wanted to do, but I\u2019m so glad that I did.<\/p>\n Daphne Ho is the UNE\u2019s Assistant Regional Vice President for the BC & Yukon Region.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you knew me at all, you would have never thought that I would be active in the union. When I started working I was young, na\u00efve and not at all educated on the worker\u2019s movement.\u00a0 All that I knew about it was that my parents were part of unions and they went on strike … <\/p>\n