Speakers

Amber Barth is the Director of the ILO Office for the United States and Canada, where she leads efforts to advance strategic relations and policy advocacy. She is responsible for developing and managing high-impact partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and communications, ensuring strong alignment with the ILO’s global priorities.

Her leadership focuses on fostering cooperation with government officials, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and the Bretton Woods Institutions. She plays a key role in legislative engagement, working closely with policymakers to integrate international labor policies into multilateral agreements, ensuring that ILO priorities remain central to discussions on economic and social governance.

Prior to this role, Ms. Barth held various senior positions with the ILO in New York and Geneva, where she provided expert guidance on policy development, led inter-agency coordination efforts, and mobilized resources to support global programs.

With extensive experience in international relations, diplomacy, stakeholder engagement, and policy advocacy, Ms. Barth continues to play a key role in positioning the ILO as a leading partner in both global and national policy discussions.

Omar Faruk Osman is a Somali trade union leader and journalist with extensive experience in labour rights, media freedom and democratic governance. He has contributed to strengthening progressive trade unionism in Somalia and advancing freedom of expression and association, as well as respect for human and labour rights.

He serves as General Secretary of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) and Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), promoting social dialogue, decent work and the protection of workers’ and journalists’ rights. He is also engaged internationally with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) general council and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) executive committee, supporting efforts on journalist safety, press freedom and labour standards, with a focus on gender equality and democratic institutions.

Melissa Dvorak is President of the Winnipeg Labour Council (WLC), representing tens of thousands of unionized workers across Winnipeg in sectors including public services, health care, and education. A longtime labour activist and union leader, she brings deep experience in worker advocacy, collective action, and community engagement.

As President, Melissa works to strengthen solidarity among affiliated unions, advocate for fair labour policies at the municipal level, and amplify workers’ voices on key issues such as job security, affordability, public services, and workplace safety. She also plays an active role in supporting and electing candidates to City Council and local school boards who share labour’s values and commitment to strong public services. In addition, she is committed to building strong partnerships between labour and community organizations, reinforcing the WLC’s role as a central and trusted voice for working people in Winnipeg.

Albert McLeod is a Status Indian with ancestry from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and the Metis communities of Cross Lake and Norway House in northern Manitoba. He has over thirty years of experience as a 2Spirit/Indigenous LGBTQI+ human rights activist and was one of the founders of the 2-Spirited People of Manitoba. He was the director of the Manitoba Aboriginal AIDS Task Force from 1991 to 2001.

In 2018, Albert received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Winnipeg. Albert was also a member of the sub-working group that produced the 2SLGBTQQIA Action Plan (2020-2021) for Canada’s national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). In 2020, Albert joined Team Thunderhead, the team that recently won the international competition to design the 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument in Ottawa.

He is a current cultural advisor and historian to Communities Alliances and Networks for Indigenous Responses to HIV-STBBI (CAAN). Albert lives in Winnipeg, where he works as a consultant specializing in Indigenous peoples, HIV/AIDS research, 2Spirit re-emergence, cultural reclamation, and cross-cultural training.

Kevin has been active in the labour movement for over 30 years. He was re-elected President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour for a sixth term in 2024. With Kevin as president, the MFL has successfully advocated for a number of progressive changes to Manitoba’s laws and policies, in solidarity with the Manitoba’s labour movement and working people throughout the province. These changes include the strongest anti-scab and 50 per cent card check union certification legislation in the country; improvements to workplace injury prevention programs; better WCB coverage; a higher minimum wage; and making Manitoba the first province to provide paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

Kevin believes that it is labour’s role to be an active participant in the political process, to advocate and push governments to do more to help working families. The MFL continues to fight for working families on a number of fronts, including advocating to make Manitoba’s minimum wage a living wage, improving the Workers Compensation Board system, strengthening workplace health and safety protections and improving the Labour Relations Act.

Judith Kirton-Darling is General Secretary of industriAll Europe, representing manufacturing, mining and energy workers from 39 European countries. She was formerly a Labour Member of the European Parliament for the North East of England (2014-20). Before entering parliament, she was active for 15 years within the Labour and trade union movement, notably she was elected Confederal Secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation in 2011.

Elizabeth H. Shuler is president of the AFL-CIO, a federation of 65 unions representing nearly 15 million working people across all sectors of the U.S. economy. She is the first woman to hold the office of president in the history of the labor federation.

A visionary leader and longtime trade unionist, Shuler believes the labor movement is a powerful vehicle for progress and that unions are a central force in leading lasting societal transformations. Her leadership has focused on the future of work, clean energy economy, workforce development, and empowering women and young workers. She is committed to leveraging the labour movement’s diversity and power to advance social and economic justice, and to making the benefits of a union voice on the job available to working people everywhere.

Gabriella Zutrau is a Digital Strategy Advisor to campaigns and organizations, with over a decade of experience. She is an organic social media expert, and has a background in community organizing.

After her pioneering work on Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign, Gabbi is one of the nation’s leading experts in using social media chatbots as political organizing tools. She has trained hundreds of people in social media strategy and best practices for chatbot use in politics and advocacy.

In a very different lane, Gabbi is also a content creator in the pet niche, where she and her dog, Edna, have hundreds of thousands of followers and reach tens of millions of people every month. Exclusively represented by BrightSight Speakers, Gabbi also uses the “Edna The Runt” (@ednatherunt) pages as a lab where she experiments with digital tools and tactics before trying them with her clients.

Premier Wab Kinew is the 25th premier of Manitoba. Kinew was first elected as the MLA for Fort Rouge in 2016 and was elected party leader and leader of the official opposition in 2017. He is the son of Dr. Tobasonakwut Kinew and Dr. Kathi Kinew and is from the Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario. Before becoming an MLA, Kinew worked as a broadcaster and as an administrator at the University of Winnipeg. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Manitoba and a master’s degree in Indigenous governance. Kinew is an honorary witness of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a bestselling author. He is a caring dad to three boys and a devoted husband to his wife Lisa, who is a doctor.

Tanya Palson is the Executive Director of the Manitoba Building Trades Council, representing skilled trades workers across Manitoba’s unionized construction sector. She is a leading voice in advancing labour standards on major public infrastructure projects, ensuring that public investment creates good union jobs, drives apprenticeship opportunities, and delivers lasting benefits for workers and communities.

She has played a central role in shaping and implementing Manitoba Jobs Agreements, bringing greater fairness, consistency, and workforce opportunity to large-scale construction projects.

Tanya also serves as Chair of the Apprenticeship and Certification Board of Manitoba and as a board member of Build Inc., where she champions strong training systems and access to the skilled trades.

Her work is grounded in a clear principle: if we’re investing in building our communities, we must invest in the workers who build them.

Karen Ranalletta was elected President of CUPE’s British Columbia & Yukon Division in May of 2021 and is currently serving her third term in the role. Karen’s election as CUPE BC’s senior officer came after serving three terms as General Vice-President and four terms at President of CUPE 2950, where she represented more than 1,500 clerical, library and theatre workers at the University of British Columbia.

Karen was elected onto the CUPE National Executive Board as a National General Vice-President West (Alberta, BC and the Territories) in 2023 following two years as Regional Vice-President (BC). Karen’s national work includes serving on the National Safe Union Spaces Working Group and Post-Secondary Task Force. She also represents CUPE BC at the officers table of the BC Federation of Labour, where she co-chairs the Organizing Standing Committee.

Outside of her union role, Karen donates her time to supporting the arts community in Vancouver, as well as supporting grassroots organizing and progressive activism. These involvements include serving as a board director for the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance and board member of the BC Society for Policy Solutions.

Alex Silas was elected as PSAC National Executive Vice-President at PSAC’s 20th National Triennial Convention in May 2024. He previously served as Regional Executive Vice-President for the National Capital Region from 2020 to 2024.

Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, and proudly Acadian, Alex has lived in Ottawa since 2003. Alex attended La Cité Collégiale for the Police Foundations Program.

He first became a member of PSAC in 2010 when he was hired at the Bank of Canada as a Security Officer, and became a shop steward, then vice-president, for Directly Chartered Local 71250. He has served on various regional committees such as the Young Workers’ Committee, the Ottawa Area Council, and the Directly Chartered Local Committee, and was elected as a Member-At-Large in 2018 on the PSAC-NCR Regional Council.

Alex is the first member of a directly chartered local to serve as National Executive Vice-President and became the youngest member of PSAC’s National Board of Directors in PSAC’s history.

Stephanie Scott is the Executive Director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and the Associate Vice President (Indigenous) Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba. In this critical role, she oversees the Centre’s comprehensive efforts to honour the experiences of residential school Survivors, continue the legacy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and foster reconciliation through education and understanding.

Stephanie leads all operational aspects of the NCTR, including research and archives, education programs, human resources, and financial management. She works closely with the NCTR’s Governing Circle and Survivors Circle to provide strategic direction and build strong partnerships with stakeholders. Her dedication to the Centre’s mission is evident in her numerous accomplishments, such as championing the capital campaign for the NCTR’s new home, which will be a state of the art, international research and educational, Indigenous-led learning centre.

Stephanie has enjoyed a successful career spanning over 30 years, including time as a journalist and film producer. Prior to joining the NCTR, she also worked with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) as the Manager of Statement Gathering, where she played a pivotal role in collecting and documenting over 7,000 audio and video recorded statements from residential school Survivors. Her experience at the TRC also included serving as Executive Assistant to the Chair, where she honed her leadership skills.

Through her past and current experiences with residential school Survivors, Stephanie has witnessed firsthand their courage and strength in overcoming challenges and passing their teachings on to future generations.

As an intergenerational Survivor and sixties scoop Survivor herself, Stephanie is deeply passionate about revealing the truth about residential schools. Born and raised in Winnipeg, her maternal family hails from Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, Treaty 1 Territory. She is a proud mother of twins and grandmother to five grandsons.

Adelle Blackett is Professor of Law and Canada Research Chair in Transnational Labour Law and Development at McGill University. She holds an LLM and doctorate in law from Columbia University, civil law and common law degrees from McGill University, and a BA in History from Queen’s University.

Her recent publications include a co-edited volume for the International Academy of Comparative Law on Critical Approaches to Contemporary Slavery (Brill, 2025), special issues of the International Labour Review and the American Journal of International Law (Unbound) on Transnational Futures of International Labour Law, and an award winning manuscript entitled Everyday Transgressions: Domestic Workers’ Transnational Challenge to International Labour Law (Cornell University Press, 2019).

Internationally, she has been the principal architect of ILO Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201, prepared a draft Haitian labour code, and served as a senior advisor to the Director-General of the ILO. In Canada, she has chaired the Employment Equity Act Review Task Force, served as a Quebec human rights and youth rights commissioner, and chaired the Human Rights Experts Panel of the federal Court Challenges Program. (link)

She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, an Advocate Emeritus of the Barreau du Québec and recipient of its Mérite Christine Tourigny, the recipient of honorary doctorates from Queen’s University, UC Louvain and Simon Fraser University. She has been honoured with the Bob Hepple Lifetime Achievement Award in Labour Law and the Bora Laskin Award for Distinguished Contributions to Canadian Labour Law.

Marc Lafond has been employed as the Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers of Manitoba Local 987, since 2011. Prior to joining the Operating Engineers, he served as Executive Director of the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Manitoba (OETIM) Inc., worked as a Red Seal Mobile Crane Operator, and owned and operated an agricultural farm. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Labour Studies program. He also serves as a trustee on several Health and Welfare and Pension funds, and sits as a Board member of both the Workers’ Compensation Board of Manitoba and the Manitoba Labour Board.