Lorna Waghorn-Kidd Interview: Building Community in Northern BC

Lorna Waghorn-Kidd was born in Prince Rupert but grew up in various towns throughout northern British Columbia. She moved to Prince George in 1976 where she got a job as a typist at an employment insurance office, then with the provincial government at the land registry office. Partly at her fathers’ urging, she became active in her union, the BCGEU.

Lorna talks about her increasing union participation; she served as a zone representative and was involved in the 1983 Solidarity protests. She eventually became the chair of Component 12 representing administrative workers, and then was hired as a full-time staff representative. She talks about essential service negotiations, grievance procedures, and the effects of privatization and centralization on the workforce and communities of northern BC.

In addition to her union activity Lorna was involved in setting up the Active Voice Coalition, which brought labour and community activists together on issues of public importance. She is president of the Association Advocating for Women and Community.

Lorna says the labour movement has done much good and should do more to remind people of the gains it has won. She reminds labour activists that not everyone has benefits, and not everyone lives in the Lower Mainland and Victoria. In order to live up to the credo of “What we desire for ourselves, we wish for all,” we need to work with partners outside the movement to build healthy communities.