New union staff to advance equity mandate

MY NAME is Jennifer Reddy. This summer, I joined HEU staff to lead our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) work on behalf of our members.

I have served on the Vancouver School Board since 2018, and have worked in a variety of social planning positions in government and non-profits, with a focus on public engagement and policy.

I’m excited to support HEU’s important equity goals, building on the hard work and achievements of members, locals and leaders.

At the 2018 HEU convention, delegates directed the union to embark on a DEIA project.

The first phase of this work led to the creation of six new diversity vice-president positions on the Provincial Executive, elected at the 2022 convention. Looking ahead, your equity office — including

The project’s goal is to nurture, empower and support leadership myself, equity officer Sharryn Modder and administrative assistant Morgan Dymond — will facilitate a review of HEU’s Constitution and By-Laws, engage in new research to better understand who our members are, and work to uncover barriers to union participation.

Our DEIA project’s goal is to identify and address inequities in order to nurture, empower and support leadership in the wider labour movement, and in our communities.

I am honoured to work alongside you to advance the important work of making HEU a truly equitable, just and inclusive union.

To receive email updates about HEU’s equity and inclusion work, go to heu.org/dei-signup.

JENNIFER REDDY (she/her) is Senior Advisor – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility at the Hospital Employees’ Union.