Warning message

Please note that this page is from our archives. There may be more up-to-date content about this topic on our website. Use our search engine to find out.

ST. JOHN’S – CUPE NL President Wayne Lucas says the province’s labour movement is mourning the loss of one of its pioneers, Tom Mayo.

Mayo passed away January 9 at the age of 81.

Lucas says, “Tom was the first NL-based CUPE National Representative and a trailblazer who not only organized and serviced some of the very first CUPE locals in the province, he was also the President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL) from 1975 to 1981.

Mayo was also a staunch New Democrat, running federally in both 1976 and 1979.

Says Lucas, “Tom was an articulate, passionate person who fought against injustice in all its forms. He was a true guardian of human dignity and a mentor to generations of labour and party activists. His passing is a great loss to all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”

Lucas says NLFL President Mary Shortall also had some kinds words to say about Mayo in a letter to affiliates, “It speaks volumes when someone in our movement is referenced as often as Tom was, and even those of us who became active after he stepped down as Fed president in 1981 were often told about his wonderful contribution to making our world a much better place for workers.”