THERE is no tradition of trade unionism in Evelyn Owens's family. Her parents are from the west of Ireland and her father was a civil servant.
She joined the Irish Local Government Officers' Union as a clerical officer with Dublin Corporation. She became president of her union and served on the women's committee of the ICTU.
She played a leading role in the campaign for equal pay in the local authorities and in the development of the ILGOU into IMPACT, the largest public sector union in the country.
Ms Owens was elected a member of Seanad Eireann on the labour panel in 1969 and served for eight years.