Nobody really cares, but that's what you're supposed to do. This didn't seem like research because it was interesting!

Woman-positive/ feminist

During the research I thought quite a bit about "woman-positive" and "feminist," and what they meant to me. Until this research, I don't know if I'd ever heard of the term woman-positive. Probably not. And yet, in away, everything we did in my workplace was for women, because it's an all female workplace. And my course has always been all female. Everything that's done is done with women in mind - increased maternity leave, better childcare, and benefits so your kids can get their teeth done. We never think of anything as being woman-positive. We think of doing it because it's for us, women.

To me, "feminist" is a pretty loaded term. I relate it to something negative not something positive. Though, in away, it does depend on the context - who's , using the term and how they're using it. When my supervisor told me she thought of me as a feminist, I didn't take offence. I was kind of proud of that.

Where I come from it's almost an insult to be called a feminist. But then in terms of what I think I am, a lot of people would label that as feminist. So I guess it I matters who's saying it and what context it's in whether I'd label myself one or not. That's a change because of the research. It has helped me realize that when somebody comes up and says, "Yes, I'm a feminist," I should actually listen to what they have to say instead of saying, "Oh my god, not one of them." Now I would listen and say, "What do you mean by that? What do you believe in?" I'd try to understand if their beliefs were the same as mine.

At this point, in my own mind, if I was to call myself a feminist, then I'd say that woman-positive and feminist are the same thing. Because if I am feminist, with my beliefs, then feminism is also woman-positive.

Union activism

People always ask me why I am so involved with the union, why I keep fighting so hard for things that I believe in. They don't understand why I don't just get another job - especially when we were on the picket line last winter. We were up there for eight months. People kept saying, "You're young, you could get another job anywhere."

I had to think about why I keep on doing this work. I guess, at this point, I feel I can afford to spend two, three, four years doing this. I'll still be young and then I can go get another job if I want to. Maybe it's because I am young that I want so badly to make a difference.

A lot of the people involved in unions are much older than I am. I was thrown on the picket lines when I was 18. The first literacy class I did was in my house because we were on the picket line. Really, I think I grew up on one. Maybe that's why I have so many problems with the way things get done in the union or the federation. I'm young, I keep thinking, "What are you doing in there? Do something! Come on!"