Union members look out for each other – Edna Rivera

Name: Edna Rivera
Occupation: Care aide at UBC Hospital’s Purdy Pavilion
Union: HEU

Edna Rivera is a care aide who works with seniors at UBC Hospital’s Purdy Pavilion, and has done so for the past 23 years. She helps provide a safe and secure environment for seniors with complex care needs.
And it’s a job she loves.
Edna is a member of the Hospital Employees’ Union and a strong union activist who cares about her co-workers. Even as a child, Edna had a passion for caring for others. Like many in her family, she wanted to be a medical professional.
In 1988, when she was in her 5th year of studying dentistry, Edna moved to the Lower Mainland from the Philippines. Because her education credentials were not recognized in Canada, she decided to train as a care aide.
Edna says she enjoys working with seniors and finds caring for them very rewarding. “The seniors I work with can sometimes be depressed and lonely. But I’m a happy person who helps to brighten their day. When I see someone smiling, it’s a good feeling for me too!”
Edna says that belonging to a union has made a real difference in her life. In 2009, she attended a union activism course and realized that getting involved with her local union executive was a morale and confidence booster. Wherever she can, she shares her knowledge about union rights and collective agreement provisions to help her co-workers.
Being in a union gives members job stability and fairness on the job, she says. A single mom of two sons, Edna depends on the medical and dental benefits in her union contract. These benefits are critical, she says, not just for her, but for all members with children.
“Union membership is comforting because you and your co-workers belong to a group that looks after each other. Solidarity is the best word to describe being in a union,” says Edna.
She particularly values the education HEU has given her. Over time, Edna says she’s learned the art of speaking diplomatically to many different people about their working conditions.
“I love to talk and share information about our rights and protections,” says Edna. And that’s why she goes the extra mile to present members with information on various issues at union meetings.
“I like to share what I know. And when people realize that with the union backing us, we are not alone – that’s a real morale booster for us all.”