The significance of two female labour leaders from this province now at the helm of major national organizations is not lost on delegates attending the NAPE convention in St. John’s this week.
Last weekend, Mary Shortall was elected president of the federal New Democratic Party.
Mary Shortall
And back in August, Lana Payne was elected president of Unifor, the country’s largest private-sector union.
Both Shortall and Payne previously served as president of this province’s federation of labour.
Lana Payne via @UniforTheUnion on Twitter
The person currently in that position, Jessica McCormick, says their contributions have been invaluable.
“I’ve really benefited from mentorship from both Lana, when I was working with the FFAW, and with Mary at the federation of labour,” she said. “They’re two incredible women who’ve such an impact on working people in Newfoundland and Labrador, and I think their priority has always been to raise up the next generation of union activists, people like myself.”
