Learning the skills to fight for fairness

Name: Josephine Ng
Occupation:
Full-time dietary aide/cook at Richmond Hospital
Union:  HEU

Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) member Josephine Ng works is a full-time dietary aide/cook at Richmond Hospital. Her job involves both cooking and food delivery.
In 1988 Josephine moved from Hong Kong to B.C. to be with her fiancé in Prince George. Then, for 17 years she worked with her husband in their family-run restaurant in Mackenzie, BC – a town of 4,000 people – until her family decided to move to the Lower Mainland in 2005.
Josephine has been an HEU member since 2007. She is chair of her HEU local. She has served in many different positions on her executive because her passion is to help others.
She first became involved as a shop steward when she decided to help those experiencing unfair treatment at work. She quickly learned that it takes time to solve problems because you have to hear from both parties. Josephine has a talent for the problem-solving and the diplomacy needed to deal with on-the-job issues.
“I tell members I’m always on their side, whatever the issues,” says Josephine. “I will keep everything confidential and fight to solve their problems. When members see that problems can be resolved, it educates them about the value of having a collective agreement that ensures their issues can be sorted out.”
Because of union contractual collective agreement rights, which can be enforced, the protection of the union helps create a better workplace. Josephine values the union because she believes she can both educate herself and work to help create a fair, respectful workplace. And she believes most of her co-workers appreciate the union and what it can do for them.
“Being in a union provides medical and dental benefits, and more fairness, because jobs are required to be posted, and this results in more opportunities for workers.”
“And being involved in the union is really fun,” says Josephine. Through her participation in a union bargaining conference, regional meetings and training workshops, she’s learned about the rights that union members have as workers. She’s learned how to clearly and forcefully talk to management, and she has assisted her workplace brothers and sisters with many grievances. “I really like to talk to management.”
“My union has given me valuable education,” says Josephine. “I’m a fighter and I’ve learned the skills to fight for fairness for our members.”