60 minutes with Sandra Azocar

Sandra Azocar is the newly elected President of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. 

After 38 years of union activism and leadership as an AUPE member, Azocar is more than prepared for her new role.

She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from the frontlines as a child protection worker employed by the Government of Alberta, a former executive director of Friends of Medicare, and longtime AUPE Vice-President. 

We sat down with Azocar to talk about the life experiences that shaped her values, her first 30 days as AUPE President, and her vision for the future of our union.

Q. Can you share a bit about your early life experiences?

I grew up in Santiago, Chile, where I’m originally from. I had a very beautiful childhood. My dad worked extremely hard to make sure our lives were different from his own. He was orphaned at a young age, and when his mother passed away, he and his siblings were separated and raised by different family members. He always made sure his kids had everything he never had. Thanks to his efforts, we had more than what we needed and a very nice upbringing.

Q. What changed after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état?

Everything changed drastically on that day. Our life was turned upside down, and I had to grow up very quickly, even though I was still very young. I realized that something was terribly wrong. My dad didn’t come home from work that night, and as a child, I understood that the bombs going off near our house meant something bad was happening. Life was never the same after that. My dad was gone for about a year, and my mom—who had always been a stay-at-home mom of three—struggled to find him. 

We went from having absolutely everything to having nothing. For a long time, we had to eat whatever was available. 

Q: What experiences shaped you during that time?

On September 11th, my father was taken from his workplace along with other union activist, taken to the National Stadium, then taken to the Concentration Camp Chacabuco.

I had to go to places no child should ever see—searching for my father in environments filled with death and violence. I even traveled to the north of Chile, to Chacabuco. It was an abandoned saltpeter mine in the middle of the desert—a terrifying, desolate place. My father was eventually transported back to the National Stadium, where he was released.

There were machine guns everywhere, people crying and yelling. When my dad came out of the concentration camp, I didn’t recognize him—he had long hair and a beard. My mom told me to go to him, but I was scared. When I finally did, he grabbed me hard and shook me, something he had never done before, and said: ‘Women don’t cry. Women never cry, especially in front of these men.’ That moment stayed with me. It was the last time I ever cried until much later in my adult life.

Q: What was your journey to Canada and adjusting to life here like?

In 1975, we came to Canada, but before that, we lived in Argentina in a refugee camp. Even though it was a difficult situation, as a child, you don’t always realize how serious it is. We had lots of uncles and aunties who made it fun—they organized crafts, dance workshops, and activities to keep us busy amid the chaos. 

Coming to Canada was a completely different experience. We didn’t speak the language and didn’t understand what was happening. But the Chilean community here was very close-knit. We had a strong support system that helped us adjust.

Q: What was it like watching your parents adjust to life here?

It was hard. As an immigrant, you see your parents struggle. They took jobs that ultimately harmed their health. My mom worked at Lilydale Poultry, and because of the humidity, she developed severe asthma. My dad was exposed to asbestos and later died from mesothelioma. Looking back as an adult, you realize the sacrifices they made so we could feel safe and grow.

Q: How did your community support you and your family?

Our community was incredibly strong. They created spaces for us to learn and grow. Every Saturday, instead of going to Brownies or other activities, we attended political education classes—with tests and everything! Our lives were deeply political from the moment we arrived. We grew up attending dances, solidarity events, marches, and rallies. The goal was always to support what was happening in Chile.

Q: What are your earliest memories of union activism?

In Chile, my connection to unions was social. My dad’s union organized trips to the beach and beautiful Christmas parties. Those moments stayed with me.

Children of immigrants usually become translators for our our parents, "uncles" and aunties.’ I often had to translate in workplaces when my uncles and aunties needed help. I reached out to unions for help, and so I became very much aware that we had somewhere to go to when we needed help

Later, in Canada, when I started working for the provincial government in 1987, I learned my job came with a union. At first, I just wanted to understand why money was coming off my paycheck and what benefits I had. But then I was lucky to meet strong activists, like Joyce Spiller, who used to host union meetings (from her house!) and got me more engaged. Eventually, we prepared for a strike, and that was my introduction to union activism.

Q: You’re the first racialized President of AUPE. What does that mean to you?

It means a lot. I’m proud of where I come from and who I am—Chilean Canadian. Being the first racialized President brings a huge responsibility. After I won, many people came up to me, and one member in particular started to cry and said, ‘We finally have someone who looks like us.’ That touched me deeply. I always say, if you’re not seen, you’re not heard. So this role is about creating spaces where people see themselves reflected in leadership. It’s an honor, but also a responsibility I take very seriously.

Q: You’re also one of the few women to hold this position. How does that shape your goals?

I’m the third female President of AUPE, and that adds another layer of responsibility. 

Most of our membership is women so I want to create spaces that address barriers preventing women from participating—like childcare needs. We need to make the union more family-friendly and intentional about inclusion. I’m also passionate about valuing care work, which is central to the public sector. When women advance, society advances—it benefits everyone.

Q: Since being elected on October 25, what have your first 30 days been like?

Intense! It’s been nonstop—30 days of continuous work without a day off. There were so many moving pieces right from the start, especially being on the verge of a strike. It’s been dynamic, challenging, and eye-opening. Even as a Vice-President, you don’t see everything until you’re in this role. It’s exhausting but exciting—and definitely not boring. I’m looking forward to a little downtime eventually, but for now, it’s go, go, go.

Q: The AUPE membership is diverse in just about every way possible. What is your approach to supporting the diverse needs of members?

Q: My approach is to ask: How do we create spaces for people? And how do we identify what is needed? I believe the similarities we share outweigh the differences. That’s always been my perspective when approaching diversity—whether it’s racial, gender, sexual orientation, ideological, or even rural versus urban.

All these differences need to be addressed in an intentional way. I use the word ‘intentional’ because we need a plan in place that actually deals with these issues. A lot of the committee work we do should be real work with actionable steps to address these challenges.

It’s also about engaging members from diverse groups and integrating them into the union. Often, all we need is a common goal to come together and move forward. And as a union, our common goals are clear: improving working conditions, addressing stagnant wages, and tackling affordability issues.

Q: How important is building solidarity, organizing, and communication to you—and why? 

It is incredibly important. It’s what we should consider our bread and butter: educate, agitate, and mobilize. My goal is to continue efforts to educate members so they understand the issues and how it impacts them and then be ready to mobilize when it’s time to fight back. That’s where we need to be.

Q: What improvements do you want to see in collective agreements, legislation, and policy? 

Right now, the main priority is addressing legislation that prevents us from exercising our rights. These issues are all interrelated. We have legislation that impacts the lives, safety, and security of many of our members—such as policies targeting trans youth, which affect our LGBTQ+ members and who feel their rights are being trampled.

In collective agreements, we’ve seen employers willing to violate legislation and agreements, as was clear during the last round of bargaining with nursing care. Moving forward, we need to tackle legislation that directly impacts collective bargaining. 

For example, long-term care workers—18% of our membership—are prohibited from taking strike action because of Essential Services Legislation. That robs people of their most basic right, and it needs to be a priority. 

Q: What does progress in the union and the broader labour movement look like to you? 

Progress means negotiating collective agreements that put members at the forefront. I want agreements driven by our membership, with decisions made directly by members. It’s about empowering members when comes to bargaining and much more.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the union right now? 

The biggest challenge is legislation and a government that is extremely anti-union. Historically, regardless of who’s been in power in Alberta, changes have been minimal. We’ve never seen real movement toward protecting our interests. Right now, Alberta’s current leadership is actively trying to divide us and undermine our strength. 

Q: Why do you think that’s happening? What’s the benefit for them? 

It’s easier to keep people in a situation where stagnant wages remain the norm. Governments gain when they’re accountable only to big business, corporations, and private interests. Underfunding and under-resourcing the public sector creates an opening for privatization—and that’s their goal.

Q: What are the union’s greatest strengths? 

Our greatest strength is our members—the numbers we have. But to truly harness that strength, we need to engage members and help them see and value their power. We need them to stand up against legislation, policies, and politicians that don’t have our best interests in mind.

Q: Okay now for the fun stuff, how would your grandkids describe you?

I asked them this question and the nine-year-old says I’m fun, smart, and funny.

The five-year-old said I’m perfect. And the two-year-old echoed “pwrfect.”

Q: Do you have any hobbies?

I like painting rocks with mandala-style dots. I’m not very artistic, but I enjoy using different colors. I paint them and leave them on my dad’s memorial tree every year.

Q: What’s the most played songs on your music playlist?

Bailando Bachata (Chayenne)—and anything by The Weeknd. When I drive up north, I mostly listen to bachata. It feels funny playing it on Highway 88 surrounded by snow, but that’s how I keep warm!