Pearl Sawyer

After serving as an Organizer, Director of Education and Research, Executive Assistant to the President, and Executive Vice-President, Pearl Sawyer is elected as President of UFCW Canada Local 1000A in 2011.

In April 2016, Sister Sawyer was elected as Executive Vice-President of UFCW Canada Local 1006A. She also serves as a UFCW International Vice-President; a World Executive Board Member with UNI Global Union; and a UFCW Representative with UNI Commerce Global Steering Committee.

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2012

At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England, Canada's women's soccer team wins the country's first Olympic medal in a summer team sport in 76 years, defeating France 1-0 in the Bronze medal game.

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2013

Kathleen Wynne becomes the first female premier of Ontario and the first openly gay premier in Canada.

Louise Lefebvre

In January 2013, Louise Lefebvre was elected President of Local 503, becoming the first openly gay leader of a UFCW Local Union. Sister Lefebvre currently sits on various committees, such as the FTQ’s Gay and Lesbian Rights Committee, the UFCW Canada Human Rights, Equity, and Diversity Committee, and on Détail Québec’s Executive Board. Through some of these committees, she has developed many contacts with employers, with other local unions across the country, and with UFCW Canada leaders.

Louise Lefebvre is a woman with a big heart who has proven to have character and integrity, and she has always worked in the best interests of the members. After playing a leading role in the merger of UFCW Locals 500 and 503, Sister Lefebvre now serves as the Regional Development Representative for Local 500's education and training centre, the Centre de formation de l’alimentation et du commerce du Québec (CFACQ).

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2015

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls for a national public inquiry into the disproportionate victimization of Indigenous women and girls. The federal government responds by launching a national inquiry in December 2015. Prior to this response, demands for an investigation into the alarming numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada were routinely ignored by the government.

A record number of women are elected as Members of Parliament (MPs) in the 2015 Federal Election, with 88 women winning seats in the 338-member House of Commons. This represents a gain of twelve seats over the former record of 76 women elected in the previous Parliament.

On November 4, 2015, the Government of Canada announces a fully gender-balanced Cabinet consisting of 15 women and 15 men, the first gender equal Cabinet in Canadian history.

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2016

Esther Lopez

The UFCW International Executive Board elects Esther Lopez as the union’s new International Secretary-Treasurer – the first woman ever elected to this position.

Manitoba breaks new ground in Canada by enacting paid leave for domestic violence victims. Under the new law, survivors can take 10 days off as needed in a 52-week period, with 5 of those days paid.

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2017

More than 5 million people globally participate in over 380 Women’s Marches and rallies to call for a more inclusive, equitable, and just society for all. The marches come just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Saskatchewan passes legislation providing protected leave for victims of domestic violence. Introduced in December 2017, the bill allows for a maximum of 10 days of unpaid leave, whether the violence is directed at the employee, their child, or a person for whom the employee is a caregiver.

The #MeToo movement – which seeks to raise awareness of the longstanding and widespread prevalence of sexual harassment and assault, particularly in the workplace – goes viral in October 2017. The movement inspires tens of thousands of people to come forward with their stories of sexual harassment and assault and leads to allegations and charges against numerous public figures.

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2018

Ontario and Alberta enact laws providing leave for survivors of domestic violence. Ontario’s law provides 10 days of leave with 5 of those days being paid. Alberta’s law allows for 10 days of unpaid leave. British Columbia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories have yet to act on the issue, highlighting the need for sustained activism in support of paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

Gender equity becomes a reality at the UFCW Canada National Council Executive Board, as the gender equal council convenes for the first time since a resolution was passed to expand and restructure the union’s governing body in August 2017.

An analysis of 2016 census data conducted by the Ontario Equal Pay Coalition and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) finds that women workers earn an average of $15,900 less per year than their male colleagues. The report’s findings reveal a stark gender wage gap in Canada and demonstrate once again why action on this problem is urgently needed.

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