Barbara Jones Wins National Award

Local 7's Secretary is the CEP Woman of Distinction.


Barbara Jones proudly wore her Woman of Distinction Award (close up view below, left) during the Manitoba Federation of Labour Convention.

At the Communications, Energy and Paper Worker's national convention in Vancouver in October, Barbara Jones, Local 7's Secretary, received the CEP National Women's Committee Woman of Distinction Award. The award was launched at the 2002 CEP Convention as part of CEP's 10^th anniversary celebrations. The purpose of the award is to recognize rank and file women, whose outstanding activities and achievements have contributed to the advancement of women or women's issues in CEP, the broader labour movement and/or the community during the previous two years.

In accepting the award, Barbara said, "To say that I am overwhelmed by this award would be an understatement. I wish to thank CEP and especially the CEP Women's Committee for this great honour. This is one of the greatest highlights of my work and I ask all sisters to keep up the fight whatever the issue. We will prevail.

"I would not have been able to take on some of the issues I have had it not been for the support of the CEP Local 7 Women's Committees we have had over the years. These sisters have followed me down some strange paths to achieve our goals but without them I would not have succeeded.

"I feel this honour you have bestowed upon me really belongs to all of them as well. Today, I would like to acknowledge one of those sisters who is a delegate at this convention, Cathy Maughan. Thank you Cathy for always being there to help and encourage me when things looked the worst. I would also like to thank my current president, Diane Shaver, who was to be a delegate at this Convention, however she had to remain at home to help some workers who had lost their jobs, for her support for our local and joint women's committees.

"Sisters I encourage all of you to get involved in your locals at all levels. There is nothing more rewarding than representing this great union at all functions and in all endeavours. I have tried in my activities with my Federation of Labour, Labour Council and on coalitions to extol the advantages of belonging to a union, especially CEP with our many diverse workplaces.

"Brothers I ask you to encourage and enable all sisters to get involved. We have a great wealth of education, experiences, desires and the will to help all workers, sisters and brothers, unionized and non-unionized. But we must all work together to further all workers goals."