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 Debra Mason.
From her first steps into grassroots activism supporting Black and racialized workers to a deep dive into her local during bargaining, Debra Mason has always helped workers stand their ground and fight for their rights.
Debra has been an early childhood educator for 20 years and currently works at Mount Carmel Clinic in Winnipeg. The CUPE 204 member has been active in her local for about 12 years and has served four terms on the National Racial Justice Committee, including her second as co-chair.
From the grassroots to her local
Debra was born in the United Kingdom to parents from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and has lived in Canada since she was 10. She got her start as a community activist with the Workers of Colour Support Network in Winnipeg.
“We worked with people who were having difficulty in their jobs or being discriminated against, or were let go for different reasons and needed a place that would fight for them,” she recalls.
“A lot of people of colour are not in the best jobs or haven’t had really good experiences in those jobs. Even when I started out, it was hard to find full-time work. You were always part-time or casual, never full-time so you would have benefits and a pension,” she says.
“When you’re struggling to find work, it really diminishes your self-esteem,” says Debra. The network and its leader Louis Ifill taught her “you’re more than your job. Your value is more than what you do. Your value is as a human being.”
Her work with the network inspired her. “I saw the strength it took to fight. To say ‘No, I’m not taking this,’ and fight back. That’s not an easy thing to do. It takes a lot out of you.”
Debra’s involvement in CUPE grew when someone at a local meeting suggested she apply to the National Rainbow Committee, as the Racial Justice Committee was then known. She was unsure and waited until the last day to apply.
She was appointed to represent Manitoba – a national role that in turn engaged her closer to the ground. “Being on the committee made me more active in my local.”
Standing their ground during bargaining
In 2017, Debra’s local merged with dozens of others into CUPE 204. The merger was in response to government-imposed health care restructuring that forced representation votes across the province.
When the provincial government threatened to separate child care and health care workers, Debra helped organize to stay in the health care sector. “We have a better pension and a better pay rate than other child care workers,” she says.
The clinic where Debra works has its own collective agreement, and she joined the bargaining committee to help negotiate the local’s first contract - an intense round of talks that brought members to the brink of a strike.
The employer proposed cuts to maternity leave, a two-tier pension and other concessions. “It was pretty brutal. I think they really wanted us to decertify,” says Debra. “The good thing about CUPE is we don’t go back. We don’t do concessions, we go forward. So we stood our ground.”
The toughness of the round was matched by the determination of the members. “A lot of us are women of colour, and I was impressed. They said ‘No, we’re not taking that,’” she recalls.
She and her members beat back the takeaways and made some gains on wages, although Debra says child care workers are still undervalued and underpaid.
Working through the pandemic
Debra worked through the COVID-19 pandemic, caring for children attending school online whose parents were front-line workers. At the start she and other workers had no information about the virus, and no personal protective equipment. “The vaccine wasn’t out yet, so it was very scary,” she says.
Monthly virtual meetings of the Racial Justice Committee to support each other during the pandemic’s early days were “a blessing” that helped Debra process the trauma and grief of that period.
“So many people died that we don’t talk about - all the front-line workers who lost their lives. A lot of them look like me. They lost their lives because they were front-line workers and we didn’t appreciate those workers.”
Debra sees herself playing a special role with the kids she cares for. Her child care centre serves a wide range of communities including mothers who use substances, newcomers to Canada, and families in need.
She has worked with infants and is now working with preschoolers. “They’re more challenging, they talk back to you – which I kind of like!” she says, laughing.
Stepping back and sharing power
Debra is glad she contributed to developing CUPE’s Anti-Racism Strategy. “It’s been a long time coming, and it needs to happen,” she says. “The workforce is changing, the population is changing.”
It’s crucial to incorporate the experiences of Indigenous, Black and racialized members into all of CUPE’s work, says Mason, pointing to the rise of artificial intelligence as one example.
“How many jobs will be lost? And who will be the first to be let go? I think the first ones will be people who look like me. We were the last in and will be the first out.”
Equally important is removing the barriers that prevent more Indigenous, Black and racialized members from getting active in our union. “Some people don’t feel welcome … or that nobody’s reaching out. It’s a struggle, but I’m glad CUPE’s doing this. It’s a beginning, and it will continue.”
Debra has experienced roadblocks, including trying to volunteer but never getting called back. “I think people in the union get stuck in their position and they get stuck with the people around them, and maybe that’s just human nature. You go to people you’re more comfortable with.”
She sees change happening around her and says opening the union up to include more Indigenous, Black and racialized members is about stepping back and sharing power.
“It’s about getting out of your comfort zone and welcoming others in, and being secure in yourself to know it’s OK. It’s OK to step back and give up power or give guidance to others. That’s good. You want to move forward,” she says.
She encourages Indigenous, Black and racialized CUPE members to get active in their union. “It may not be very pleasant but keep at it. Keep going and bring others with you so you’re not alone. Being on this committee has helped me, because of all the people. I knew I wasn’t alone, I had somebody I could talk to.”
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.