Linda Silas

Linda Silas
President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU)
Assumed office
2003
Preceded byKathleen Connors
Personal details
Alma materUniversité de Moncton

Linda Silas is a Canadian nurse and trade unionist. She is the president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) since 2003.

Early life and education

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Linda Silas grew up in Dalhousie, New Brunswick, a small community on the Restigouche River. Her father worked at the Abitibi newsprint mill, and served as president of the mill workers’ union local.[1]

Silas studied nursing at the Université de Moncton, where she graduated in 1983.[2]

Career

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Silas worked as a nurse in emergency care, critical care, and childbirth.[1] She soon became president of her union local. She was elected President of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, thus becoming the youngest nurses union center president in Canadian history.[2] She remained in that position for 10 years.[3]

In 2003, she was elected president of the CFNU, a position she still holds today.[2]

Advocacy

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Under Silas's tenure, the CFNU remained a nonpartisan union center. However, Silas has been a vocal political actor on healthcare issues in Canada.[4] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she repeatedly called on provincial governments to hire more health care workers.[5][6]

Linda Silas is longtime advocate of universal pharmacare.[7] She claims implementing this policy is especially urgent during a global pandemic.[8]

Bid for CLC leadership

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On 3 January 2020, Linda Silas announced she was running to become president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Canada's House of Labour.[9] Her candidacy was endorsed by major Canadian trade unions such as Teamsters Canada[10] and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.[11] However, she terminated her campaign in March 2021.[12]

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References

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  1. ^ a b Climenhaga, David (2020-01-03). "Linda Silas, president of Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, announces bid to lead Canadian Labour Congress". Alberta Politics. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  2. ^ a b c "Linda Silas, President of Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, Announces Bid to Lead Canadian Labour Congress". Nova Scotia Nurses Union. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  3. ^ "Elected Officers". Canada's Nurses. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  4. ^ "Nurses unions plan to get involved in federal election campaigning". Atlantic. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  5. ^ Savoie-Brideau, Pascale (24 June 2020). "Des travailleurs de la santé dénoncent un manque de protection dans les hôpitaux | La COVID-19 en Atlantique". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  6. ^ "Exhausted nurses have 'had enough,' leader says as N.L. rallies highlight staffing shortage". CBC News. 17 September 2021.
  7. ^ Hall, Chris. "Interview - Linda Silas on Pharmacare".
  8. ^ Wright, Teresa (2021-05-11). "Health care providers, advocates sound alarm over stalled action on pharmacare". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  9. ^ "Linda Silas annonce sa candidature à la présidence du Congrès du travail du Canada". Le personnel infirmier du Canada. 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  10. ^ Canada, Teamsters (2020-03-05). "Le syndicat des Teamsters appuie Linda Silas à la présidence du CTC". Teamsters Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2021-12-11. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  11. ^ "PIPSC Endorses Linda Silas for CLC President". The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  12. ^ Climenhaga, David (2021-03-05). "Amid pandemic chaos, CFNU President Linda Silas ends bid to lead Canadian Labour Congress". Alberta Politics. Retrieved 2021-12-11.