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Betty Stevens, long-time member-activist, passes

 

 

 

Working people in B.C. and across Canada are grieving the loss of Betty Stevens, a long-time UFCW Canada Local 1518 activist and officer, who passed on Wednesday, November 26, after a brief illness. She was 57.

“Betty was all about taking care of people,” says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley. “She committed herself to national programs, and her decades of activism made a real difference in the lives of workers across the country. Her passing is a tremendous loss to the UFCW Canada family.” 


Betty served Local 1518 as a member of the executive board for over 20 years.

"Betty was a very energetic presence who was always there to help others whenever she could," says Ivan Limpright, president of UFCW Canada 1518. "There was a compassionate, helping spirit at her core, and it drove her to pitch in and contribute wherever she could for those around her."
 
Betty's involvement with the union began when she started working with The Bay in Victoria in 1969.  It wasn’t long before Betty became chief steward and she served her coworkers in that role for 30 years.

Betty also contributed to the worker movement as an instructor for the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the B.C. Federation of Labour, and Local 1518. She was active in the Victoria Labour Council, becoming president of that organization, and served on a number of Local 1518 and UFCW Canada national committees, including the UFCW Canada Women's Committee. She also served on the B.C. Federation of Labour's Women's Committee.

"Betty was not afraid to make noise about issues that mattered," says Limpright. "She was a powerful advocate for the rights of all workers, and the issues facing women and disabled workers had a special place in her heart. She went to national conferences to learn about and to speak on these issues, and she fought to strengthen the rights of workers who for years had been marginalized. In fact, she fought her own employer on these issues, and taught them a few sharp lessons along the way."

Betty is survived by her husband Richard.