Masoud serves as an Executive Vice-President of the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU), representing over 90,000 members in his home province of British Columbia, Canada. He was elected to the role in 2024 and previously worked as an outreach worker for nearly two decades, serving vulnerable populations including those living with homelessness, addiction, mental health, and HIV/AIDs in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
With over 17 years of direct union experience, his work has been driven by injustices in the workplace, health and safety issues, and unfair wages. As a steward, facilitator, and organiser, he has been dedicated to educating workers about their rights and collective agreements. His achievements include being part of the negotiation team for the community health sector to improve wages and working conditions for over 13,000 workers.
In 2022, after more than 10 months of bargaining, Masoud and members of the Community Bargaining team negotiated one of the highest wage increases in the history of Community Health for BCGEU members in the sector. In 2023, he was one of the main organisers and speakers at the Reimagining Supportive Housing Conference for union members and activists to address the housing crisis in BC. In his role at BCGEU, Masoud chairs committees on Political Action, Workers of Colour, and International Solidarity, liaising with unions and workers' movements worldwide.
He is also a board member of the Vancouver and District Labour Council and CoDevelopment Canada, an NGO working on social justice and global education in the Americas. Masoud’s activism started as a teenager in Iran, and he continues to advocate for prosperity, equality, and freedom for all, including those beyond borders. Masoud believes the labour movement, unions and progressive allies are the main defenders and protectors in our struggle against reactionary forces whose agenda is to destroy socio-economic achievements
I have always believed in the power of the collective to overcome barriers that stand in the way of justice and equality. To change systems of inequality requires knowledge, planning, and organising – whether it's negotiating a fair collective agreement for workers or improving access to affordable housing for society's most vulnerable.Masoud Aminzavvar