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 standard for grocery workers and delivered the most significant pay increases in Canadian auto bargaining history with the Detroit Three. 

She was named Automotive News All Star in 2023 and has twice been named among Toronto Life’s 50 most influential Torontonians, which recognizes people whose courage, smarts and clout are changing the world as we know it.

In honour of her fight for workplace rights and broader political change, Lana received  Chatelaine’s 2023 Doris Anderson Award, which celebrates Canadians Who Made the World a Better Place.

She has challenged the Bank of Canada governor on interest rate hikes, taken on grocery giants on price gouging and better jobs for workers, and continues to call out corporations and governments alike to take action on the affordability crisis. 

Lana led the fight for anti-scab legislation in all jurisdictions across Canada and celebrated a major victory when it passed into federal law in 2024. She continues to take CEOs and politicians to task and speak truth to power in her fight to improve working conditions and a better world for all Canadians and working people.

To request an interview with Lana Payne, contact Kathleen O'Keefe. Media outlets can download Payne's high-res photo here.