Background
O'Grady was born in Oxford, one of five siblings in a family of Irish descent, and was brought up in the Roman Catholic faith. Her father was a shop steward at the Leyland car plant in Cowley.
O'Grady was born in Oxford, one of five siblings in a family of Irish descent, and was brought up in the Roman Catholic faith. Her father was a shop steward at the Leyland car plant in Cowley.
She was educated at Milham Ford School, a grammar school which became comprehensive during her time there.
At Manchester University, she earned a BA Hons in politics and modern history. She received a Diploma in Industrial Relations and Trade Union Studies at Middlesex Polytechnic. O'Grady worked for the Transport and General Workers' Union, where she opposed the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board, and campaigned for a minimum wage.
She became TUC Campaigns Secretary in 1994, founded the TUC Organising Academy in 1997, became head of the TUC's organisation department in 1999, and was then elected as Deputy General Secretary in 2003. She was the last person to hold that position before it was abolished in 2012. In February 2013 she was assessed as the 11th most powerful woman in Britain by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.
In 2013, in line with the TUC, she was among those who gave their support to the People's Assembly in a letter published by The Guardian newspaper. In January 2015 she declared her support for the left-wing, anti-austerity Syriza party in Greece and condemned "powerful forces mobilising against the interests of the Greek people.".
