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Former union organizer profiled during Chinese Canadian Citizenship week
May 14, 2007
Roy Mah, who in his twenties was a former organizer with the IWA, celebrated his 89th birthday this April.
In the 1940s Mah successfully organized thousands of workers not only in Vancouver, but along the Fraser River to Hope, and throughout communities on Vancouver Island.
Union organizer Roy MahIn a birthday message from USW District 3 Director Steve Hunt, Hunt describes Mah as "…a man that workers were fortunate to have on their side during very challenging times," and key to winning the fight for equal wages for workers of all origins.
Mah was the editor-in-chief of the Cantonese version of the BC Lumber Worker, the IWA’s newsletter, making it the then only Chinese language labour paper in North America.
Mah, featured in a story in the Vancouver Sun, would encourage workers to "stick together," despite their different races, origins, or ethnic backgrounds.
May is Asian Heritage Month. In addition to several labour events hosted by the BCGEU, check out ExplorAsian’s 2007 Festival for events taking place throughout May to celebrate Asian heritage.
