At last week's convention, the AFL-CIO honored the work of MNA’s Linda Hamilton, RN, and other union activists whose election season volunteer work helped make workers’ voices heard.
Building on a lifetime of political activism that began when she was a teenager, Hamilton volunteered prior to the 2008 elections to promote labor candidates including Barack Obama, Al Franken, Keith Ellison and her own son Shawn Hamilton, who ran for state representative.
Hamilton is quick to emphasize the connection between her work as a nurse, union activism and political influence. “I work for political change because I see waste in our hospitals every day,” said Hamilton upon learning of the national recognition. “Health care reform is NOW. It is US. Because government is US - and we’ve had enough talk. We all need to be political heroes and act now.”
