March is Womens’ History Month
IFPTE Profiles Our Women Leaders

International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world every year on March 8. 

Across Canada and the United States, women are organizing in their unions, workplaces, and communities to demand change. International Women’s Day is about recognizing our collective victories and preparing for the coming challenges in the ongoing fight for women’s rights and gender equity.  

Within IFPTE, countless women are leading the fight. Every day, they are problem solving and advocating for improvements that lift us all up. Their efforts add to the spectrum of women that make our labor movement strong.  

During the month of March when Women’s History Month is observed, IFPTE will highlight some of these incredible women making history in our union. “We’re proud of the accomplishments achieved by IFPTE women, and it’s important to celebrate our trailblazers who work tirelessly to drive progress that make a difference for working people,” says IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson. 

Read about the Women Making History in our union here.

If you know a woman in your IFPTE Local that should be added to our Women Making History profiles, please send us a photo and short bio of the individual you wish to nominate to womensnetwork@ifpte.org.  

Happy Womens’ History Month!

Kristina Morgan, IFPTE

Kristina Morgan is the federation’s Membership Coordinator. She has been with IFPTE for 25 years. Her primary role is to work with the membership, elected leaders, and staff to maintain an updated membership database and accurate accounting records. She enjoys working on routine tasks, such as monthly reporting, as well as special projects and serving as the liaison for Union Privilege. Kristina also works with the unions’ vendors to keep our applications and processes current and assist our Comptroller with Accounts Receivables.

Elizabeth Sparks, IFPTE

Elizabeth Sparks has been a union organizer for over 10 years and joined IFPTE in 2019 as an International Organizer based in San Francisco. Her primary role is to empower non-unionized workers to build a strong union through organizing and direct action. She also shepherds IFPTE members to enhance member engagement within their locals by providing training and strategic campaign planning. 

Patricia Constantino, IFPTE 

Patty began her career at IFPTE in October 1980 as Bookkeeper/Clerk Typist. Patty started as a temporary employee and was hired as a permanent full-time employee in January 1981. Over the years she took on more responsibilities to attain the position of Comptroller/Office Manager. Patty’s job duties include payroll, employee benefits, payroll tax filings, accounts payable, preparation of financial statements, works with the Executive Officers to formulate the International’s annual budgets and works closely with the certified public accounts to complete annual audits, and government filings.

Karen Bellamy Lewis, IFPTE 

Karen Bellamy Lewis has been employed with IFPTE as an International Representative since 2001.  She is assigned to the Atlantic Area where she provides the local unions with assistance in contract negotiations, grievances, shop steward training, organizing and member representation.  

She is president of the (ISU) International Staff Union, a Vice President of national (CLUW) Coalition of Labor Union Women, a NJ AFLCIO Executive Board member, a Vice President of the (MCCLC) Mercer County Central Labor Council, and a Trustee of the Central Jersey (CBTU) Coalition of Black Trade Unionist. 

Karen is very active in her church and community.  She was elected in 2022 to the Mercer County Democratic Committee as a Committee Member.  She is an officer at Greater Mt. Zion AME Church (the oldest African American church in the capital city of Trenton NJ),  and president of the Women’s Missionary Society.  She also serves as a board member of (SandSJ) Salvation and Social Justice and the Kingsbury Corporation Housing in Trenton, NJ.

Karen Nairn, IFPTE

Karen is the Office Secretary and will celebrate her 25th year at the Federation in October. She supports the officers and staff and performs a variety of administrative duties, orders office supplies, handles and delivers messages, schedules meetings and appointments, handles office correspondence, incoming and outgoing mail and maintains the IFPTE Directory. She also assists with membership updates.

Karen organizes documents and materials for all Executive Council meetings, including note taking. She assists in the preparation of the Legislative Advocacy Week and IFPTE Conventions.

Candace Rhett, IFPTE

Candace came on board with IFPTE in November 1988. She is the Communications Representative and Meetings/Convention Coordinator. She attended George Washington University for Event Management and handles all aspects of IFPTE’s meetings from the contracting process through the meeting’s conclusion.  She also handles IFPTE’s internal communications including the Weekly Recap, website, and OUTLOOK magazine.

Anna Liu, IFPTE

Anna Liu joined IFPTE in 2005 and works as an International Representative based in Ontario. Her job involves helping non-unionized workers to form a union in their workplace. She also assists IFPTE locals with strategic planning and membership engagement. In addition, she supports the work of the IFPTE women’s committee, the Women’s Solidarity Network. Anna holds a MA in Labour Studies from McMaster University, Canada.

Teresa Ellis, IFPTE

Teresa joined IFPTE as General Counsel in 2009 following a number of years as an in-house labor lawyer.  She received her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree at the George Washington University.  Her work at the International includes a wide variety of topics, including assisting local leaders and staff, providing advice on organizing campaigns and strategy, and assisting locals and the International with compliance issues.  She also serves IFPTE's appointee to the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and is active within the labor bar on diversity and inclusion issues. 

Denise Robinson
Northeastern Area VP

Denise Robinson currently serves as President of IFPTE Local 400 representing members at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). She is currently employed as an Engineering Technician IV at RIDOT.

While in Local 400, Denise has served as Correspondence Secretary, Steward, Unit Representative, Chief Steward, and Vice President. She has actively been attending the NE Council, serving as a delegate for Local 400, and currently is Vice President of the NE Council. Denise currently serves on the Executive Board of the RI AFL-CIO. She is also a member of the National Coalition of Labor Union Women and serves as a trustee on the Executive Board of the RI Chapter of Coalition of Labor Union Women, and the Women’s Solidarity Network (which she joined at the IFPTE 59th Convention).

In 1989 she began her career at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Upon her employment with RIDOT, she became active with Local 400. Denise’s union experience started back in 1980 as a recording secretary for Local 1293 AFSCME-Council 94 AFL-CIO; she moved through the ranks becoming a Steward and then Treasurer. She has been employed in union jobs for over 40 years.

Denise was born and raised in Rhode Island and now shares a home with her significant other, Paula, in Attleboro, Massachusetts. She has a daughter and three wonderful grandsons, she loves spending time with family and friends, and enjoys giving back to her community.

Theryl Johnson SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001,
Council Treasurer 

Theryl (TJ) Johnson was most recently elected Treasurer of the SPEEA Council, the workplace elected leaders of SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001.

A Real Time Software Engineer in Seattle at The Boeing Company, Johnson is a quiet force in the leadership of the union representing 17,000 engineers, technical workers, pilots and other professionals at Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems and Triumph Composite Systems in Washington, Kansas, Oregon, California and Utah. After just a few years in the union, Johnson was named an “Outstanding Activist” and has never slowed down working to ensure members in the workplace are treated fairly by their employer.

“Most people get it,” Johnson said about the benefits of union representation. “I’m involved as an officer to help ensure we have a fair playing field between engineers, technical workers and the company.”

In addition to her current elected position, since joining SPEEA in 2005, Johnson has served as Council Representative and elected SPEEA Council Chair. She is a consistent volunteer at member activities and participates on nearly every member committee, among those are Organizing, Diversity, Expansion, Leadership Development and the Northwest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics committees.

Johnson is known for her thoughtful and impactful input during Council meetings and on important union issues. An ardent promoter of her union, she makes a point of encouraging others to join committees, voice their concerns and to use their voice, experience and passion to help build a stronger SPEEA/ IFPTE Local 2001.

DEBORAH SPENCER, IFPTE LOCAL 195

Deborah Spencer became IFPTE Local 195’s first female president in January 2023. With more than 28 years of experience in New Jersey’s labor movement, she is a strong advocate for public employees, a fighter for a seat at the table, a voice to be heard, and a commitment to those she represents that all individuals are entitled to mutual respect and common dignity within the workplace.

Deborah lives on the family farm with her husband in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and has three children and seven grandchildren.

Laurie Reid, Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160 

Laurie Reid was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160 in July, 2021. Prior to this role, Laurie was Vice-President of the Society's Ontario Energy Board bargaining unit, served on the Society's Executive Committee and continues to serve as Executive Board sponsor and member of the union's Pride & Solidarity Committee.

Ms. Reid received her Bachelor of Applied Science from Queen's University and is a Professional Engineer.

Katie Barrows
Southeast Area VP

Katie Barrows is a member of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU/IFPTE Local 70). She previously served as NPEU President from 2021 to 2022 and NPEU Vice President of Communications from 2019 to 2021.

Barrows has been published in Teen Vogue, The Hill, Bloomberg, The American Prospect, and many other publications discussing the importance of unions for nonprofit professionals.

Barrows is currently the Communications Director at the Department for Professional Employees (DPE), AFL-CIO. Previously, she worked in the communications department at a free speech nonprofit and as an outreach and research assistant for a congressional research company.

Barrows moved to Washington, D.C. in 2013 to pursue her career in progressive politics and causes after serving as a field organizer for Jay Inslee’s 2012 campaign for governor in Washington state. Building on her experiences interning in multiple district offices of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Barrows' first role in Washington, D.C. was as an intern on Capitol Hill for Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR).

Barrows' interest in the labor movement came from both her family and her experiences working on Democratic campaigns. Her grandmother was the president of the Portland Association of Teachers and taught her the importance of a fair union contract. Barrows' mother is a librarian who was one of the founding members of her union. Additionally, working on political campaigns in Southwest Washington state, Barrows regularly worked alongside union members and learned about their workplace victories.

Barrows is a proud Pacific Northwest native and a graduate of the University of Washington.

Dana Fisher, Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160

Dana Fisher leads the Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160’s Legal Aid Ontario bargaining unit and serves on Local 160’s Executive Committee. Fisher is a Duty Counsel lawyer who was a member of the committee that organized the more than 350 legal aid lawyers to join IFPTE in 2016. In addition to the challenges of organizing most workplaces, Ontario lawyers do not have the right to join a union. Fisher and her colleagues overcame that barrier through a multi-year campaign that ultimately saw the provincial government intervene to help Legal Aid Ontario lawyers gain voluntary recognition of their collective bargaining rights.
 

Following her leadership role in establishing their bargaining unit, Fisher led the team that negotiated the legal aid lawyers’ first collective agreement. She also led Local 160’s fight against the Ontario government’s 33% cut to legal aid funding, succeeded in advocating for additional federal funding for legal aid for refugee claimants, and saw her advocacy result in healthier and safer courthouses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morgan Koch, Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160

Morgan Koch is Chair of the Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160’s Pride and Solidarity Committee, which works to advance equity for LGBTQ+ members and communities. She sits on similar committees of the Canadian Labour Congress and Ontario Federation of Labour.

Morgan first got involved in Local 160 as a member of the Legal Aid Ontario Lawyers organizing committee, which led more than 350 legal aid lawyers to join IFPTE. She subsequently served on the bargaining team for that unit’s first collective agreement.

Morgan is also passionate about workplace health and safety. She serves as both the certified Health and Safety Representative at her courthouse and as the Worker Co-chair of Legal Aid Ontario’s Joint Health and Safety Committee.

A criminal lawyer with Legal Aid Ontario for the past 11 years, Morgan was called to the Bar in 2012. She sits on courthouse stakeholder committees such as the Gladue Court (a special criminal court that uses sentences aligned with Indigenous traditions) and Community Justice Court committees.

Morgan has been involved in social justice activism for many years. In law school, Morgan won the 2011 Windsor Law J.W. Whiteside Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the Faculty of Law, the legal community and the community of Windsor, Ontario. In 2009, she received the $5,000 Windsor Law Social Justice Fellowship.

Audrey Huntley, Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160

Audrey Huntley (she/her) is of European settler and Indigenous ancestry. She grew up an army brat between Calgary, Alberta, and Germany. As a young adult she turned a two-month trip through Europe into 20 years in Germany, France, and Italy, where she studied, worked, and became part of anti-authoritarian social movements fighting racism, fascism and gender-based violence. She returned to Turtle Island in 1998 and has been involved in anti-colonial struggles in British Columbia and Ontario ever since.

Audrey is a licensed paralegal who works with survivors of violence at Aboriginal Legal Services (ALS). She is a filmmaker/storyteller and the co-founder of No More Silence, working with other Indigenous women, trans and Two-Spirit people supporting community members in the losses of missing and murdered women, girls trans and Two-Spirit people. Audrey was one of the leads on the committee to organize ALS staff into the Society of United Professionals/IFPTE Local 160, and sat on the bargaining team which achieved a successful first collective agreement for the ALS bargaining unit in November 2022.

One of Audrey’s short films, Not Just Another Case: When Your Loved One Has Gone Missing or Been Murdered, was created to empower Indigenous community members and provide alternatives to the mainstream institutions that fail them. More recently, Audrey and No More Silence have been involved with local abolitionist groups seeking city funds be diverted away from police to mental health supports, housing and initiatives to end poverty including the No Pride in Policing Coalition and Another Toronto is possible.

Rita Owens, Goddard Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians Association (GESTA/IFPTE Local 29)

Rita Owens serves as an Area Vice President of the Goddard Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians Association (GESTA/IFPTE Local 29). She has been a member of GESTA for over 10 years. Rita joined GESTA when she needed help resolving an issue in the workplace. 

Rita is interested in helping improve our workplace and breaking down all the barriers for employees to have more productivity. She is an electrical engineer with NASA in the Electrical Systems Branch (Code 565). She has been involved in a variety of engineering projects such as flight hardware designs, requirements & verification documentations, MBSE modeling, IRADs, software development, etc. at Goddard Space Flight Centre (GSFC) since 1993 and obtained a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1999. Rita also is serving as a co-chair of the Equal Accessibility Employee Resource Group (EAERG) since last year. She is also part of the GSFC DEIA Implementation Team. She was also the chair of Advisory Committee (EAAC) in 2008-2010. She spearheaded the renaming of the committee to EAAC, attended meetings with the GSFC Center Director and councils, and arranged events to increase disability awareness. Rita also participated in various committees at GSFC such as Standing Awards Committee, GSFC Diversity Dialogue, AETD Diversity Focus Group, EO Council, Diversity Council, Lactation program (Supermom) and People with Disabilities Advisory Committee (Vice-Chair).

Jamie Uyeunten
Western Federal Area VP

Jamie Uyeunten was elected Western Regional Federal Vice President of IFPTE, AFL-CIO & CLC at the Union’s Executive Council meeting in August 2021.

Jamie is the President of IFPTE Local 121, a diverse union of more than 3,000 technical and professional bargaining unit members comprised of nine (9) units in seven (7) different agencies in Hawaii. These agencies include Navy agencies Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), Naval Facilities (NAVFAC) Hawaii, NAVFAC Pacific, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA); as well as the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency.

Jamie became a member of IFPTE Local 121 in 2006. She served as interim Treasurer of IFPTE Local 121 from 2008 to 2010. Jamie continues to serve as President of IFPTE Local 121 from 2010 to present.

Jamie is a General Engineer at PHNSY & IMF. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Jamie is active in her local community and continues to serve as a vice president of the Hawaii State AFL-CIO. In addition, she has served as the Vice President and is currently Sergeant-at-Arms of the Hawaii Federal Employees Metal Trades Council.

Renae McKenzie
Eastern Federal Area VP

Renae McKenzie was elected Eastern Federal Vice President of IFPTE, AFL-CIO & CLC at the Union’s Executive Council Meeting in August 2021.

Renae represents & advocates for 2,000 + white-collar workers at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Her journey began with advocating for educational requirements concerning children with special needs which gradually grew into a passion for working to improve the employee experience. She continues to support engineers, scientists, technicians, IT professionals, program administrators and operation support specialists as a Labor Relations Specialist for the Engineering Association.

Renae gave critical labor relations support to the effort to force the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to reverse its decision to replace hundreds of union member jobs with H-1B outsourcing workers. This effort not only saved union jobs but fostered a renewed focus on continuing to stimulate the economy of the Tennessee Valley with local workers.

Renae received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Ecology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga followed by a master's degree from Lincoln Memorial in Harrogate Tennessee. She is the mother of 3 and currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and spending time with friends and family.

Tryshanda Moton, Goddard Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians Association (GESTA/IFPTE Local 29)

Tryshanda Moton is the Executive Vice-President of Goddard Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians Association (GESTA/IFPTE Local 29). An aerospace engineer in the Mission Systems Engineering Branch, Tryshanda has worked at Goddard for more than 12 years as a civil servant. In this capacity, she currently provides project support to Space Weather Follow-On Mission (SWFO-L1) by tracking and verifying requirements, managing risks, and documenting engineering processes and improvements, all for the SWFO flight project, the ground systems and the program. She is also responsible for developing documents for engineering management plans, project reviews, project schedules, and mission assessments. 

Tryshanda has been involved with GESTA since 2012 after attending several monthly meetings and witnessing the advocacy and drive of the GESTA officers in support of members. In 2016, she accepted a nomination as Area VP and served in that role for 4 years. Tryshanda is excited to support other members of the Executive Council, and she is proud to represent the interests of Goddard’s highly skilled employees by actively engaging with Goddard management, with the focus of building employees’ collective bargaining strength and management relations. As a passionate leader of GESTA, she engages the US Congressional leadership, federal pay increases, and gender pay equity in the federal government. During the federal government shutdown of 2018-19, Tryshanda was actively involved in protesting the federal government shutdown and brought many issues of the effects of the shutdown to US national and international news media.

Michelle Johnston
Canadian Area VP

Michelle Johnston is an IFPTE Canadian Area Vice President and the President of Ontario-based IFPTE Local 160, the Society of United Professionals.

A proud Metis woman from Timmins, Ontario, Ms. Johnston has burst through glass ceilings throughout her more than 30 years in Ontario’s energy sector. Beginning in forestry as a summer student, Ms. Johnston moved on to customer service roles before being recruited to Ontario Hydro’s head office. Prior to becoming an elected union leader, Ms. Johnston worked in IT as a Senior Business Process Analyst at Hydro One.

Ms. Johnston became a union activist during the Society’s 105-day strike of Hydro One in 2005. Organizing her colleagues to fight back against two-tier pensions and benefits was an empowering experience that motivated Ms. Johnston to join the Society’s elected leadership.

Prior to becoming President in 2021, Ms. Johnston served as Secretary-Treasurer. In the Secretary-Treasurer role Ms. Johnston maintained the union’s strong financial position and led successful organizing campaigns to grow the Society’s membership. Ms. Johnston has also served the Society as Executive Vice President of Policy and Unit Director in the Society’s Hydro One Local.

As part of her role Ms. Johnston holds a number of external offices. She is a member of the Canadian Labour Congress’s Canadian Council, a member of the United Way of Greater Toronto Executive Board, and a director of the Ontario Federation of Labour, Canadian Nuclear Association, and Electricity Human Resources Canada.

Ms. Johnston holds an Honours BA in Psychology with a double minor in Sociology and Social Work from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

Having beat an aggressive form of breast cancer with the support of Ontario’s health care system and her family, in her spare time Ms. Johnston dedicates her efforts to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada and the CIBC Run for the Cure.

Gay Henson
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer

Gay Henson was elected IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer in August 2021 at the union’s 60th Convention. Before that, Gay served on the IFPTE Executive Council as Eastern Federal Area VP since 2012, representing U.S. federal workers east of the Mississippi and focusing on the many issues facing these dedicated public servants.

Gay’s local union is the Engineering Association (EA) - IFPTE local 1937). The EA represents ~2500 white collar workers at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). She has served as their President since 2005. The EA membership includes engineers, scientist, technicians, IT professionals, program administrators and operation support specialists. TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider serving 10 million people. Her leadership of the EA has included successfully campaigning to stop the outsourcing and privatization of 220 TVA IT workers’ jobs during the pandemic by engaging community partners and labor support.

At TVA, Gay is employed in work management at the Sequoyah Nuclear Station as a Project Control Specialist. Her TVA career includes many years as a Health Physicist providing radiation protection to workers, the environment and the public.

Henson, studied at Oak Ridge Associated University (ORAU) were she received certification in Applied Health Physics. Graduating from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a BS degree, she currently resides in Chattanooga, TN with her husband Maurice.