The Electrical Workers Minority Caucus brought together hundreds of IBEW members and guests to discuss the past, present and future of diversity in the Brotherhood.
The caucus opened with Local 213’s own Ticha Albino singing the Canadian National Anthem in both official languages.
“About a week before the convention, I was asked if I knew a Canadian who would be able and willing to sing the Canadian anthem at the EWMC Caucus,” she recalls. But on such short notice the only person she could find for the job was herself.
“I have a university degree in music, and voice was my major,” said Albino. “I said if they’re stuck, I could do it, and they said, ‘Great!’”
Albino decided to sing the anthem in French and then English, and was sure to use the gender-neutral version.
“Afterwards, President Stephenson shook my hand saying he had never heard the French version and how well I had done,” recalled Albino.
EWMC President Keith Edwards followed by honouring the men and women who formed the EWMC for the progress for minority workers that has been made in the intervening 40 years.
“Talkers didn’t build this union. Critics didn’t build it either. It was the people who put their butts on the line, who did the work, who sacrificed lots of blood, sweat and tears to make the IBEW everything it is. It was built by people who when they saw injustice, they fought to change it. When they saw opportunity, they worked to seize it,” Edwards said.
The session moved from a look at the history of the organization, to reports from six EWMC chapters about their activities since the last convention and closed with a panel focused on the LGBTQ IBEW members.
Fresh from her role as caucus troubadour, Albino joined the panel and spoke about LGBTQ issues within the union and the need for solidarity.
“I focused on the importance of coalition building and not being a bystander when a sister or brother is being discriminated against or bullied on the job,” she said later.