Stephanie Smith (1964-2026): A Life in the Labour Movement

Stephanie Smith was born in Montreal but her family moved to New Zealand when she was 14 years old. At age 16 she attended teachers’ college and after graduation, started to work in the unionized childcare system. She joined the union, which was in a fight to achieve wage parity with elementary school teachers. This was Stephanie’s first big experience with activism.

A few years later, Stephanie returned to Canada, coming this time to BC. Before long, she found work in a unionized childcare centre, which was a rarity in 1988. Comparing her experience in New Zealand to that in BC, Stephanie noted that in NZ early childhood education was a respected government-funded profession, while in BC it was neither. She recognized the unfairness of all of that and resolved to make a difference. She became involved in her union, which subsequently merged with BCGEU. Stephanie loved the BCGEU, as she saw the organization reflect her own values. Over the years, members elected her to various positions within the union. In 2014 she made history as the first elected woman president (and first president from outside of direct-government services) of the 100-year-old union.

Stephanie reflects on some of her most meaningful experiences in that role. For instance, the BCGEU was the only labour organization in Canada to prepare a submission for the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, and they did this through member consultation. In 2022, they achieved a big win in bargaining by getting cost-of-living adjustments in the face of ballooning inflation. There are many more important moments she describes in the full interview.

Her advice to the next generation of activists is that “Just by wanting to do it, you have what you need to do it. […] Just get involved.”