Evelyn Sy
Documentarian: Jenny AhnCOUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Philippines
She is serving a second term as the president of Local 2169 of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) – a local that represents workers at Boeing Canada Technologies in Winnipeg.
She is the first woman to hold the position, not to mention the first woman of colour.
A devoted wife and mother, Evelyn never imagined she would have the time to attend union meetings, let alone run for office.
When she decided to run for a leadership position within a male-dominated workplace such as the Boeing plant, it wasn’t with the intention of breaking barriers OR new ground. But that’s what happened.
In this interview with Canvas, Evelyn talks about having faced the naysayers who never thought she would win the election, and doubters who openly suggested that even as president, she would be “weak”.
Evelyn’s leadership role in Local 2169 has led to active participation at the national level of CAW where she is one of the growing numbers of voices encouraging unions in Canada to better reflect and represent workers of colour and immigrant workers.
