Life in the 70s and 80s wasn’t easy, especially for families like mine. When my dad passed away, my mom was left to raise three teenagers on her own. Even when she had a heart attack and underwent open-heart surgery, she still had to work to keep us afloat—there was no real safety net for people like her. She found a job in Home Support, working with the elderly and disabled, and despite how hard that job was, she only made around $3 an hour.
When I started working, I remember making $4.75 an hour as a janitor at Expo 86, while the supervisors made $10. Back then, that felt like a huge gap. Later, I got a job at an industrial laundry making $5 an hour—hard, physical work, but in those days, that was considered decent money. When I got a job at a turkey processing plant, I started at $9 an hour, which jumped to $12 after three months, thanks to the union. It was one of the few times I felt like I was being paid fairly for the work I was doing.
Meanwhile, my mom was still struggling, even though she worked harder than anyone I knew. By the time she stopped working due to illness, she was making just $8.50 an hour, even with a union. It was tough seeing her work so hard for so little, while I earned more during my part-time jobs while going to college. She passed away at 76, after giving her whole life to keep us going. I’ve always admired her strength, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that the system never gave her the dignity she deserved.
Now, I’m finding myself in a similar place. I’ve been struggling to find steady work, living off my sister, who’s been helping me out. My body’s giving me issues, and sometimes I wonder if I’ll even make it to 76, like my mom. Nowadays, to do home support work, you need a car, which I don’t have. And cleaning jobs? They have you using all these harsh chemicals—it’s rough on your body, and the pay hardly makes it worth it. I clean my sister’s house to help out, but she’s ready for me to move on, and honestly, I can’t blame her! 😜
Surviving today feels just as hard, if not harder. The gap between working hard and getting ahead seems even wider. The world keeps changing, but for those of us trying to scrape by, the struggle feels the same.
List of jobs I had
1. Raspberry Picker – Summers during ages 13-15.
2. Cashier at a Food Stand – Summer when you were 16, packing and selling fruit.
3. Berry Picker – Next summer after working at the food stand.
4. Straw Boss – Briefly worked in the field during strawberry season after graduating, at age 18.
5. Raspberry Picking Machine Worker – Transitioned to this job after the straw boss position didn’t work out.
6. Berry Picking Plant Worker – Worked at a plant during the summers for a couple of years.
7. Mushroom Picker – Your first job after graduating (1981), picking mushrooms in barns, which I quit.
8. Sanding and Prepping Cars/Trucks for Paint (Sundial Vans) – Worked for six months prepping vehicles for specialized paint.
9. Cashier Course – Took a one-month course in Vancouver, though you didn’t secure a cashier job.
10. Live-In Nanny – Worked as a nanny in Surrey for six months in 1982.
11. Egg Packing Worker – Candled and packed eggs, unsure of exact duration.
12. Janitor at Expo 86 – Worked as a janitor during Expo 86 for about one month.
13. Industrial Laundry Worker – Worked in an industrial laundry for one year.
14. Turkey Processing Plant Worker – Worked at a turkey processing plant 1987-1990
15. Duck Processing Plant Worker – Worked at a duck processing plant for six months. ( Was before Turkey plant but forget exactly
16. Industrial Bakery Worker – Worked in an industrial bakery (date unclear but before 1987).
This covers your jobs up to the year 1990.
And all this was before I started college at 28 as mature student, before I took photography, web design, app design, before I learned to paint watercolours, oils, murals, make jewelry, rainmakers BEFORE I had a child and raised her as Single mom..
So remember it's hard, you are not alone, hang in there, I am doing my best too, we are all on this big planet .. together ♥️
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