Year: 2010
Location: Jasper
Profile: Deb Jamerson was born and raised in Winnipeg, the granddaughter of Black homesteaders who helped establish the African-Canadian communities of Amber Valley, Alberta and Maidstone, Saskatchewan. She became an active unionist during 8 years as a health care aide in Winnipeg after she witnessed CUPE’s determination to fight racial discrimination in workers’ pay. Later she became one of the organizers of a union for Manitoba homecare attendants and in 1996 helped lead their successful effort to prevent privatization of Manitoba’s public homecare system.
Keywords: African-Albertans; Amber Valley; Black soldiers; CUPE; Healthcare aide; Homecare; Immigration; Indigenous people; MGEU; Nursing homes; Porters; Privatization; Racism; Union struggles
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