Career
After attending university, Drake worked as a research officer at the National Union of Public Employees, before moving to the Civil and Public Services Association in 1976. She was a Deputy General Secretary of the National Communications Union and, following a merger in 1995, she held the same position in the Communication Workers Union until 2008. During her tenure, she was President of the Trades Union Congress in 2005.
She was a commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission from 2006-2009.