Shop steward a natural problem solver

Name: Shirley Arandela

Occupation: Customer Service Specialist

Union: United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1518

When Shirley Arandela’s parents moved from the Phillipines to Vancouver as young people, they knew there would be struggles, but also opportunity for themselves and their families to have a better life.

On her 15th birthday, Shirley started working at one of the largest fast-food chains in the world. Bright and energetic, Shirley became one of the company’s youngest-ever managers in Canada, but was ultimately the victim of a higher-up manager who did not like her because she was outspoken.

Despite a superb work record, Shirley was fired over a minor error after 3 years of loyalty to the fast food giant.

“I was then hired as a Cashier by PriceSmart,” says Shirley, “and the difference was like night and day. It was so much safer because relationships with managers were much better, and as the weeks and months went by, I learned about the important role the union plays every day at work.”

As a PriceSmart employee, Shirley is a member of United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 1518. “The union was a huge help in understanding the wage scales and hours of work and how everything works,” says Shirley.

“I was so grateful when the union helped me with a personal issue I had to deal with. They helped me get a leave, and the Union Rep was always checking up on me to see how I was doing.”

Shirley talked to and saw how other members were helped by the union. “When I saw how the union helped people out, it changed my point of view and I wanted to get involved.”

“It’s always been in my nature to help and to speak out on behalf of others,” Shirley says, “and when our store’s union Shop Steward stepped down, I became a Shop Steward. I was problem-solving anyway, and everyone in the store would come to me, so it was a perfect fit.”

“The union resolved problems in our store, and I really came to appreciate how important the union’s presence is,” she says. “With the union, you have a voice, and as a Shop Steward, I like being part of that process and being there for members.”

Shirley speaks Tagalog, and says that, “having a second language is a huge help. We’re in a multicultural area, and it’s a huge help for the customers and for me to understand what they want and need, and to   talk in their language – it’s something customers really appreciate. Seeing their faces light up when you speak in their language gives you an appreciation of the difficulties people have living in a culture that they weren’t born into.”

“I want very much to continue to be involved with my union,” says Shirley, “and I try to show everyone how unions really work, as that’s a side of unions most people never see, which is a shame because unions contribute a lot to making workplaces and our world better.”