Linda Silas is a Canadian nurse and trade unionist. She is the president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) since 2003.
Linda Silas | |
|---|---|
| President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) | |
| Assumed office 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Kathleen Connors |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | Université de Moncton |
Early life and education
editLinda 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
editSilas 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
editUnder 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
editOn 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]
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Elected Officers". Canada's Nurses. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ "Nurses unions plan to get involved in federal election campaigning". Atlantic. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Exhausted nurses have 'had enough,' leader says as N.L. rallies highlight staffing shortage". CBC News. 17 September 2021.
- ^ Hall, Chris. "Interview - Linda Silas on Pharmacare".
- ^ Wright, Teresa (2021-05-11). "Health care providers, advocates sound alarm over stalled action on pharmacare". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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) - ^ "PIPSC Endorses Linda Silas for CLC President". The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ 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.