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Love of labour: Newfoundland woman's life in journalism and union leadership made her a natural fit for the top job at Unifor
Lana Payne first woman elected as president of Canada's biggest private-sector union
Author of the article:
Peter Jackson, PNI AtlanticPublished Aug 29, 2022 • Last updated Aug 29, 2022 • 6 minute read
Article content
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. Lana Paynes introduction to the labour movement was a baptism by fire.
She was sent to cover a court story for The Evening Telegram in St. Johns, something shed never done before.
We were both in our early 20s, recalls fellow reporter Nancy Walsh, who moved on to CBC shortly afterward. We were straight out of university, green as the grass. To put it kindly, we were both deeply unlearned about politics and current affairs. I think we pretty much came of age together.
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Lana Payne
Elected as Unifor National President in 2022, Lana Payne brings the skills and experience gained from her work as Unifor’s former Atlantic Regional Director, first woman National Secretary-Treasurer, her time as President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, and her history as a veteran print journalist.
A proud feminist and activist, she found her home in the labour movement in 1991 with FFAW/CAW.
A former journalist, she wrote a newspaper column for more than 20 years and was named one of Canada’s 23 Bold Women of Vision.
As the first woman to be elected National President, it is no exaggeration to say that Lana is changing the world.
Named the 4th most powerful person in Canadian Business in Maclean’s 2024 Power List, the magazine cited her willingness to play hardball against mammoth companies and noted that she is not one to take no for an answer.
Maclean’s also acknowledged her work to build a culture of transparency and collaboration, as well as recent major bargaining wins, including negotiations that set a new wage
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