Year: 2011
Location: Edmonton
Profile: Laura Lee worked in various postal roles through the 1980s, making use of her experience in the cooperative movement and cooperative living to help shift sexist perspectives in the workplace. Daily and casual sexual harassment was commonplace but a difficult topic to raise with colleagues and employers. Lee’s approach was to talk things through to find solutions for healthy working relationships.
Beyond women’s issues, Lee understood the importance of recognizing injustice and exploitation in any form. She advocated for herself as well as for others who did not feel safe to do so. She spoke out for solutions to daily job hazards and championed social justice issues like the anti-apartheid movement.
With union support, Lee participated in strikes to demand safer working conditions. In some cases Lee felt that staff were under surveillance, noting an incident where she suspected the office was bugged. In another case, she participated in a demonstration where she and other participants were arrested. Through serious challenges, Lee persevered. She describes social change as something that happens day-by-day, not all at once. She acknowledges that a key factor in feeling safe to speak out comes from economic freedom.
Keywords: Alberta Status of Women Action Committee; Anti-apartheid movement; Automation; Cooperative housing movement; Cooperative movements in Edmonton; Letter Carriers Union of Canada (LCUC); Northern Alberta Co-op Housing Association; Repetitive strain; Sundance Co-op.
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See also: Canadian Labour Congress; Canadian Union of Postal Workers; Occupational Health and Safety in Alberta; Women of CUPW; Women and Work in Alberta