List of speakers
Bea Bruske
President of the Canadian Labour Congress
Bea was re-elected in 2023 as President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)—the voice of over 3 million workers across the country. She made history as only the second woman ever to lead the CLC, and she brings more than three decades of frontline experience as a union activist, negotiator, and labour leader.
During her tenure at the head of the CLC, Bea has led our movement through important victories including:
- A national childcare program worth $30 billion
- Dental care for kids in low-income families
- Stronger pension protection laws putting workers ahead of big banks
- Doubling the funding for union-led apprenticeship training
Bea has also worked to ensure workers are central to climate action, pushing for a just transition through legislation like the Sustainable Jobs Act.
She began her union journey on the picket line in 1987 with UFCW Local 832 in Manitoba. Since then, she’s risen through the ranks to serve as Secretary-Treasurer of the local and as Vice-President on the UFCW Canada National Council.
In 2022, the magazine Maclean’s named Bea one of Canada’s 50 most powerful people.
Susana Barria
Sub-regional Secretary for the Andean Sub-region
Susana works with the Public Services International (PSI), the international voice of public sector unions that brings together more than 700 trade unions with 30 million workers in 154 countries. She has worked with PSI in various capacities for the past 10 years, in Asia Pacific and InterAmericas, and is now based in Bogota, Colombia. She is co-author of the study A Political Economy Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Workers as well as Decent Work for Community Health Workers in South Asia: A Path to Gender Equality and Sustainable Development.
NUPGE is an affiliate of Public Services International (PSI). Like NUPGE, PSI fights for equal access to quality public services and defends the labour rights of the workers who deliver those services.
Sharon DeSousa
President of The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)
Sharon is President of The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) – representing nearly 240,000 workers in every province and territory in Canada and in locations around the world.
Sharon made history as the first racialized woman to serve as both National President and National Executive Vice-President of PSAC. A former Service Canada worker and longtime union activist, Sharon brings a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and strong public services for all to her work and all her contributions.
David MacDonald
Senior Economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
David is one of Canada’s leading progressive voices on economic policy. He’s the brains behind the Alternative Federal Budget, offering bold, people-first alternatives to federal priorities. His recent work reveals how the public sector has shown leadership in the fight against income inequality
Larry Rousseau
Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress
Larry is a respected union leader and social justice advocate. From protecting pensions to advancing paid sick leave, child care, and climate action, Larry has been a strong voice for public service workers and equity across Canada for decades.
He has a long history of involvement in the 2SLGBTQIA+, anti-racism and peace movements.
Fae Johnstone
Executive Director of the Society of Queer Momentum
Fae has dedicated her life to advancing equality, freedom and rights for queer and trans people. With over a decade of advocacy under her belt, she is a force to be reckoned with and one of Canada’s most prominent queer human rights advocates.
As Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Society of Queer Momentum, Fae is on a mission to mobilize advocates and allies towards a more free, equal and socially just future. Within her advocacy, she travels across Canada supporting queer advocates and allies on the ground, gracing conference stages and building bridges with allies and sibling movements in every province and territory.
Fae has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including serving as Grand Marshal of the Ottawa Capital Pride Parade in 2023 and National Grand Marshal of Saskatoon Pride in 2024. She was even featured on a chocolate bar!
Randi Weingarten
President of the American Federation of Teachers
Randi Weingarten leads the 1.8 million-member American Federation of Teachers (AFT) – a union representing educators, health care professionals, and public sector workers across the United States. Randi is a lifelong advocate for strong public services, equity in education, and the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively.
Under her leadership, the AFT has fought for safe and well-resourced public schools, expanded access to health care, tackled student debt, and delivered real reforms to support the teachers. Randi has championed community schools and led campaigns to improve conditions not just in the classroom but across the community as whole.
She is a former high school teacher and lawyer who previously led New York City’s teachers’ union, representing over 200,000 members, and chaired the city’s municipal labour committee—bringing together over 100 public sector unions to negotiate on behalf of nearly 400,000 workers.
Randi continues to be a strong voice in the United States in defense of democracy and robust public services, against privatization, and for putting people before profit.
She received the Roosevelt Institute’s FDR Distinguished Public Service Award, and was recognized among Washington’s Most Influential People.
Although Randi was unable to join us in person due to ongoing attacks on public services and workers’ lives in her country, she and I felt that it is exactly at moments like these that we need to connect in solidarity.