Goodbye, Jin Sook Lee

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved colleague and friend Jin Sook Lee, from the Building and Wood Worker's International, after a long battle with cancer on 7 April 2020

This text was originally published on the BWI website. The Building and Wood Worker's International is our sister Global Union Federation grouping free and democratic unions with members in the Building, Building Materials, Wood, Forestry and Allied sectors.


We and her family are relieved that her passing was peaceful. Jin Sook was BWI's Global Campaigns Director since 2010. Under her steady and tireless leadership, BWI was able to launch successful global campaigns focused on migrant workers' rights, gender equality and trade union rights.

She was responsible for shaping BWI's global sports campaign for decent work which centred on mega-sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Her negotiations and lobbying work directed to companies and governments impacted the working lives of thousands of workers. Jin Sook was a coalition builder and orchestrated many of BWI’s alliance work on various issues and campaigns.

She institutionalized BWI’s global approach to gender equality and in raising the voice of women in our global union.

Jin Sook started her work in BWI as a Project Coordinator for Asia-Pacific region in 2004. Her invaluable work helped develop BWI's migration campaign and build a solid network of construction unions in the region.

She institutionalized BWI’s global approach to gender equality and in raising the voice of women in our global union.

A true champion of the working class, before joining BWI Geneva Office, Jin Sook was BWI Asia Pacific Project Coordinator and concurrent International Director of the Korean Federation of Construction Industries Trade Union (KFCITU). She was also the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and Logistics Coordinator of the AFL-CIO.

Jin Sook will be lovingly remembered by her husband Kyung Kyu, her children Hansoo and Yunsoo, and her sisters Min Sook and Eun Sook.

BWI requests all its affiliates and allies and her friends worldwide to take time to celebrate and honour the life of our dearly beloved Jin Sook Lee.

To our dear comrade, colleague, friend and sister, A LUTA CONTINUA!

BWI requests all its affiliates, allies and friends to express their heartfelt sympathies to Jin Sook's family by posting a message of condolences to our official Facebook fan page and/or sympathy letters to info@bwint.org