AMAPCEO, Asian Canadian Labour Alliance, Chinese Workers Network
When she was 20 years old, Patricia Chong was working part-time as a cashier at the University of Toronto bookstore. While some employees were members of CUPE 3261, other departments did not have a union. In 1999, she became part of the negotiation team and in 2000, helped to obtain a collective agreement after a 13-week strike. Patricia would go on to make a short film about the experience on its 16th anniversary, called STRIKE 16. The film was screened as part of the Canadian Labour International Film Festival in 2016.
Over the years, Particia has worked as a trade union organizer for public and private sector trade unions in Ontario, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut. A strong advocate for unionization continues to encourage workers to get involved in the labour movement, and in particular organizations geared towards encouraging, mentoring, and providing outreach towards racialized union activists.