On this day, 22 October 1972, feminists in Vancouver, Canada founded SORWUC – the Service, Office and Retail Workers’ Union of Canada. They sought to represent workers in marginalised, low-paying, largely female-dominated sectors that weren’t high priorities for the big business unions. Being dedicated to grassroots organising (e.g., no staff was paid more than the highest wage in a SORWUC contract), rank and file control (e.g., workers directly decided what they wanted in their collective agreements), as well as women’s rights (e.g., defending abortion, sex workers, Indigenous women, daycare, single mothers, etc.), they were targeted by both the bosses and the bureaucrats of the labour movement, and eventually disbanded in 1986.
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With everything going on, we are being told how deadly COVID is by some and being told how it’s nothing to fear by others. This is my experience as a fairly healthy 25 year old.
My husband took all precautions possible but caught COVID at work from an anti-masker. His first 72 hours, all he did was sleep. I tried to wake him to eat crackers or take a drink of water and he would fall asleep, mid-sitting up. His next 3 days were better. He would take naps throughout the day and was finally eating again, but he had a terrible headache and doesn’t stand up for long as he constantly feels weak. He is improving but still showing too many symptoms to be released on his day 10.
Day 5 for my husband was day 1 of symptoms for me, my 2 year old, and my 5 year old. Our symptoms started very differently, it was almost like our seasonal allergies were hitting, runny nose, sore throat, slight cough. My 5 year old is mostly better, never had a fever and basically just sneezes occasionally. My 2 year old is on day two of being beyond tired and running a fever, day 4 of allergy type symptoms. I am also on day 4 of allergy type symptoms, and day 2 of fever and the worst muscle aches that I’ve ever had. It doesn’t matter if I lay on a heating pad, get in a hot shower, stand up, sit down, move, don’t move, it feels like my muscles are being ripped apart, mostly in my calves and back.
Please, take every precaution available! I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, and that is coming from someone with moderate symptoms and a high pain tolerance.
