Speaker Bios

Linda Meric, National Director, served for 8 years as director of 9to5's Colorado chapter, and is a recognized leader throughout that region. Linda helped found 9to5 Colorado in 1996 and served as the chapter’s Director until fall 2004 when she became 9to5’s national Director. 9to5 Colorado became 9to5’s largest chapter under Linda’s leadership, and has won important victories on minimum wage, good jobs, work-family, anti-discrimination, welfare and child care issues.

Before 9to5, Linda spent 20 years as a labor and community organizer, including: serving on the International Steering Committee of Teamsters for a Democratic Union; being elected as the first woman Principle Executive Officer of a Teamsters local union in the Rocky Mountain region; working 7 ½ years as an organizer and representative for the Service Employees International Union with women janitorial workers in downtown Denver, the Denver Tech Center and the Denver airport; and organizing around a variety of civil rights, police brutality, Central America and women’s and worker justice issues.

Linda regularly appears in a diverse range of publications, from MSNBC and trade journals to the New York Times. She has received several awards for her work with and on behalf of low-wage women. She is regularly invited to speak on these campaigns and is an experienced trainer on numerous issues including promoting diversity and stopping sexual harassment. Linda is bilingual, with English and Spanish fluency.

Ellen Bravo, author and former director of 9to5, is a nationally recognized expert on working women's issues and a widely acclaimed trainer, public speaker and author. She's written two books, the 9to5 Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and The Job Family Challenge: Not for Women Only. She is regularly quoted in publications as diverse as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Parenting Magazine and Glamour, and has appeared on television programs from the ABC Evening News to CNN Crossfire. Bravo helped found the Milwaukee chapter of 9to5 in 1982; she became head of the national organization in 1993. A Milwaukee business editor described her talks as "moving and witty."

Cindia Cameron, National Organizing Director, coordinates issue campaigns, and provides leadership and program development to chapters and staff across the country. She is a media spokesperson and public speaker for community and employer audiences on a range of working women’s issues. She has worked for 9to5 since 1983.

As a media spokesperson, Ms. Cameron has been quoted in numerous publications including the New York Times, Mademoiselle and the Atlanta Journal Constitution for stories ranging from workplace monitoring to work/family issues. She has taught at Cornell University's Trade Union Women's Studies Program, the Institute for Labor Education and Research and the Southern Appalachian Labor School at West Virginia Institute of Technology. She has published articles on organizing among working women and has a BA in Economics and Labor Studies from Rutgers University. Cindia is bilingual, with English and Spanish fluency.