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Interview with Bernice Kirk
Bernice Kirk began her union career at the Coquitlam School Board, and became the Secretary-Treasurer and President of CUPE BC, as well as a Vice President of the National CUPE Board. She was a leader in the fight for pay equity for women workers and worked full-time for the union for 20 years. "It was a big part of my life, but I really liked what I was doing. I liked helping people. I appreciated the work that everyone did." Bernice Kirk passed away on May 5, 2022.
Interview with Lloyd Edwards
Lloyd Edwards came to BC from Trinidad in 1953 and got his first teaching job in 1957 on Texada Island. He taught in several BC communities before settling in Surrey. As President of the Surrey Teachers' Association in 1974, he led a one-day teachers' strike that resulted in reduced class sizes across the province. Edwards was also responsible for establishing the first staff committee in a BC school. At Prince Margaret High School in Surrey, he established a school Committee Against Racism…
Interview with Sheila Pither
Born in 1932 in a small Saskatchewan town, Sheila Pither came to Vancouver with her mother after the death of her father. Sheila's husband was a millwright in Vancouver, and she became active in the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) Ladies' Auxiliary, where she learned about union politics. Sheila returned to school to obtain a teaching degree when her youngest son entered Grade One. She began her teaching career in Vancouver in 1967 at the age of 35. She worked in elementary…
Interview with Larry Kuehn
The interview covers Larry Kuehn's extensive involvement with labour and social justice organizations beyond his work with the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF).
Kuehn discusses his work with Operation Solidarity and the Solidarity Coalition in the 1980s, including the People's Commission that examined alternatives to neoliberal policies. He also describes his roles with the Pacific Group for Policy Alternatives, the anti-apartheid movement, and the Canadian Teachers' Federation's…



