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 Marcela Quinonez.

Marcela Quinonez grew up in Colombia and has been active in social causes since she was very young. When she was a child, her family would save money to buy food at the grocery store that they would distribute to poor families in rural communities and Bogotá’s underprivileged neighborhoods.

In the 1990s, Quinonez volunteered with the Red Cross caring for women who were victims of war, teaching them to read and sharing information about birth control. Quinonez’s involvement in social causes was a way for her to discover her country. But one day, she felt the urge to explore further afield.

“The world is so much bigger than my native Colombia. I wanted to experience just how vast it really is. That’s why I came here, to Quebec.”

Replanting roots

At the time, Quinonez didn’t speak French, only Spanish and English. Fortunately, she could count on the help of her children who were learning French in school. Combining her desire to master the language with her passion for helping her community, Quinonez found many volunteer opportunities, especially with seniors.

Even though she arrived in Quebec with a bachelor’s degree, she entered the job market like many immigrants: cleaning toilets and working in warehouses.

Fifteen years later, Quinonez works as a contract management advisor at Hydro-Québec.

Quinonez has broken through many glass ceilings in her career. Her professional journey clearly illustrates intersectionality, or the accumulation of barriers based on different parts of her identity as a woman, a racialized person, an immigrant and someone who does not speak French as her first language.

“I’ve experienced discrimination, bullying, racism and sexual harassment. At the time, I couldn’t find anyone who looked like me to build that trust and express myself. I made it my mission to be a visible representative of racialized people.”

And Quinonez has walked the talk. In addition to being a member of CUPE’s National Racial Justice Committee, she supports members facing professional or personal difficulties in her role as social delegate, she gives presentations on demystifying unconscious bias, and she is currently setting up an equity, diversity and inclusion committee in her local, the Syndicat des spécialistes et professionnels d’Hydro-Québec (CUPE 4250).

Speaking out

Quinonez felt it was essential to address the realities immigrants and migrant workers face, including job insecurity, poorly understood immigration statuses, language integration challenges and racism. Through the union, she offers twice-monthly workplace wellness workshops to members of Hydro-Québec’s ethnocultural communities.

“Here, we can openly discuss racism, discrimination and sexism. We can acknowledge these issues exist without blaming anyone. Freely express what’s churning inside. Talk about what matters to us without holding back,” says Quinonez.

These spaces give courage to people who hesitate to speak up because they’re scared of reprisals - which can go as far as losing their jobs. They can share their experiences in a respectful and caring environment, and name ongoing issues, those that are too often swept under the rug in the hope they’ll simply go unnoticed.

The meetings are also an opportunity to build a community of support: allies are welcome to attend. Quinonez observes that things are slowly changing. It may feel like “baby steps,” she says, but the key is to keep moving forward.

“We haven’t learned to be patient yet: we want to see tangible results now. It’s tough at times, but it’s patience and hope that keep us going. If everyone loses hope, who will keep fighting for people’s rights and freedoms?”

Taking action

Quinonez highlights the extensive work that went into creating CUPE’s Anti-Racism Strategy. “The strategy gives us the framework, a lever. But it’s up to us to take one of its initiatives, then work hard and push until we break through that ceiling.”

The results of the strategy are noticeable. Quinonez says she sees more racialized people, along with women, within union structures. “When I attend meetings and conferences, it makes me happy to see more people who look like me. That’s important.”

On top of that, Quinonez also observes heightened workplace and union awareness about racism, discrimination and harassment. She stresses the importance of anti-racism education, another goal of the strategy.

“When I arrived in Quebec, I had to learn to live with a new reality: being different. I was born and raised in a country where I was like everyone else. I wasn’t singled out for being different. When society subtly imposes this feeling of being different on you all the time, well, there’s frustration that grows inside you.”

She reminds us that racism is nothing new and the anger it has caused is so deep it will take generations to heal. Racialized people need allies who understand and acknowledge the pain caused by racism. That’s the first step to moving forward.

Promoting dialogue

Quinonez says she still encounters unwelcome comments when she mentions she’s from Colombia. In response to “jokes” that reduce Colombia to cocaine and Pablo Escobar, she now knows how to react: “That isn’t funny. You should learn more about my country.” 

Her response often puts people on the defensive, but Quinonez doesn’t want people to stay silent out of fear of offending her. Instead, she encourages them to learn to accept others’ feelings and lived experience. Dialogue is an essential part of the process.  

Quinonez wishes people would allow themselves to be more curious and just talk with someone they wouldn’t normally approach. “Because that’s how we deconstruct unconscious bias.”

She also encourages racialized members to get involved in CUPE. “Stop being afraid. This is a safe place. Be curious, attend a meeting.”

Reaching out

Outside her union work, Quinonez volunteers as an interpreter at shelters for women experiencing domestic violence.

Her work has also brought her full circle, back to where it all started: the grocery store. She lives in the Laurentians in Quebec, where agriculture draws many temporary foreign workers.

“You don’t need to be part of an organization to help. I go to the grocery store on my own. [These workers] are all shopping, and no one talks to them or even notices them. The advantage for me is that I speak Spanish. I help them at the checkout. It’s about recognizing the humanity of someone in your community. It’s about ending the scourge of invisibility. They are visible.

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.