As part of our union’s commitment to learn from the experiences and celebrate the successes of Black, Indigenous and racialized CUPE members, CUPE is profiling members of the National Racial Justice Committee and National Indigenous Council. This month, meet National Racial Justice Committee member Cora Mojica.

From the food line to the front lines

Cora Mojica works as a dietary aide at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), the largest hospital in British Columbia. Since 2005, she has helped prepare and distribute meals for thousands of patients each day — nowadays from her post on the milk and juice station at one of several fast-moving lines.

But Cora’s story, like that of so many immigrant and racialized health care workers, is shaped as much by struggle as by service.

Cora’s union journey began under the weight of privatization. “I just went to work,” she says, recalling her early days when services were contracted out to multinational company Sodexo. “But right away I saw how unfair it was.” Wages were low, vacation and sick time were minimal, and the majority of workers — mostly immigrant women — were overworked and undervalued.

When her workplace went on strike in 2005 to fight for a first collective agreement, Cora was asked to help as a picket captain. She had never imagined taking a leadership role, but she quickly became a trusted figure during the 52-day strike. “We had to organize picket shifts and prepare essential services schedules so that members could still go inside to work. We were under a lot of pressure from the employer. It was really tough but we did it. We improved wages and working conditions a little.” That was the start of her union activism and she never looked back.  

Fighting for public health care

In 2001, British Columbia’s Liberal government had passed Bill 29, allowing hospital support services to be contracted out. For nearly 20 years, Cora and her fellow members of the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) worked under private contractors like Sodexo, fighting for dignity in difficult conditions.

Through years of organizing, lobbying — and thanks to HEU’s vital Make It Public campaign — workers like Cora helped push to bring services back in-house. Their efforts, along with strategic political engagement that supported the election of a provincial NDP government, paid off. In 2017, the province began reversing privatization, and by 2021, Cora and her coworkers were officially back in the public sector.

“I remember watching live at our 2018 HEU convention when the NDP voted to repeal Bill 29. It was emotional. We weren’t even sure it would happen,” she recalls. “When we actually went back in house in 2021, we went from $17 an hour with no pension to $24 with a pension and much better benefits. That’s a big deal — especially for the younger workers coming up.”

Cora has remained active in bargaining, advocacy, and public outreach — including speaking on a CUPE panel hosted by the Canadian Health Coalition about organizing workers in privatized health care. “People don’t know that we’re not paid a lot of money,” she says. “They don’t realize there are different sectors in a hospital. A lot of us work two or three jobs to make ends meet — we’re the lowest paid.”

Yet, Cora has always approached her work with commitment and care. “Coming to Canada, you do your job — do it well and safely,” she says. She often led new employee orientations and quickly became someone colleagues turned to. “We had eight shop stewards, but for some reason, people would come to me. Maybe it’s because I listened?” she jokes. “It’s nice to mentor someone and help them learn to speak up.”

Rooted in justice and community

Originally from the Philippines, Cora never imagined she would live in Canada. “I used to watch the planes from below,” she says. “I was the eldest daughter in a family of 10, and I wanted to become a teacher — to be a role model. But when my father died in 1982, I had to bring bread to the table and care for my siblings.” She studied secretarial work, took on different jobs, came to Canada in 1987, and eventually found herself on the front lines of one of the most important fights for public health care.

Today, Cora brings the values she was raised with — respect, fairness, and compassion — into everything she does. “I grew up in a big family — we shared everything,” she says. “When I saw employers treat workers unfairly, I felt the need to speak up. I just do what’s right and fair to everyone.”

Representing Ethnic Diversity as one of six diversity vice-presidents at HEU and serving as a member of CUPE’s National Racial Justice Committee since 2018, Cora helps organize members, share resources across locals, and reach out to workers who are often left behind — including non-unionized and migrant workers. “Equity work is important. It creates intersectionality,” she adds. “At the national level, I’ve learned what’s happening in other provinces, and I’ve realized there’s a commonality to the issues.”

Cora is also a long-time activist and former board member of Migrante BC, a community-based organization supporting migrant and temporary foreign workers from the Philippines and other countries. “It’s hard for new workers,” she explains. “They come here with big hopes, spend so much, are promised a job, and then arrive to find there’s nothing waiting for them.” Language is often the first major barrier, and for Cora, the solution starts with human connection. “That’s why it’s important to solve problems person-to-person. Everyone’s situation is different. We need empathy. We need to observe, listen, and help however we can.”

Recognition belongs to all workers

In September 2024, Cora received a remarkable honour: the King Charles III Coronation Medal, recognizing her years of community service and advocacy. The award was announced on September 12 — the same day she first arrived in Canada in 1987.

“I was so surprised when B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix called me. I’m not someone who brags. I do this work because it’s my passion,” she says. “After all these years doing all these things, the medal was not only for me — it’s for all the workers who have struggled.”

For Cora, that shared struggle is why CUPE’s Anti-Racism Strategy matters. “In our HEU committee, we’ve really been pushing it forward,” she explains. “Because we’re not just talking about union members. We’re talking about non-unionized workers too. Migrant workers. Temporary foreign workers. All workers. We were so proud of the strategy, we even included it in our resolutions.”

Cora sees the union as an extended family. “HEU is my second family, CUPE is my third,” she says, and she believes strongly in lifting others up. “I love talking to members. So many don’t know what the union really is — and I tell them: all of us are the union. You have to participate, get involved, speak up, build connections. We all need to push each other to be active, especially the younger ones. They’re the future.”

When asked what advice she has for other Indigenous, Black, and racialized workers, she doesn’t hesitate: “Tell your story. Even the small steps matter. If you’re not unionized, the employer can do anything to you. And if you are, use your voice to bring change — not just for yourself, but for everyone.”

Learn more about CUPE’s Anti-Racism Strategy including Goal 4, which focuses on highlighting the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous and racialized members and celebrating their successes, at cupe.ca/cupes-anti-racism-strategy. And check out these tips for putting the strategy into action in your local.