Stephannie Leach – Winner of the 2025 Carol McGregor CLC Disability Rights Award

Every year on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Canadian Labour Congress will recognize a union member for their disability rights activism.

This award is named in honour of Carol McGregor, an outstanding disability rights activist, member of NUPGE and the CLC Disability Rights Working Group―and who was much loved by all those who worked with her. Carol passed away in 2006.

In 2025, the award recognizes the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Canada activist Stephannie Leach. 

Stephannie is an inspiring leader in our labour movement who has tirelessly advocated for the rights of workers with disabilities in Alberta and in the Northwest Territories. Stephannie’s leadership in this area spanned both her involvement in her workplace and in her union, UFCW Canada Local 401.

As an employee of Vision Loss Rehabilitation Alberta, and a vision impaired worker herself, Stephannie travelled across the province and in the Northwest Territories to provide education to remote and rural communities about vision loss and accessibility awareness, as well as education about guide dogs and service animals. She also trains people with vision impairment to work with their service animals, to access public transit, and to get around their own homes.

Stephannie serves on her local bargaining committee, and she is the health and safety representative for her union in northern Alberta. Thanks to her successful advocacy efforts, the company agreed to bereavement days for the loss of service animals. 

As a trailblazing advocate, she also took the initiative to translate the collective agreement into braille, the first of its kind at her union!

As a dedicated champion for disability rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in her union, in her workplace, and in her communities, Stephannie perfectly embodies the spirit of this award.  

Congratulations to Stephannie and thank you for your leadership and activism for disability rights and inclusion.