Canada’s frontline nurses mourn the passing of nurse and advocate Kathleen Connors. Kathleen was integral to founding the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) and shaping nurse advocacy as we know it today.
In 1979, she helped develop the constitution of the National Federation of Nurses Unions and was a delegate at the 1981 Founding Convention of what would later become the CFNU.
Elected president in 1983, Kathleen blazed the path for nurses to have a loud voice on the national stage. Under her leadership over 20 years, the CFNU grew to 125,000 members strong. Today, with more than 250,000 members, the CFNU stands as the largest movement of unionized nurses in North America.
Kathleen’s tireless advocacy began with her nursing career in Manitoba, where she became an active member of the Manitoba Nurses Union, serving as the Local President for eight years and the provincial President for three. Over her nursing and advocacy career, Kathleen brought unionized nurses into the house of labour, where she leant her expertise to the Executive Council of the Canadian Labour Congress. Passionate about public health care, Kathleen continued to be a bold advocate beyond her retirement as the Chairperson of the Canadian Health Coalition.
Kathleen inspired us to have bold voices as nurses, to stand up for our patients, our communities and public health care. Her legacy lives on in the strong voices of nurses and advocates across the country. On behalf of Canada’s nurses, we offer our condolences to Kathleen’s family and loved ones, and we promise to honour her legacy in our work each and every day.
In unwavering solidarity,
Linda Silas, CFNU President
