Lidiya Demydova

Lidiya Demydova is a Western States organizer for the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and a member of Local 549. She is currently organizing with the Siemens United campaign.

Demydova brings years of union experience to her work. She began her career in the United States as a baker and cake decorator, where she spent 15 years as a proud member of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Milling International Union (BCTGM) Local 85. During that time, she was active in her local and served as chair of the trustees for seven years, overseeing members’ dues and ensuring transparency and accountability.

After leaving the bakery, she worked as a care coordinator in a non-union, nonprofit healthcare setting. That experience reinforced her belief in unions. Despite repeated promises of annual raises, none ever materialized, and she witnessed 20 coworkers laid off without warning or regard for seniority. The contrast was clear: unions deliver real protections, job security and a future workers can count on.

As an organizer, Demydova wants to help workers feel the same sense of security she had as a BCTGM union member. She believes no one should fear being fired without cause or losing their livelihood overnight. To her, unions don’t just improve workplaces, they protect dignity.

She speaks Russian, Ukrainian and English, and is currently learning Spanish. Outside of work, she is an accomplished singer who performs in church services and weddings, and she leads worship in church. She also served as a choir director in Ukraine for 15 years. Raised in the Soviet Union, Lidiya grew up around union values. Her mother was a union member and always said that unions were good for workers.