Membership brought equal pay for equal work

 

Name: Shehnaz Motani

Occupation: Research awards officer, UBC

Union: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 2950

For Shehnaz Motani, being a member of her union has opened up doors to education and activism that have put her on the front line of social change—both in her workplace and in her community.

Shehnaz, a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2950, is a South Asian Canadian and Ismaili Muslim who was born in Rwanda and came to Canada as a teenager. A few years after graduating from the University of British Columbia, she returned to work for her alma mater. She is currently employed as a research awards officer at UBC.

“Accessing CUPE courses on subjects such as negotiating skills, arbitration and human rights has empowered me to fight for my rights and influence policies in the workplace, in the union and in society in general,” she says. “It has given me the opportunity to be an advocate for my fellow CUPE workers from visible minorities and other equity-seeking groups.  Most importantly, with the backing of my union and co-workers, I am able to speak and negotiate from a position of strength.”

Local 2950 has traditionally been a female-dominated local in a university worksite where, in the late 1980s, women were still being paid less for their work than their male counterparts in the trades.  “Being a feminist, I was outraged by this,” recalls Shehnaz, “so I decided to get involved in my local’s contract negotiating committee, which  advocated for pay equity in negotiations with the employer. As a result of the committee’s work, a new job evaluation and compensation system was set up at the University, recognizing the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.”

Since then, Shehnaz has served as a shop steward, as first vice-president/chair of her local’s grievance committee, second vice-president/chair of its contract committee, and as a member of its diversity committee. Currently, Shehnaz is CUPE BC’s diversity vice-president (workers of colour) and co-chair of the committee against racism and discrimination, which advocates for inclusiveness and respect of diversity.

Says Shehnaz: “The union has made it possible for me and my co-workers to have good jobs with security, a decent wage and good benefits, and a safe, healthy and respectful environment which is free of racist or sexist jokes. And when problems and disputes arise in the workplace, we have access to an established grievance process and union representation that works on our behalf.  Thanks to CUPE, we can access a job skills training fund to upgrade our skills—leading to better-paying employment opportunities.  We also have access to a flexible work week and generous annual vacations based on seniority.”

“The greatest benefit of being in a union is having the opportunity to get involved and to be part of progressive change – to know that you have a voice,” says Shehnaz. “Being a CUPE member has meant having a greater voice on issues like pay equity, diversity and human rights.”