National Nurses United

and her son Shawn Hamilton, who ran for state representative in 2008. At an AFL-CIO national convention in 2009, she was recog- nized for her election volunteer work as a union activist and leader. Hamilton was also a tireless advocate for Medicare for All. She strongly believed that health care was a human right. "My mother instilled that in me and my brother," said Cassie Snodgrass, Hamil- ton's daughter and a labor and delivery nurse at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minn. "Health care is not a privilege. It's a right." "Linda took me under her wing because of the way I viewed the role as director," said Turner, who also served as MNA's president from 2015 to 2023. "My mentality was: I represent all the nurses now, not just the metro area." When Turner told Hamilton that she wanted to go up to bargain- ing units in northern Minnesota to support them, she got the MNA president's wholehearted approval. In fact, Hamilton and Ross joined her on her first few road trips to that part of the state. "Linda was always very supportive of me," said Turner. "She gave me every opportunity to be in front of nurses. She was a great teacher and a great mentor. I'm so grateful for the opportunity and for the vision that she saw in me as a leader. She helped give me the confidence to run for president of MNA." In 2011, Hamilton was recognized by the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation (SPRLF) with its inaugural Labor Leader Award in "appreciation of tireless efforts and experienced leadership that has greatly benefitted the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation." As Bobby Kasper, SPRLF president at the time, noted, "The MNA made safe staffing a focus of their contract campaign two years ago, and they continue to fight for their members at the Capitol, where everybody knows the MNA means business! Linda Hamilton also understands the importance of unions working together … That's why she is a tireless advocate for the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation." She carried that tenacity to winning Medicare for All. In 2024, as she was fighting pancreatic cancer, Hamilton shared her story about the challenges of getting appropriate pain medication and treatment because she wanted to raise more awareness about the difficulties of navigating a health care system that delays care and denies claims. Her experience confirmed her strong belief that "quality health care for all is a fight worth fighting for," stating, "Over 30 years, I found my union was the best place for me to advocate for patients and my profession." And she continued to be an advocate until the very end. Her daughter Cassie Snodgrass said that her mother was someone who stood for standing strong and fighting for patients, the nursing pro- fession, and social justice. She led by example, and her legacy lives on in the nurses she mentored and many people whose lives she touched. "She was always looking to the future," said Snodgress. "Her approach was to learn from the past, learn from mistakes, but move forward." Chuleenan Svetvilas is a communications specialist at National Nurses United. J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 19

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